Chapter 11 – The Last Frontier

The Kimberley region of Western Australia is one of the last frontiers, not only in Australia but also on Earth. Its ancient sandstone and quartzite ranges, untamed rivers, and awe-inspiring opulence make it one of the few truly wild places humanity can still enjoy Nature’s pure embrace. From the spectacular, chiselled escarpment of the Cockburn Range to the plethora of magnificent gorges carved through the ancient King Leopold Ranges, the panoramas were never-ending. The sapphire-blue of the sky, the rich ochre-red of the rugged landscape, and the emerald-green of countless waterholes inspired perpetual wonder at Nature’s capacity for untrammelled beauty. It was a place deep within Nature’s realm where I never forgot how untamed the Australian continent intrinsically remains. From bushfires and crocodiles to vast expanses of country barely touched since the dawn of time, the Kimberley defines the wildness of what little remains of the Australian frontier. Of all the regions visited across Australia, it was this rugged, fascinating land that mesmerised and awed me at every turn. The everyday showing Nature’s capacity to create works of such splendour as to humble those who experience their majesty.