Broome to cape leveque

[Mr Toad]

Several years ago I was backpacking around your grand country and had the pleasure of staying in Broome. Whilst there I got a job at Cygnet Bay Pearls. Cyggy Bay is not far from Cape Leveque and is absolutely astounding. The Ocean there is an amazing turquoise and the pindan is as red as Irish red heads.....(sorry)
We were allowed the weekends of and after being cooped up for a month cleaning barnicles from the shells of oysters me and a mate hitched in to Broome. We had a very relaxing weekend but when Sunday evening came and we were having no luck in hitching a return ride, so I drove my car at the time all the way back. It was a 2WD 1970 Mazda 1800, that I had purchased from a couple of pommies returning home to England. I only gave 50 Dollars for it, when it was worth at least 60! Lucky for us it was the dry season and I spent about two ours drifting in the sand banks of the track, and made it back to work.
It was one hell of a mission but well worth it. I would love to drive that road again but now I am older and a little bit less reckless I would not do it in a thirty year old saloon car.

[DX grunt]

Many, many years ago, I was in the navy and went to Broome and Cape Leveque, in the wonderful state of Western Australia.

That is one of my favourite areas of WA. No picture can describe the absolute beauty up there.

[yorgalas]

makes me wana pack up and go for a trip right now...

[Squeaky]

I am intending to travel to Cape Leveque and the Kimberly's this winter, do you have any places of interest you would recommend seeing.

[Cuppa]

The Dampier Peninsula is my favourite part of Australia. We spent a couple of months. Walked the Lurijarri Trail with the traditional owners of the country between Broome & 'Yellow River', (approx 100 kms of coastline north from Broome) the Goolarabooloo, learning about their songlines, Bugarregarre, & feeding ourselves on bush & ocean tucker. After the 10 days walk we lived in country for several more weeks, regularly fishing & walking & eating with one of the senior law men. Thankfully with the announcement from Woodside today that country will now be able to continue as it has for thousands of years. It's a beautiful place.

There are many small aboriginal owned campgrounds on both sides of the peninsula. We checked out many of them (but not all). A good proportion of them were actually a bit disappointing, in that either they had no access to the water, or the folk running them had a poor understanding of what was required.
However there were some stand out places which I would highly recommend.
Not the Cape Leveque resort as you might expect though. They wanted to charge us $10 just to have a look to see if we wanted to stay there. No thanks!

The two places where we found 'paradise' were 1. Whalesong Cafe (or Munget) - a small campground owned & run by Lenny & Jacinta - a truly beautiful & magical place. Only 8 campsites, so it never gets crowded, right on top of the pindan cliffs with stunning views. Jacinta has a beautiful veggie garden which forms the basis for her small cafe, & she makes a decent coffee too. To find Whalesong Cafe head towards Middle Lagoon campground (bigger, also not bad, but not as good as Whalesong) on the west coast. Not long before you reach Middle Lagoon you will see a sign for Whalesong at a road junction.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/64.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8642791628/) Whalesong Cafe

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/65.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8641692009/) View from our camp

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/66.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8642791512/) Jacinta's garden

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/67.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8641691821/) On the beach at Whalesong

The 2nd place we found & stayed at which we loved was 'Bully's Camp' (Djoodoon), which is in a great position to use as a base to explore the top end of the peninsula from. It is on the east coast so quite different to Whalesong. Set on a small promontory it has a front & a back beach facing onto different bays, each quite different. Have a read of my blog entry to see more pics & get a sense of our experience. Drive northard until you get to the airstrip (on your right, you can't miss it). The turn off to Bully's is immediately after the air strip on the right. The track in is quite narrow & sandy in places & forks at one point. The left fork goes to Bully's.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/68.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8642809804/) Southern beach at Bully's

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/69.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8641709593/) Coral exposed at low tide

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/70.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8642810452/) Northern beach at Bully's

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/71.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8641710983/) Lighting the Donkey boiler for hot showers

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/04/72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuppa500/8642810562/) More coral at low tide

http://www.cuppa500.com/_Big_Trip/Entries/2009/7/3_Entry_34_-_Paradise_Found.html

http://www.cuppa500.com/_Big_Trip/Entries/2009/7/13_Entry_35_-_The_Lurujarri_Trail.html

http://www.cuppa500.com/_Big_Trip/Entries/2009/7/27_Entry_36_-_Living_in_Country.html

http://www.cuppa500.com/_Big_Trip/Entries/2009/8/14_Entry_37_-_Gorges%2C_Boabs_%26_Crocs.html

Cuppa

[TPC]

Will have to read your trip notes on this area, your blog is impressive.
We are heading up to Kimberleys next year but will only have 6 weeks so plan to read experiences of others and pick out the best bits.
Thanks for sharing.

[pearcey]

Thanks Cuppa
Hopefully I`ll be spending 3 or4 months over that way next year.
Checked out you posts and as usual your on the ball with great info
Our planning started afew weeks ago and now it`s full on info gathering.
Thanks again for the info

[Cuppa]

Don't miss the Bungles - allow a minimum of 3 days.
Keep River National park on the WA/NT border is another must see.
And the GRR of course. (Something I'm yet to see all of), including the Mitchell Plateau & Kalumburu.

Some great info from Birgit at http://www.kimberleyaustralia.com/kimberley-travel-guide.html

Cuppa

EDIT: This is another camp on the Dampier Peninsula which has opened since we were up there, comes highly recommended by some people I know who stayed there last year.
http://gnylmarung.org.au

[TPC]

Thanks Cuppa
Hopefully I`ll be spending 3 or4 months over that way next year.
Checked out you posts and as usual your on the ball with great info
Our planning started afew weeks ago and now it`s full on info gathering.
Thanks again for the info

We may cross paths Pearcey, when you going up there?

[pearcey]

Thanks Cuppa
Have done all the eastern desserts of WA plus 5 days in the Bungles where you have to do the chopper flight
we have all the coast and the Kimberly to do except for the
nullarbor where we have followed the coast most of the way.
WA so big, so many things to see so little time. So planing is a priority and any help is always appreciated.
4 months will not be any where long enough so may be a couple more trips will be planed

[pearcey]

We may cross paths Pearcey, when you going up there?

At the moment possible July onwards. Will know more after we return from 3 months in TAS
But will keep in touch mate