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Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
  • Anne Smart
  • Chris Wilding
  • Anne Smart
  • Chris Wilding

Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome

A top-end camping tour with Sid's Ventures featuring the Bungle Bungles Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 12, 2026
  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Kangaroo and bush tomato appetisers
    Love the colour as sunset lit this cliff face1MagicPortrait by Rosie1

    Sunset Cruise Darwin Harbour

    May 13 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    3 hours gently cruising the harbour whilst enjoying dinner and some great company. We met lovely people from Esperance, Perth and Canberra.
    We relished the gentle breeze out on the water, and couldn't stop snapping pics of the sky as it changed colours with the sunset then nightfall.Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Our 'balcony'!
    Mangrove walk to the natural history museumYay! It stayed still long enough for a picThe old meteorology equipment in use at the time of cyclone TracyLove the intricate patternsThe air is sweet with the scent of FrangipaniAnother rest (and a picnic) under a cool treeSwim time!1The infinity poolBeautiful mangroves line the trail to Mindil Market from our resortMindil Beach sunset with just one or two others!The Chris's on Mindil beachThe famous sunsetDarwin harbourThe original courthouse built from beautiful local stone1

    Darwin sights

    May 14 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We spent a lot of time walking, just taking in the town. Every day we came home to swim, and every night before bed we swim in the beautiful pool in the dark, often only sharing it with a pair of ducks.Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome

    Katherine Gorge here we come

    May 16 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Sid is giving a briefing as we take off. It has just dawned in me, we are heading into very remote and somewhat dangerous country. Excited, but also feeling some trepidation. I'm starting the journey sitting next to Marisa and catching up on the past couple of years.
    A couple of stops heading south along a potholed road@Adelaide River and Pine Creek. Beautiful Black Kites hunting in pairs above us. Chatting to Judith a Guatemalan Environmental Scientist who came here to study @ Deakin. Awesome conversation!
    Nitmiluk national park: hiked 1km up a hot , rocky hillside to reach the upper pools at the Edith Falls. Incredible ! One of those pinch-me, is this real? moments.
    A glorious swim, and riding the current then scrambling up and doing it all again. Down the hill to a picn8c lunch in the shade before recording bound for Katherine Gorge.
    A hot walk up the hillside to view the gorge at sunset, then home to a cold beer and a swim in the pool. Fish and coconut rice for tea, then off to bed ready for a 540 am start.
    We are staying in cute mesh sided tents up on platforms.    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Heading westThe changing savannahSid telling us how the range was formedMorning tea at Adelaide RiverRohan doing his thingWoo Hoo!Rachel driving and tour guiding all at once. LegendLake Argyle quartziteRock wallaby

    Katherine to Lake Argyle

    May 17 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    0545 start after a peaceful sleep in the comfort of our glamping tent. On the road by 7 and watching the scenery change to grassy savannah, dotted with small scrubby trees and with rocky outcrops on the horizon.
    Sitting with Rohan, a video media specialist. Great company and conversation. We are watching the changing nature of the plants as we head west and see Water buffalo crossing the road.
    It's fun watching Sid get more and more excited and animated the closer to The Kimberley we get.
    Judbara-Gregory National Park, a giant ancient floodplain. Kapok trees with yellow flowers that are edible and also a source of fibre similar to cotton.
    Morning tea in Victoria River. Scenery changing and Boab trees appear. Herds of Brahman cattle wandering freely.
    Lake Argyle quartzite rock. Very hard. Dam wall 300meters across at the base. No concrete. 45 meters deep in places holds 21x Sydney Harbour volume. 1000 kms square surface area. When you are out on the water it disappears over the horizon and looks like the ocean. Saw a grey rock wallaby and joey in a cave and a huge osprey circling overhead. Saw fresh water crocodile resting on the rocks.
    We got spat at by archer fish.
    Finally we dive into the lake and swim in the warm waters, using a floaty and drinking champagne. A storm has come in and we have a rain soaked evening, huddling under a shelter to eat, then escaping off to our tent for an early night. Cane toads hopping around.
    Looks like most of our plans for next few days are off. Roads and parks closed .    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome

    Gibb river road

    May 17 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    More than 600kms. Mostly dirt, some sections paved. It has been graded recently , so not too rough for the most part. My memories are:
    River crossings. So much fun bumping over in our big 4wd bus.
    Billabongs with purple lillies
    We all took turns riding up front with Rachel. It was less bumpy and with an uninterrupted view. I loved chatting to her, she is a very capable young woman.
    We stopped @Ellenbrae station scones and tea at a stone table, resting in the cool grass.
    Along the length of the road we stayed at various stations and camp grounds and hiked into, and swam in various gorges.    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Rachel. So capable
    Judith from GuatemalaChris, Justine, Ryan and AdamThe cutest new friend 🧡Viki, Jane, MarisaHeidiAmanda and SidUrzsulaMe, Sid, Jane, Adam,JudithWayne

