Berkeley River Lodge, The Kimberley, Western Australia
Berkeley River Lodge takes pride in its description as one of the most remote luxury lodges in Australia. In the northernmost tip of Western Australia’s Kimberley region, it is in a far-flung corner of this vast and barely populated expanse of ancient Australian wilderness. The flight to Berkeley River Lodge emphasises this remoteness.
Our tiny Cessna takes to the skies from Kununurra and loops over the verdant oasis of this irrigated town, but within minutes, civilisation is left far behind. The burnt orange landscape extends in undulations to the horizon, pick-pocked by scrubby trees. There are rocky cliffs and granite hills, worn smooth by the eons. Here and there a green-fringed river meanders in oxbows, languid in the dry season. But there is not a sign of human habitation. Not a road. Not a fence. Not a town or a farm or a shed. Not a telegraph pole, a mobile phone tower or a satellite dish. Nothing but nature. We fly for nearly an hour, awed that this is even possible in this day and age. It sets the scene for Berkeley River Lodge – this is a special place indeed.
Berkeley River Lodge was built in 2012 with a determination to be a true luxury lodge – a herculean undertaking given the barely accessible location and the capricious weather in the far north of Australia. The result is a resort that is unequivocally functional, with corrugated iron walls and expansive tin roofs, yet eminently stylish and sophisticated. This is paired with service and an ethos that is relaxed and understated, but impeccable, and an abundance of activities to ensure that your stay is one of true luxury adventure.
The Lodge
Berkeley River Lodge is comprised of 20 identical villas, arcing in a V-shape across the ridges of two coastal sand dunes. Some face east, with sunrise views across the Berkeley River. The others point westward, looking out over the shimmering Timor Sea.
At the apex of the V is the lodge’s main building – a vast and bright open plan chamber with a lofty ceiling and a sweeping glass frontage. It houses the lodge restaurant “Dunes”, as well as its well-stocked bar, its reception area, and its small library and gift shop. Outside, an elevated terrace wraps 180 degrees, perfect for outdoor dining and sunset drinks. And from each end of the terrace, stairs descend to the resort’s signature lap pool, its sparkling turquoise waters and bright red umbrellas juxtaposed against the iridescent silver-white of the resort.
The Rooms
Each of the lodge’s 20 separate villas have glistening corrugated iron walls and soaring tin roofs, fronted by a large triangular deck that extends over the dunes on stilts. Inside, the spacious interior is brightly lit by windows on three sides, providing expansive views of the spectacular surroundings. There is an immensely comfortable king size bed and lounge chairs for reposing, as well as a coffee machine, filtered water, reading materials and a hanging rack for clothes. There is an overhead fan and powerful air-conditioning, surprisingly un-necessary, as despite the 39 degree heat, the ocean breezes through the louvered windows are sufficient to keep the villa pleasantly cool. And with the windows open, the sounds of the sea provide a hypnotic soundtrack day and night.
The beautiful villa, and its views, encourages you to ensconce yourself in this pristine environment. And it is easy to do, as the villas are distraction-free - no television, no telephone, no internet, no connection to the outside world (or even the main lodge!) at all. (If you truly can’t survive your stay without internet, a tiny capped daily quota is available through wifi in the main lodge, but it is barely enough to download a few emails, so we would suggest ignoring it entirely and embracing the disconnect!).
Behind the main room of the villa, there is the open-air bathroom, framed with bamboo walls but open to the sunshine and stars above, for a unique outdoor bathing experience. There is a dual vanity, piping hot shower and a free-standing marble bath big enough for two. The toilet is an eco-friendly composting toilet and there are environmentally friendly bathroom products provided.
We are in villa 20, by request. At the highest point of the seaside ridge, villa 20 is the most far-flung of Berkeley’s villas. Pointing away from the resort, there is nothing obscuring its expansive ocean vista, stretching to the horizon. And whilst otherwise identical to the other nineteen villas, the secluded orientation of villa 20 allows a secret special touch – the outdoor bathroom is completely open on one side, providing serene views of the surrounding wilderness from the shower, the bath, and the loo!
We relished villa 20 with its open-sided bathroom and its contemplation-inducing outlook, but recognise it wouldn’t be for everyone. The ocean-side villas are all significantly further from the main lodge than the river-side villas, and the walk to the highest-numbered villas involves a downhill and an uphill climb along a dusty gravel track – not normally noteworthy, but a little arduous in the 39 degree heat. And whilst staff are often on-hand after meals and activities to deliver you to your door by golf-buggy, there’s no means of contacting them from your room to collect you, so the trek from the room to the lodge is always under your own steam. Whilst this longer walk to the lodge may deter some, the unique bathroom view will ensure we will be requesting this villa on our future visits.
We compensated for the hot and sweaty walks by frequent dips in the lodge’s glorious lap pool, which sparkles in the piercing Kimberley light. Beyond, the ocean beckons with luminescent blue waters, but we are under no illusions – staff have emphasised the dual dangers of sharks and crocodiles here, and a short beach stroll reveals both in abundance in the shallows.
The Activities
Guests at Berkeley River Lodge are encouraged to do as much or as little as they want, but the personalised itinerary is hard to ignore. This pristine wilderness just begs to be explored and the team at Berkeley River have curated a number of activities to do just that.
Our four night stay included activities every morning and every afternoon, experiencing the best of what Berkeley has to offer, but admittedly, without much down-time (a five or six day stay might be better if more lazing around time is desired).
Our first afternoon brings a beach safari in an open-sided Landcruiser, exploring creek-beds and turtle tracks before sunset cheese and drinks under a pandanus tree. The next day it is a fishing morning, in the barramundi-rich waters of a nearby mangrove pool – and while the majority of the haul was catch and release, a perfectly-proportioned barramundi did become a very delicious lunch!
