There are some places that you'd rather keep to yourself, and high on the list is Kimberley Coastal Camp. Located at the southern end of Admiralty Gulf in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia, the retreat is only accessible by helicopter, and there to meet you when you land will be a bearded man wearing a shirt with the sleeves hacked off and holding a wheelbarrow. This is the affable Rocky Terry, who, together with his partner, Bella Harding, just happens to own the perfect beach house. Over the next dew days, they will choreograph an experience that involves fishing, food, hilarious conversation, art, music and wildlife in one of the most amazing places on earth.
The retreat sits on a headland, set among peroxide-blonde clumps of Spinifex and creamy sandstone outcrops between crescent-shaped beaches of crushed seashells. To the north-west, Mackerel Point throws a long, lazy arm across the gulf. At the centre off the site is The Shed, a big, open-sided pavilion with stout posts supporting a high roof of corrugated iron. The Shed is the camp’s social nucleus — dining room, lounge, library, tackle room, expedition base, office, lookout, kitchen and bar. When they’re not out on fishing, walking or exploring rock art sites, guests spend much of their day here, lounging around on the couches, playing boules, absorbing the atmosphere and the smells that waft from the kitchen. Off to one side is a small swimming pool, since the sea is strictly off limits. Humans are rather too low down the oceanic pecking order round here, so the salty dip you take could easily be your last.
What to do
"It's not just a fishing camp," Rocky is quick to point out, yet the fact that he can usually be found with a fishing rod in one hand says it all. The gulf is legendary for its barramundi, which run strong in April and May, at the end of the wet season. At other times of the year there are fingermark, mangrove jack, tuna, barracuda, giant trevally, coral trout and shark, and mud crabs among the mangroves. Only the trophy fish and those required for the dinner table are kept. Most of the day is catch-and-release, but now and again a fish will be filleted, dunked in a marinade of citrus juice, vinegar and fresh coriander, left for 15 minutes and voila — poisson cru. One of the unexpected wonders of the camp is Aboriginal rock art. In particular, the region has many outstanding examples of Bradshaw figures. Dating back more than 20,000 years, the Bradshaws are one of the great enigmas of Kimberly art — fluid, finely drawn dynamic figures that suggest a refined, leisurely and wealthy culture — and an artistic tradition that seems to spring from a separate creative well from more recent Aboriginal rock art. Exactly who painted the Bradshaws is uncertain, but anyone who scrambles over the rocks to see these magnificent paintings becomes an addict.
Sleeping and Dining
You don’t go to Kimberley Coastal Camp for luxurious accommodation. There are just half a dozen individual guest gazebos scattered among the red sandstone and spinifex. Each has corrugated iron to waist level, then mosquito netting covering the upper half and corrugated iron again for the roof. Inside each is a lamp, a fan and a king-size bed. Floors are crushed seashells, but as a concession to the feet, there’s a rug. In this climate it’s the perfect beach house — simple, stylish and completely open to the sea breezes and the sighing sound of waves on the beach, and like so much else about KCC, the result is far more chic than the sum of its individual parts. Food is one of the unexpected delights of a stay at the camp. Bella performs miracles in the open kitchen, turning out crispy-base pizzas with thin slices of potato and rosemary drizzled with olive oil, Greek-style salads and some of the best seafood dishes you’ll ever taste.
The appeal of Kimberley Coastal Camp challenges the accepted notions of luxury. If air conditioning, plush carpets, room service and spas matter, this is not the place for you. On the other hand, if you’re susceptible to style, charisma, character and charm, Kimberley Coastal Camp is five-star all the way. This is a barefoot paradise, pure and simple.
Around Australia you'll find some of the best secluded retreats that are ideal spots to get away from it all.