    The people

    May 17 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I absolutely love the people I meet on tours like this. A fun, diverse and interesting bunch of travel companions. We chat , laugh and play as we all pitch in to unload /reload the truck, prep meals, wash dishes. There are impromptu competitions among the younger men, handstands, trying to hit random targets with rocks, trying to collect boab nuts... lots of fun and laughs.
    Among us we have environmental scientists, industrial designers, media experts, a marketing expert, african safari operator, another nurse, a Kenyan safari operator, a music promoter.    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Voted the world's best infinity pool
    Wild brumbiesMarisa loving a BoabPitching tents as dark fallsDinner by the campfireChampagne and Sunset swim on Lake Argyle

    Lake Argyle to Violet Valley Campground

    May 18 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After the torrential rain last night we are not sure of our final destination today. It depends if the roads into the Bungles are open. We head out across the Argyle wall for a look, then stop at an ancient aboriginal resting place with wall art of crocodiles. We explored the nooks and crannies of the cave, sliding down a Shute into an antechamber. Micobats were fluttering around. It felt peaceful and was so beautiful.
    Into Kunarrara to top up provisions $1300 of groceries later and we are off! While Rachel was shopping we checked out an aboriginal run cafe Blak Tapas (fabulous coffee!) And a beautiful art gallery featuring local artists. I could have bought several pieces, really had to restrain myself.
    After lunch we have 5 hours more travel to our destination. Saw brumbies grazing, dingoes and kangaroos on the grassy Plains. We've run out of daylight so camping at Violet Valley. A slightly cooler night, the first I could even bear the thought of a camp-fire. We all pitched i to beat the dark getting our tents up, then prepared a green curry, and ate around the campfire. Music, chatter, great conversation.
    Utter peace at night    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome

    Violet Valley to the Bungles

    May 19 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Awoke 5am quiet rustling in the dark as we break camp. The eerie cries of Kites echo around the campsite. Their large twiggy nests are high in the trees above us. Every day we have seem many pairs of falcons, Kites, osprey riding the air currents and hunting. The recent wet has clearly produced an abundance of prey.Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Not sure what this pretty red flowered bush is
    Our first up close experience of the BunglesRock artThe birthing poolSid's geology talkToo big to bring home1Legend has it that when a birth is imminent the waters will swirl1

    Walk into Cathedral Gorge and the Womens

    May 19 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Anything I write to try and capture the experience of walking among the ancient formations of The Bungles is going to sound like a poor attempt at narrating a nature documentary .
    The landscape is ancient, worn down by time and the weather. The rock colours of Violet, pink,ochre, red and black,are individually pretty, but collectively breathtaking. At times all I heard was the whisper of the wind through the grasses, at others the chatter of my companions echoing down the Gorge, or bouncing off the wall of the huge amphitheatre -like cavern at the end of the Gorge.
    20 people sat in absolute silence, in awe and dwarfed by the scale of this place.
    Rachel took us to see the women's business cavern. It has a pool at the base, and is a birthing place for the traditional people of this land. Despite being completely protected, the waters on the surface were swirling as we arrived. The pattern on the surface formed a perfect ying and yang. We followed along a creek bed to get to the forge. There are deep pools etched into the rock base by stones tumbling in the current when the water flows during the wet.    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    What a colour
    1

    Echidna Chasm walk

    May 19 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Another stunning walk. Mostly a rock scramble along an ancient river bed. The chasm was formed by water splitting a huge rock . It is lined in places with palms and feels like an oasis with the sound of birdsong echoing off the chamber. The floor is a dry river bed filled with tumbled rocks of every size and colour. In places the walls are conglomerate: sediment laid down over milenia studded with small round rocks which then compresses into a solid mass. Beautiful!Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Beautiful finger-like wattles
    Another bumpy river crossingWe saw so many raptorsWe came to see a view, I got distracted by the car park rocks!..and a little frog on Dan's shoulder5 rivers from Wyndham lookoutKapok bush1Cockburn RangeWild brumbies inElephant Ear bushHuge ore trucks on their way to the Port at WyndhamRosella bush

    Kurrajong Campground to El Questro

    May 20 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We slept in swags for the first time last night. Beautiful cool air on our faces, but snug and warm to sleep. It was beautiful. Up at 5am, getting slick at breaking camp ,breakfasting and repacking the truck. We were ready to go by 6.15.
    We ha e a system with loading the bags, people forming a conveyor , passing bags up to the packing person.
    It's a 2.5hour journey over rough dirt track with numerous river crossings to get into and out of the Bungles.
    We take turns sitting towards the back of the bus where the ride is extra rough.    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    The hike in started gently
    Sprial growth of the PandanaRachel resting along the wayThe rocks! So beautifulFirst glimpse of a rockpool1Oh WOW!The warm waterfallDaredevil DanMid flightSplashdownPretty ferns in the cool gladesGiant gum leavesHaha

    Emma Gorge

    May 21 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    45 minute hot and challenging rock scramble into the breathtakingly beautiful gorge. We plunge into the icy water and swim out under the waterfall to be pummelled by the water from the 65 metre fall. I floated on my back, looking up to the fern-lined ledge overhanging the pool, watching the water droplets gently rain down on me. The water close to the rockface was warmer. Maybe residual warmth from the rocks, maybe a hot spring below .
    We also found a warm waterfall on the other side of the chasm, creating a warm bath at the base.    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    Rachel setting up breakfast
    Snug as a bugEvenings under the giant Boab treeGetting ready to ride the rapidsMoonrise over the BoabThe croc wrestlerHe's hungryJudith not doing well with Aussie wildlifeMorning Dan

