Berkeley River Lodge - June - July

In one of the last true wilderness areas on earth, between Timor Sea sunrises and Berkeley River sunsets, the ultimate Kimberley adventure and refined indulgence awaits.

https://www.berkeleyriverlodge.com.au/

The Berkeley River Lodge's restaurant Dunes combines flavours as rich as the scenery with unprecedented views across the expanse of the Timor Sea and the impressive backdrop of the Berkeley River mouth, Reveley Island, and the spectacular Kimberley coastline.

The Berkeley River Lodge offers a casual yet decadent dining experience featuring breakfast and lunch cooked to order and degustation dinner menus teamed with a fine selection of Australian wines.

Fresh breads are baked daily to guarantee only the freshest is served. If you prefer you can request your own culinary style with our chef open to recreating your favourite dish (with his own twist of course!).

Only the best quality ingredients are used, sourced globally by our Chef (i.e. organic stone-milled polenta from Italy, 300 day grain fed Black Angus from Armidale, NSW, Oak barrel smoked Salmon from Tasmania) and a wide selection of fine Australian and European Artisan cheeses.

The Lodge's cultured yet discerning service amid a casual environment welcomes you at every meal. Our resident sommelier will ensure your meals are complimented with wines to enhance the flavours on the palate.

Now that should wet your appetite. I had been checking on their web site since 2013 - alas costings in the stratosphere. 6th May - A visit to the Library to update our devices (245Mb) – whilst downloading I  checked the Berkeley River Lodge – 2 for 1 for 4 nights = 1/2 price includes round trip flights ex Darwin. 30 second discussion with Sue whilst I am getting my plastic.$100 deposit and we are BOOKED!! 29^th June 3^rd July.

On the road 4th June via various locations to ensure we do not miss our flight out of Darwin to the Berkeley River Lodge

The day has finally arrived - all parked up and secure at the Darwin cattery / vehicle, van storage. 

Enough gear for weeks it seems

Our plane 18 passengers max. we had only___

eight in our group for the duration a good mix - from the rear - Sue, Wayne, Clive, Jane, Roslin, Geoff and Suthanya

Pilot and John the handy man from BRL on a trip to Darwin just to get out of the place for a few hours after 6 weeks on-site. Our pilot told us to checkout the unusual air craft landing as we were ready for takeoff 

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey

Seven V-22 Ospreys on the ground

Darwins natural gas plant 

Tidal flats for hundred's of k's 

Our 1st look at the Berkeley River mouth. The bump center photo on the horizon is Mount Casurina  

The lodge and the only sand hills on the Kimberly Coast

Our villa #3, a short walk to the 'FOOD' - there are only 20 villas thus a maximum of 40 guest. Plus any on stink boats that book in for a meal. Mind you they are impressive stink boats! 

Perfect landing

Clive and Jane happy to be on the ground, Sue's taking it in her stride

Kate - Beer or Bubbles

Sue's bubbles, meanwhile I had a beer in hand

A brief look at the kitchen. 
No stopping, this was just a quick pee stop and off touring the beach and sun set

Our encyclopedia tour guide Karla who we had for the duration of our stay.

Memory lapse as to what this was but the feral cattle love them

Neat flower

Rock chips used by locals a few years ago

Guess what - Sue got a wet foot

Well warn rocks and colours

Sun is retiring, and Sue's got a glow up from the 'BUBBLES' 

Sun set nibbles with Bubbles or Beer - softies or water also provided on the side

Neat 

Squeaky clean

Check out the view from our deck - mouth of the Berkeley River

Our humble abode for the duration - complete with water bottle and can / bottle coolers

Dining room and breakfast buffet with cooked fare available - breakfast done - time to walk the beach before our river tour at 1030hrs 

Turtle nest dug up by dingoes or goanna's 

Cyclone timber

Main building and villa's - our villa tucked in behind 2nd villa left of the main building

Our river cruise to as far as navigable 

Our tour vessel 'BROLGA'

Plenty of room to spread out

Captain Karla 

See what I mean about the stink boats being impressive!

Relaxed

Mount Casurina dominates the sky line

Casurina water falls

Great fresh water shower - invigorating 

Help yourselves to the nibbles and drinks 

Impressive cliffs - just don't rock now!

One of many 

Hard life for some

We jumped ship and walk 1k or so up the Berkeley

Clive saved the walking and took via via his drone 1k each way up and down the river out bound at 1,000' and back at 500' (from memory)

Just a few years to lay this lot down

A true Bonsai 

Pre-dinner drinks and nibbles

All spruced up for 'DINNER'

Crowed with a stink boat in the river up for dinner

Our fishing day - 0745hrs Heli Fishing, then out on the river in the Kingfisher

Fully air conditioned 

Peter checking the manifest 

5 minute safety briefing and a quick course on how to operate his mobile phone thru the Satellite phone with codes numbers just in case he is incapacitated 

Looking professional

Good for take off

The beach our fishing location 20 minutes from camp

My cow dung bait board - Peter had it easy today as all on this tour fisher persons - yesterday trip all non-fishers!

