Dampier Peninsula: A Hidden Gem in Australia
With its turquoise lagoons and burnt-crimson cliffs, ancient footsteps, and historic shell middens, Australia’s remote Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia’s coastal Kimberly region is home to a number of Aboriginal communities who welcome travellers to their spectacular land and share their traditional culture.
Until now, road access to the Dampier, which stretches 200km north of Broome, was limited to the notorious 4WD track known as Cape Leveque Road. However, with the road due to be fully sealed soon, the incredible scenery of the Dampier, along with its many Aboriginal tourism experiences – from hunting mudcrabs to sleeping in a traditional beach shelter – are about to become a whole lot more accessible.
With the road upgrade expected to boost tourism significantly, a road toll has been proposed to help manage the impact on the peninsula’s fragile environment and Aboriginal communities. As a visitor, it is essential to minimize your impact even further by respecting both the environment and Aboriginal people and customs: call ahead before visiting communities, and read up on how to travel responsibly in Aboriginal Australia before you hit the road.
Beagle Bay
First stop is the tiny settlement of Beagle Bay, where the community showcases something unusual – a church built by two German Pallottine priests between 1915 and 1918. Confined to the land during World War I, the priests occupied themselves by constructing this beautiful building, using the local shells (mother-of-pearl, cowrie, and trochus) as shimmering embellishments for the nave, altar and Stations of the Cross.
Middle Lagoon
If there’s one place you can use the phrase ‘full of emptiness’ it’s here. The empty beaches of Middle Lagoon are the perfect spot for swimming, snorkelling, fishing, and lazing around. Bring your binoculars to spot birds, or keep your eye out for turtles, dugongs, and passing whales (from July to September). Don’t miss the eco-friendly Whale Song Cafe at nearby Munget, overlooking stunning Pender Bay. The cafe serves delicious mango smoothies, pizza, and the best coffee on the peninsula, plus you can sleep at a cliff-top campsite here.
Lombadina
In a green oasis of lawns, palm trees, and ghost gums you’ll find the community of Lombadina. Like Beagle Bay, it boasts a remarkable church: constructed in 1932. Admire the all-wood interior and paperbark ceiling, then scout the arts and crafts centre for contemporary jewellery, screen prints, and batik creations before getting out on the water in a kayak. Various Aboriginal-led tours – from mudcrabbing to kayaking, whale-watching to a 4WD adventure to a set of 20,000-year-old footprints – can be arranged through local sources.
Cape Leveque (Kooljaman)
Red and remote, and occupying the northernmost tip of the peninsula 220km from Broome, is Cape Leveque (pronounced Le-veek by locals). It’s on the bucket list of many campers and visitors to Australia, which means some travellers rush up here on a day trip and miss the spectacular red cliffs to the west (the spot for sunset viewings), the miles of sand on Eastern Beach, and the region’s fascinating Aboriginal heritage and colonial history.
The Cape is named after a hydrographer, Pierre Leveque, who sailed around the area on the French ship Geographe in 1803. Locals, however, know it as Kooljaman. The excellent, Aboriginal-run business Kooljaman operates a brilliant solar-powered wilderness camp with safari tents, beach shelters, cabins, and campsites, with a restaurant serving gourmet fare from crocodile to barramundi dishes. You can also book tours with local Bardi Jawi people who will share their insights into fishing, mudcrabbing, and local bush tucker.
Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm
Located on the beautiful King Sound at the head of the Buccaneer Archipelago is Australia’s oldest pearl farm at Cygnet Bay. Start your visit with a 1.5 hour pearl tour while looking out for snubnose dolphins, dugongs, and turtles on the way. Initially, Pinctada maxima pearl shells were collected here and used for various products. However, the forefathers of Cygnet Bay Pearl learnt how to culture pearls instead. You can stay in luxury safari tents and cabins amidst tropical forest or pitch a tent in one of the bush sites.
Getting There
There are three ways to experience the Dampier Peninsula: on your own, on a tour, or by air. If you’re self-driving, a 4WD may be required. Permits are not currently required for road travel, but a small access fee applies to the communities of Beagle Bay, Lombadina, and One Arm Point. For day visitors to Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, a pass must be purchased at reception. Check road conditions ahead of your trip.
Broome-based Kimberley Wild Expeditions offers single and multi-day tours of the peninsula. For a spectacular perspective, consider a scenic seaplane flight with Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, which offers flight tours from Broome taking in the beautiful Buccaneer Archipelago’s Horizontal Falls.
This article was first published in October 2014 and was updated in June 2019.