That afternoon, it was time for a helicopter trip – and although the only one of Berkeley’s activities not included in the room rate, it is definitely an unmissable highlight – including a low cruise over the nearby reef teeming with turtles and crocs, an exhilarating gorge landing with a swim in a pristine waterhole, a visit to some of the most remote and impressive aboriginal rock art in the Kimberley, and a sunset sundowner on the crest of nearby Mount Causurina.
This experience was so nice, we did it twice, the second time with an independent hike up Atlantis Gorge for a private swim in the stunning waterhole at its end.
The serene, refreshing, magical and crocodile free (yes, trust us) water hole on Atlantis Gorge.
The third day involves a full day river cruise, extending up the Berkeley River to its navigable limits, exploring waterfalls, gorges and rockpools en route. Lunch is served as a smorgasbord on the deck of the boat, in the shade of a languid waterhole lined by sheer granite cliffs.
Another guided excursion involves a stunning hike along the crest of the Berkeley River gorge, rewarded at its end by more incredible rock art and another stunning waterhole for swimming. It is also possible to go for drives through the scenic wilderness in the specially designed safari vehicles, looking for local wildlife and exploring the ruggedly beautiful landscape. All activities are accompanied by experienced guides, whose love for this land is readily apparent and their enthusiasm is infectious.
This image is thought to be of a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger), potentially proving the predator was once resident in these parts.
When not participating in the guided activities, it is possible to explore around the resort, keeping in mind the warnings regarding sharks and crocodiles. Or if feeling particularly languorous, it is hard to go past relaxing in the shade of the bright red umbrellas on the sundeck, a gin and tonic in hand, gazing out over the sparkling Timor sea.
Meals
Despite the isolated nature of the resort, Berkeley River Lodge prides itself on gourmet dining, and it doesn’t fail to deliver – in fact, the exceptionally prepared and presented meals are phenomenal given the remote location and the tiny kitchen, and set Berkeley River Lodge apart as a true luxury lodge.
Each morning, breakfast is served between 7am and 9am. There is a buffet selection, with fruit, cereals, toast and spreads, smoked salmon, cheeses, juices and sparkling wine available. More hearty fare is available via the a la carte breakfast menu, including omelettes made to order, eggs benedict, poached salmon with slow eggs, a healthy breakfast with beans and mushrooms, and a big breakfast. Coffees are prepared to order and are excellent.
For guests who are at the lodge during the day, lunch is served at Dunes, with a small but satisfying collection of casual meals taken on the terrace. While dishes such as the calamari and the fish and chips are excellent, we found it hard to go past the crocodile burger – a succulent and salty patty of minced crocodile, dressed with camembert, relish and greens, and served with crisp fries.
At dinner, the lodge ramps up to fine dining, beginning with sunset canapes on the deck. From the bar, a selection of beers, wines and sparklings are available and included in the room rate, as are simple mixes such as gin and vodka (more elaborate cocktails are available for an extra charge). With drinks in hand, guests mingle on the terrace, sharing stories of the day’s adventures and fishing triumphs, while lodge staff circle with platters of petite treats.
Once the sky is dark and filled with stars, guests are invited into the restaurant for long-table dining with fellow guests (although private tables can be arranged on request). Dinner is a multi-course degustation, exquisitely presented and unfailingly delicious. An entrée of Moreton Bay bugs might be followed by a main course of crispy skin duck, concluding with a dessert of vanilla pannacotta with crème anglaise.
Each course is accompanied by matching wines, including a sticky with dessert – free-flowing and regularly topped up by the attentive staff throughout. Creating such epicurean wonders in this remote locale, with the tyranny of distance and supply-chain logistics, is a testament to the skill of the chef and his small team, and we found our dining experiences at Berkeley River Lodge to be one of the highlights of our stay.
Getting There and Away
Berkeley River Lodge is mainland Australia’s most remote luxury lodge. But getting there is surprisingly straightforward. Flights to Kununurra leave Perth daily, with three hour direct flights with Qantas partner One North, and (for now!) Virgin Airlines. There are also one-stop flights via Broome.
Berkeley River Lodge then uses local airline Kimberley Air to charter its guests directly to the lodge’s private airstrip. Charter flights are currently included in the lodge rate, and are arranged to coincide with arriving domestic flights during daylight hours. The 50-60 minute flight to the lodge is in small Cessnas that fly low over the remarkable scenery and provide birds-eye views of the lodge, the Berkeley River Gorge and the stunning Timor Sea. After circling the lodge, planes land on the petite airstrip, where guests are met by lodge hosts with glasses of sparkling wine (or a beer) to welcome you to the resort.
Charter flights land at the Lodge’s private air strip located just minutes away.
Staying at Berkeley River Lodge
At the time of our stay at Berkeley River Lodge, just weeks after the re-opening of WA’s internal travel borders, the lodge was profoundly short staffed, with a skeleton team handling a much larger than anticipated occupancy, whilst other incoming staff diligently completed their mandatory quarantines in special staff quarters. Despite the heavy workload, and the fact that all staff were taking on multiple roles (guides in the kitchen, bar staff on housekeeping), the service, led by the peerless Denise, could not be faulted. At all times was it professional, welcoming and accommodating. So too were the guides, with special shout-outs to Bruce, Dempsey and helicopter pilot Nick, for their knowledgeable and enthusiastic guiding. And to Steve the chef – hearty congratulations on such unfailingly stellar cuisine.
Berkeley River Lodge is a slick operation, a stylish and sophisticated resort in the furtherest reaches of the remote and untamed Kimberley. With beautiful rooms, fabulous food, exceptional service and an abundance of wilderness adventures on hand, it is one of the most perfect ways to experience the wonder that is WA’s far north.