1st fish landed

Mangrove Jack by Sue

In action 

Bugger only an estuary cod 

More cod

Sue landed this fellow earlier and I hook him again - Peter taking no chances with the Bull Shark

Camp bound for lunch

By the time we got overhead Sue was a bit queasy with the twist and turns checking out croc's, turtles and feral cattle sightings - next trip a 'PILL' required 

You can see the extent of the fire they had a couple of months earlier - My brother David and Patricia were in residence at the time

Sustenance before more fishing 

Alas no fish 

Our ride is ready and so will dinner 

Pre-dinner drinks and Salmon Pastry Bruschetta

Sear Tuna Loin with Ratatouille / Capsicum Gel 

Jane - that didn't last long

Missed the palate cleanser - Cranberry Sorbet

Prosciutto wrapped Chicken Breast. Pumkin Risotto Cake / Parmesan Polenta/Za'atar

Finished off with Individual Pavlova

The Lodge

Feral cattle in the sand hills

Breakfast pancake - yum!

Villa 3 off on our creek hike - only Wayne in villa 2 joined us

Up the rock scree was the only moderate fitness level required

Our destination up along the river from Caucasian Falls

A geologist field guide to sand stone formations 

Casuarina Falls from the top - looks innocent enough with the log at the bottom of the falls

Here's the log at high tide on the rocks we had our water fall shower on days earlier.
He's named Godzilla for good reason at 16 feet +.
 

well worn rocks

Numerous pools - no croc's!

Bradshaw's rock art

Good camouflage 

Fish out of water - the ants soon had it

When you started to look frogs every where

More Bradshaw's art

Easy group to handle

These are deadly

Refilled with fresh cool water

A neat spa

Karla enjoyed the swim

Karla's pool - this is the farthermost hike Karla has done with a group - yes! us young and fit folks 

Neat water vegitation

Spot the frog

another frog in here

Here comes our ride back to camp

It's boiling hot - shade welcomed by all

Hang 10 down the rock scree

Wait for me!

Kingfisher with no fish

Ultimate Kimberley Adventure

A unique opportunity exists to be among the fortunate few to enter some of the greatest galleries of rock art in the world. The journey will take us coastal before heading inland across some true Kimberley country where we will land and take some time to tour these galleries.

Our next destination is one of the most majestic waterfalls in the region the King George Falls. Ascending above the falls, take the opportunity to capture some aerial shots of this beautiful destination.

As we journey to the mouth of the river, be amazed at how millions of years of erosion have carved the deep gorge, which embraces this river guiding it to the sea. Keep an eye out in search of Jabiru, turtles, crocodile and you may even encounter a rare glimpse of an elusive dugong.

Our next port of call will have us landing right next to a picturesque waterhole, enjoy a refreshing swim and a cold beverage while cooling off from the Kimberley sun.

Ultimate Kimberley Adventure with Sunset

Why not take the opportunity and upgrade your flight and top off an already great day by combining an afternoon Ultimate Kimberly Adventure with a Kimberley Sunset.

Ah! the pilot that had Sue take 'THE PILL', yes I had some Dramamine on hand for air sickness 

Got the Satellite phone details down pat. 

Ladies all buckled in 

Scroll thru the Bradshaw's art - this art was only recently found by Peter after fire went thru the area at the end of last years season. 

Thus we are the select few whom have view this art.

Whilst the group was viewing 'Clowies Art' only found 3 weeks earlier, I wandered off to another rock out crop close by and _______

'Graham's Corner' 

possibly never seen for 30,000 years

Their perception of aliens 

Yep! we got to rotate as navigator

King George Falls

Jane's getting warm

Rotor wash above the falls

Feral cattle - croc food

This was the camp for some folks who were dropped in here for a year to live off the land

Peter's swimming hole

Sure is the best way to see the Kimberlies

Strapped in

Mt Casuarina for _______

Bubbles and Beers along with the nibbles

What a fitting end to our Berkeley River Lodge tour - we now have to pack for an early AM departure

More - Dégustation is the careful, appreciative tasting of various foods, focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company. Dégustation is more likely to involve sampling small portions of all of a chef's signature dishes in one sitting. Usually consisting of eight or more courses, it may be accompanied by a matching wine degustation which complements each dish.

Here we go! 

Moreton Bay Bug, Avacado Tian /Mango Dressing

Palate cleanser - Raspberry Sorbert

Lamb Rack, Carrot Puree/Potato & Parmesan Gnocchi/Sauce Vierge /Feta Mousse

Mango Bavarois - Basil Sugar /Mango Coulis /Chocolate Dirt / Fresh Berries (only one = Berry)

'Been There, Done That'

The time has come - where did those 4 days go!!

A truly enjoyable experience, in a truly remote and magic place  

No Bubble or Beer on departure

I volunteered to be NAVIGATOR

Untouched and visited by very few

Darwin - Oh! no traffic lights and back to reality - next stop King Ash Bay