YOUR ITINERARY
Day 1
- Make your way to Kununurra from wherever you may be around Australia.
- You’ll be met by our team and taken to our local accommodation.
- Dinner at the local hotel.
Day 2
- 7.00AM group briefing.
- Departure preparation and final purchase of stores prior to leaving for Doon Doon.
- Arrive Doon Doon community, 100km south of Kununurra where we are met by members of the Martin family.
- Welcome to Country with a “Smoking” ceremony and Spiritual Blessing to ensure our safe and protected journey through Country
- Drive 60km (3 hrs) on a 4X4 track to Speewah, where we establish our frontier camp. Should we have time it’s into the river to catch a barramundi for dinner, or “Dawal”, in Woolah language
- Following our campfire meal, we discuss and shape our plan for the next 5 days by studying a map of the area and learning our options. The beauty of this trip is our itinerary is fluid and we can alter it to suit the group
- Retire to your open tent and swag, enjoying your first night under the Kimberley stars.
Day 3
- A symphony of nature will wake you early this morning as you welcome the day with fresh billy tea, and the changing colours of the landscape as the sun rises
- Our day of exploration commences with a visit to the old Speewah Homestead where there are many relics from the early pioneer settlement such as wagon wheels, axle dated from 1883, pottery, cattle yards and a water point.
- We rest for lunch on a secluded sandy beach, enjoying a swim in the crystal clear water which tumbles from pool to pool.
- When back in camp later that afternoon, take your time to relax, read a book and absorb your surroundings. Today we will cover around 8km of cross–country walking.
- After we have cooked dinner on the open fire coals, we will enjoy some fireside yarns, sharing our day’s personal journey and experiences, delve into regional topics of natural history, indigenous culture, pastoral activities and more!
Day 4
- Today we venture into the stunning Letter Box Gorge which is located about 2km from our bush camp.
- On entering the gorge, you will note a densely populated sub-tropical environment with a wonderland of different plants, birds, reptiles, insects and butterflies.
- The gorge widens enough to allow a magnificent forest of ancient Melaleuca Cajeputs to adorn the river banks. The powerful flowering blossoms create a strong perfume, encouraging dozens of small birds into tree canopy, cavorting and in search of food.
- Following our day of exploration, we will find the most suitable place to set up our overnight camp on the waters edge, deep within the gorge. Be prepared for a challenging day as the group may need to work together in order to cross the gently flowing waterways ! You will also be carrying all your overnight camping gear.
Day 5
- Rise up early to enjoy our morning cup of billy tea and the emerging daylight from within this Letterbox Gorge paradise.
- After some further exploring and swimming up the gorge, we then navigate our way back down toward our base camp on the Dunham River.
- As we are carrying all own gear back again, you will appreciate the time you took in learning how to pack light and take just the basics !
- What an amazing debrief will be had tonight as we discuss the challenges we faced in reaching our remote camping location !
Day 6
- Another day totally remote from anything … the feeling of empowerment from being on the edge of a rugged frontier.
- This morning’s adventure sees us head off in 4×4 vehicles as we search for a potential track that will take us further into the Speewah Region. Back in the 1950’s , cattle drovers on the Bedford Stock Route constructed dirt roads in this area to help with their stock movement. Large cattle musters saw mobs driven from Halls Creek 250km south to Wyndham 100km north.
- We will disembark from our vehicles and trek 3km over desolate grassland as we locate a remote watering hole that is highlighted by a fast flowing 75ft waterfall cascading down upon us as we cool off with a refreshing swim.
- Our challenge is to trek back to our vehicles and then navigate back over the trackless terrain to ensure we arrive back at base camp before sundown !
Day 7
- Our final day in the great wilderness has us breaking camp, packing the trailer and heading into Doon Doon, a 2 hour drive along cattle station tracks.
- We bid our farewells to the “Woolah” Mob at their community and we are back on the bitumen for a 25km drive to visit the graves of pioneer Jeremiah Durack, his daughters and other stockmen.
- Arriving back in Kununurra around midday, we have a long awaited shower and head off to the local for celebratory drinks!
Day 8
- Today is our final day as we bid each other farewell and head off on the next stage of our respective journey’s. How can one describe the feeling of accomplishment having visited and navigated your way over wilderness that hardly anyone has visited before? Plus the satisfaction of experiencing nothing you would have encountered previously in this life- changing adventure.
INCLUSIONS:
- Two expert guides: Travis Hocart & Terry Hewett.
- Two 4X4 support vehicles
- Twin–share accommodation in Kununurra for night of arrival (August 14) & final night (August 20).
- Use of private tent, swag and sleeping bag.
- Groundsheet
- Fly
- Mosquito net.
- Walking poles
- 85L Backpack.
- Gaitors.
- Cooking equipment.
- Crockery and utensils.
- All food whilst in the field
- Assistance with physical preparation.
YOUR TOTAL COSTS:
- Trek Price – $3450p/p
- Flights to and from Kununurra.
- Meals in Kununurra
- Personal snacks bought prior to departure.
