Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING AROUND Avis
(
&
08/9169 1258
),
Budget
(
&
08/9168 2033
),
Hertz
(
&
08/9169 1424
), and
Thrifty
(
&
08/9169 1911
) all rent four-wheel-
drive vehicles. Hertz rents camping gear also.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
ON THE ORD RIVER
Several cruise outfits will offer you the option of cruis-
ing the Ord River or Lake Argyle, a massive man-made blue inland sea ringed by
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 com-
mentary 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 Class I (that means “gentle”) Ord River in two-
person Canadian canoes. It costs A$145 (US$94) per person. During the Wet 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 an impressive 38 million carats
a year—that's more than 8 tons of pure diamond—is the world's biggest diamond
mine, the
Argyle Diamond Mine,
176km (109 miles) from Kununurra. It is the
only mine in the world to produce the 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 open-cut mine (as long as safety conditions permit), and,
if you like, buy diamonds. 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). Opt for a
flight that covers the nearby Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles) and Lake
Argyle as well, an option costing A$325 (US$211). Belray Diamond Tours does
a coach trip Thursdays 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
Yo u
do not have to stay at El Questro (see “Where to Stay,” below) to enjoy the
wonderful facilities. After aristocratic Englishman Will Burrell bought this
million-acre cattle ranch in 1991, he turned it into a kind of Outback holiday
camp where anyone from international celebrities to humble four-wheel-drive
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
