Friday, June 29, 2012

The Kimberley region


The Kimberley region of north-east Western Australia is one the world's true wilderness areas. It's a destination all Australians should have on their wish-list to visit. I've been there and can tell you it is a truly amazing place.

 

The Bungle Bungles

It covers a massive 423,000 square kilometers and is so special that its most famous park, Purnululu National Park (featuring the beehive shaped formations known as the Bungle Bungles) has been awarded World Heritage status.

This is outback Australia but with added lushness thanks to abundant water supplies. It's an incredibly diverse region with stunning geological formations, ranges and gorges, complex river and lake systems and some incredibly beautiful waterfalls - especially during and straight after the wet season. Then there's the wildlife, the famous barramundi fishing and ancient Aboriginal rock art and the spectacular coastline to explore.

The hub of Kununurra is the gateway to the Kimberley. Flying into Kununurra will give you a feel for how important water is to the area. There's the Timor Sea to the north, the town itself features Lake Kununurra and Lily Creek Lagoon, while the surrounding area is a mass of gravity-fed canals feeding off the Ord River and the massive Lake Argyle and Ord River dam system 70km to the south.

Lake Argyle's statistics are staggering: it covers an area of almost 2000 square kilometers, supplies freshwater to the region and is home to an estimated 25,000 freshwater crocodiles, 26 species of native fish and 90 islands on which live various marsupials, reptiles and birds.

The area is also famous for an even more precious natural wonder: the Argyle Pink Diamond. These diamonds are so rare and unique they retail for about 20 times the price of an equivalent white diamond. Together with its “standard” stones, Argyle Diamonds produces almost one quarter of the world's natural diamonds from its East Kimberley mine.




International Food Safari
 
Come down to King Street Wharf for the inaugural launch of the International Food Safari, the newest food festival in Sydney's culinary diary. Celebrate the wide range of international cuisines that make King Street Wharf unique.

 
Visit the website for the full schedule of events.

 
When: Monday 25 June to Sunday 8 July 2012-06-14
Where: Kings Street Wharf





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