Wyndham is the northernmost town in Western Australia and is the gateway to the East Kimberley. For Orion guests, Wyndham is the starting point for a host of adventure opportunities and is surrounded by some of the most spectacular landforms, rivers and wetlands in the Kimberley.
The frontier township of Kununurra the green capital of the north, is about an hour’s drive inland and owes its verdant surrounds to the largest manmade lake on the Australian mainland; the nearby Lake Argyle and the smaller Lake Kununurra. Part of the history of the region is documented by Dame Mary Durack in her books Kings in Grass Castles and Sons in the Saddle. The former Durack Station is now flooded by Lake Argyle, however the homestead has been reconstructed and is now a museum. The region is also famous for the Argyle Diamond mine, the worlds' primary source of rare pink diamonds, which have become the company's signature stone. Argyle Diamonds is the worlds' largest supplier of diamonds producing over 30 million carats which accounts for around 25% of the world' natural diamond production.
Flight seeing over the World Heritage listed Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park affords a breathtaking perspective of these unique formations. Incredibly these ranges were not "discovered" until the mid 1980’s when a television crew happened upon the starkly beautiful range and its unique, beehive-shaped domes. The domes are bordered by great banded cliffs that glow fire-red in the late afternoon sun.
Included Expeditions: BUNGLE BUNGLE RANGES SCENIC FLIGHT
Created especially for experiencing all the best sights the region has to offer. Your exhilarating flight will take you over the Diversion Dam Wall and the Ord River/Packsaddle Irrigation Areas, showcasing our fertile Ord River Valley farming. You will then follow Lake Kununurra and the Carr Boyd Ranges down to Lake Argyle, flying over Lake Argyle Spillway, Argyle Downs Homestead, Ord River Dam Wall and Lake Argyle Tourist Village. Follow the expanse of Lake Argyle down to the cattle country over flying Lissadell and Texas Downs and on to the ancient Bungle Bungle Ranges and Purnululu National Park (approximately 20 minutes orbit); fly past Argyle Diamond Mine and the Ragged Ranges with a panoramic view of Ivanhoe Irrigation Area on your return.
Alternative Expedition: ORD RIVER CRUISE to LAKE ARGYLE
For those guests who would like an alternative to the Bungle Bungles flight you are offered the a cruise aboard the Ord River to Lake Argyle.
The Ord River is one of the most stunning river systems in Australia. Your cruise will navigate a massive 55km stretch of river between Kununurra and Lake Argyle (Ord River Dam). From your modern and shaded vessel you will witness an ecological system that has developed from the damming of the Ord River at two locations. The first of these was the Diversion Dam, which formed Lake Kununurra in 1963, and the second was the construction of an enormous wall in 1972 much further upstream, which created Lake Argyle. What has resulted in between is an area rich in wildlife, flora and scenic beauty. Lunch will be provided either at the riverside camp or at Resort Lake Argyle, with refreshments provided along the way. Your tour includes a ground tour of Lake Argyle, including viewing the Lake from a scenic lookout, and a visit to the Historical Durack Homestead.