KALUMBURU ESCAPE

THIS REMOTE KIMBERLEY ADVENTURE IS THE IDEAL TONIC FOR THOSE AFTER SOME SOLITUDE... AND PLENTY OF BARRA

- KEV SMITH

I WAS fishing for barramundi on the Mitchell Plateau at the top of Western Australia when it struck me just how isolated and remote I was. My camp was up past the stunning Mitchell Falls at Walsh Point, and I had seen no one for a few days after leaving the more popular tourist spots behind.

Being mid-July, Mitchell Falls itself was extremely busy, at the campsites, on the track to the falls, and even in the sky with choppers buzzing about ferrying tourists back and forth. I decided to head further north to the quiet Surveyors Pool, and eventually up to Walsh Point, where I was told the track was pretty ordinary.

That advice must have put some people off, because when I arrived at the Surveyors Pool car park, I was the only soul around, and there weren't any noisy choppers in the sky. With a 30-minute walk up to the pool and falls, I was blown away by the gorgeous Kimberley scenery and I found it hard to imagine this place in full flood. Laying in the cool water at the top of the falls for an hour, I heard the chatter of some visitors, so I decided it a good time to press on.

The road further up to Walsh Point is certainly rough, but not as severe as I was told it was back at Drysdale River Station. There are several lookouts along the track that offer breathtaking views across the Admiralty Gulf. Dropping down the last section to Walsh Point I was happy to discover I was the only camper around, so I had my pick of the camping spots with stunning water views surrounded by old boabs.

Apart from simply reaching this remote and isolated part of WA, my plan was to hunt down a few barra and to enjoy the solitude after enduring the visitor chaos back at Mitchell Falls. The sunsets were spectacular with the beautiful boabs as a backdrop. Crocs and sharks swam past my camp at high tide and I caught several barra up to around 700mm long; enough fish for a week!