Tunnels, Gorges and Jandamarra
A West Kimberley Aboriginal Experience

The rugged and remote Kimberley region in far north Western Australia holds intrigue for the adventurous traveller. A 3-day tour with Bungoolee Tours takes you into this country sharing the mystique of an ancient West Kimberley Aboriginal culture and following in the footsteps of the legendary Jandamarra.

You will visit gorges cut into 350 million-year-old Devonian reef, see rock art and share Dreaming stories. You will be taken to historic ruins that mark sites of the inland movement of European settlers in the late nineteenth century. As guests of the remote Biridu community you will learn about traditional life and share the contemporary aspirations of Bunuba people who reside in this area. You will learn first hand stories of Aboriginal life on Kimberley cattle stations.

The Bunuba people are proud of their ancestor Jandamarra, who in the 1890s led a fierce and sustained resistance to inland advancement and European settlement on tribal lands. Traditional Bunuba man Dillion Andrews, of Bungoolee Tours, will take you on a very special journey, relating the history of the area, sharing his spiritual connection to land, and visiting the caves where his ancestors lived.

Dillion takes pride in showing and sharing his culture and beliefs. Guests are welcomed and provided a unique and privileged experience. Bungoolee Tours observes strictly the cultural protocols of Bunuba people. Guests experience a smoking ceremony, and are provided traditional entry to places of spiritual significance. For cultural reasons Indigenous Australian women are not permitted to enter Tunnel Creek.

Day 1

On the morning of day one you will leave behind the blue waters of Broome. You will cross the Fitzroy River basin and wide open plains before entering Bunuba land in the heart of West Kimberley cattle country.

After lunch you will be guided through the majestic Tunnel Creek, following its path as is cuts its way through the rugged Napier Range. This is your introduction to the wonders of the spectacular Devonian reef.

You will visit an ancient rock painting site before arriving at your base camp near to the remote Biridu community. Here you will share billy tea around a camp fire. Following an evening meal you will be ready for a well earned rest under the Kimberley sky.

Accommodation at the base camp will be tents and swags. All sleeping arrangements including swag, linen, pillows and rugs are provided. Arrangements at the camp will be basic but comfortable with bush toilet and shower facilities available.

Day 2

Day 2 is unhurried. Now “off the beaten track” this is your opportunity to get to know your host and the local country. To learn of traditional survival skills used in this area. To explore old living areas and historic sites and to gain an Aboriginal perspective on life and land

Around the camp fire at the end of the day 2 you can reflect on the day and share stories of life as it was and as it is now in this part of the Kimberley.

Day 3

There may be a touch of sadness on the morning of day 3 as you say goodbye to Biridu country and head out over the dusty plains.

Ahead of you however is more spectacular country. You will visit Windjana Gorge, marvelling at the vertical cliff faces and rock formations In the cooler months you may be lucky enough to observe, at close range, fresh crocodiles as they bask in the sun on the sand banks. You will visit the ruins of Lillmaloora police outpost, a critical site in the Jandamarra story. From Windjana Gorge you will travel west on the Gibb River Road before concluding your journey at Broome in the late afternoon.

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