Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE KIMBERLEY: A FAR-FLUNG WILDERNESS 475
GETTING AROUND Avis (& 08/9169 1258), Budget (& 08/9168 2033),
Hertz (& 08/9169 1424), and Thrifty (& 08/9169 1911) all rent 4WD vehicles,
as does local company Handy Rentals (& 08/9169 1188).
WHAT TO SEE & DO
ON THE ORD RIVER Cruise outfits will offer you the option of cruising the
Ord River or Lake Argyle, a massive man-made blue inland sea ringed by stony
red cliffs and bigger than 19 Sydney Harbours, but go for the Ord. The Ord River
is one of the most picturesque waterways in Australia, lined by red cliffs in parts,
and teeming with all kinds of wetland birds and freshwater crocodiles. Jeff Haley
of Triple J. Tours (& 08/9168 2682; www.triplejtours.net.au) runs excellent
cruises. There are several itineraries, and they vary from Dry Season to Wet, but
the most popular starts with a 70km (43-mile) coach ride and commentary to
Lake Argyle, a wander through a historic homestead, then the 55km (34-mile)
cruise down the Ord back to Kununurra. The boat travels fast and is a bit noisy,
but Jeff pulls in at numerous tranquil spots. This costs A$140 (US$91) for adults
and A$70 (US$46) for children 4 to 15, including pickup from your hotel. It takes
most of the day.
Big Waters Kimberley Canoe Safaris (& 1800/641 998 in Australia, or 08/
9169 1998; www.adventure.kimberley.net.au) offers a popular 3-day self-guided
canoeing/camping safari down the Grade 1 (that means “gentle”) Ord River in
two-person Canadian canoes. It costs A$145 (US$94) per person. During the
Wet Season you can do a 1-day tour for A$45 (US$29) per person.
A day on the river to fish for barramundi with Greg Harman’s Ultimate
Adventures (& 08/9168 2310; www.wn.com.au/ultimateadvent) costs around
A$230 (US$150) per person, more if there is only one of you. Greg also does
trips of up to 10 days to remote fishing camps.
DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH Turning out 34 million carats a year—that’s
about eight tons of pure diamond, or one-third of total world output—the
Argyle Diamond Mine is the only mine in the world to produce the rare pink
diamond in commercial quantities, as well as champagne, cognac, yellow, green,
and white rocks. During a 3 1 ⁄2- to 4-hour visit, you will see rough and polished
gems in the viewing room, see gems get extracted from the huge open-cut mine
as long as safety conditions permit that day, and, if you like, buy some. For security
reasons, you must join an aerial tour with Belray Diamond Tours (& 08/
9168 1014), which you can also book through Alligator Airways (& 08/9168
1333; www.alligatorairways.com.au), or Slingair Heliwork (& 08/9169 1300).
You can opt for a flight that covers the nearby Purnululu National Park (Bungle
Bungles) and Lake Argyle as well, at a cost of A$325 (US$211). Belray Diamond
Tours does a coach trip Thursday only June through September, which costs
A$180 (US$117) per person, but it’s a 2 1 ⁄2-hour drive each way. Kids under 12
are not permitted on mine tours.
SPENDING THE DAY AT EL QUESTRO WILDERNESS PARK You
do not have to stay at El Questro (see “Where to Stay” below) to enjoy the wonderful
facilities. When Englishman Will Burrell bought this 400,000-hectare
(988,000-acre) cattle station (ranch) in 1991, he turned it into a kind of Outback
holiday camp where anyone from international celebrities to humble 4WD
enthusiasts could revel in its rugged beauty. Although it’s a working farm, guests
don’t get involved in that side of things. Instead, they go barramundi fishing and
heli-fishing in croc-infested wetlands and rivers, soak under palm trees in the
thermal waters of Zebedee Springs (closed from noon daily), hike gorges, some