    Mt Barnett

    May 22 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Bliss! 2 nights in one spot!
    We got in after dark having travelled all day. Camp oven lamb and chicken made delicious souvlakis.
    Finally a night in the swags gazing up at the stars. We got to sleep in till 0600! Breakfast then a hike up to the Gorge and waterfalls. The dare-devil guys lept in the rest of us enjoyed a picnic on the rocks, and a swim. Then we gathered for a mammoth drift/rock scramble down the river back to our camp. It took nearly 4 hours and was physically demanding the whole way. Sometimes we were swept down rapids and left bits of skin on various submerged rocks. Other times we were kicking and paddling hard to make progress. Periodically the way was blicked by huge piles of slippery boulders that we had to pull ourselves up on to and climb over. Chris was my saviour, I wouldnt have made it up the steep rocks without him. We saw ancient aboriginal rock art on the walls of the chasm , water dragons, water lillies in bloom, giant orb spiders in their webs. It was an extreme effort and we are exhausted and starving on our return to camp. So pleased to have done it. It was a wonderous and at times concerning experience. Spent the afternoon lazing to recuperate. In tge late afternoon we had an awesome hike/rock scramble up the cliff area adjacent to our camp to watch the sunset.Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome
    1Happy days
    My idea of paradiseWild man ChrisWatched over by an ancient BoabUrsula and I enjoying a waterfall massageAdcock gorge fallsAdcock gorgeGreen antsCommuning with the boabKimberley RoseFigs grow straight out of the rockCan't believe the colours in the rock here

    Mt barnett to Galvins gorge

    May 23 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    A short drive to Galvin's gorge. It was a beautiful gentle walk into the gorge and we were greeted by the most beautiful multi level waterfall landing in a fern fringed pool. Wandjina rock art on the walls. The pool is crystal clear and pleasantly cool, the waterfall was surprisingly warm. I had a beautiful massage sitting on the ledge beneath it. We spent a blissful hour playing there.
    Back on the bus bound for Adisons gorge. Apparently we are in for a rocky ride into the gorge.
    Well 5 hours later, back on the bus at last.
    We had a relatively short hike to the Gorge and Falls. Very pretty with a multilayer waterfall, lots of caves around the edge, lots of palms ferns etc. Had a great time there. Rachel had noticed a worn rear tyre, and one of the only tyre repairs on the Gibb was a short drive away so she set off to get a repair while we played a little longer by the water then and walked at a leisurely pace back to the car park. Chris and I made our way to the far side of the river and had a great time exploring a rocky plateau. We found some beautiful flowers which Sid tells me is called a curajong or Kimberly Rose.
    We all arrive back to the pick up point and wait, and wait, and wait. We are all starving after a morning of swimming, and the talk quickly turns to who we would kill to eat first. Lots of debate on the relative merits of eating one person over another, and what bush tucker we would use to garnish ( green lime ants, Rosella flowers, boab nuts and pandana fruit) .
    Lots of laughs and jokes but as the time passed, the heat grew more intense and the tummies rumbled louder, some people got tense. No one has phone reception, so there is no way of finding out what is happening.
    Eventually after a couple of hours Rachel arrives back. She and the tyre guy had been wrestling with jammed wheel nuts, unable to get them un-done.
    We all pitch in, make a quick lunch and set off again, only to stop at short time later to resuce a motorcyclist marooned by the track with a broken axle and no phone service. He is jumping on board with us to come to camp and his wife will drive from Broome to rescue him tomorrow .    Read more

  • Annie & Chris Darwin to Broome

    Winjana gorge

    May 24 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We have a 0545 walk to the gorge where Sid tells us the legend of Jindamara, an aboriginal resistance leader.
    We watch the sunrise lighting the limestone walls of the Gorge
    The range formed by an uplifts of coral reefs 200 million years ago.
    Evidence of shell fish in the walls
    Whistling Kites wheeling above .
    On the road to Tunnel Gorge early and are rewarded by having it to ourselves. A 1.9km walk through the cave which the river has tunnelled from one side of the range to the other. Rock scrambling, wading through thigh deep water and walking along sandy underground beaches, all by the light of our headtorches. We see wall art depicting goanna, fish, crocodiles. The water contains small fish and fresh water crustaceans. There are goanna markings in the sand. We scramble up into a small side cave to look at stalectites. This system is riddled with caves and crevices. In the past the local tribes would traverse the network at different levels, some of the art work is about 60 -100 metres up on the wall. At one point there is a sound like a waterfall un the darkness. On the opposite wall of the tunnel water is running and dripping down, creating beautiful colours and patterns on the wall.
    At the end of the cave we emerge to a beautiful tropical river scene, with huge cliffs towering above us. We can see an enormous cave high above. This is the place where Jindamara was shot and fell to his death.    Read more

    Trip end
    May 28, 2026
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