Faraway Bay

Comentarios destacados

• AdelaideNoel

  07 marzo 2019
  Faraway Bay experience

  We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Faraway Bay. Despite this season being a dry-wet you promised us a spectacular day when you took us in the boat to visit King George Falls. It certainly was a spectacular day, beautiful coastal scenery snd even the waterfall was pretty good, enhancing our experiences with the Kimberley Shower - not to be missed! In particular I wanted to also add our appreciation of great cooking skills of Kevin, the Manager, resulting in great food experiences at all times. Also the hospitality was amazing with aupport staff doing absolutely everything possible to ensure we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at Faraway Bay. Thanks to you all for the memories.

  

• sydneysider48

  11 junio 2019
  Unique and sensational

  Faraway Bay is unique! To find such quality accommodation and food in such a remote and beautiful place is a treat! Although quite basic, the cabins are definitely most adequate and comfortable and the outdoor showers are a delightful experience. The common area and swimming pool are suitably rustic and pleasant. The food was simply sensational, although there was far too much of it, with huge entrees, mains and then desserts which could have been reduced somewhat in size and still have been very generous. Of course, we did not have to eat everything placed before us, and it seems strange to comment on too much food, but with the remoteness of this place and everything having to be flown in the serving sizes seemed somewhat extravagant. The very competent owner and chef, Kev, was very hospitable, with a great personality and a dry wit and the other young staff were quite delightful and attentive, with nothing too much trouble. Kev took us on a great excursion to King George Falls, with spectacular coastal and gorge scenery on the way. The seas were quite rough with waves breaking over the very stable boat and thoroughly wetting us all and although Kev was clearly a very competent skipper, we did feel that the life jackets which were stored forward in a hold should have been issued for caution and safety. We were also a little concerned that Kev sent a group of us fishing in the creek. He had mentioned in passing that there was resident crocodile, Molly, but gave no particular warning to we fishermen. We saw no sign of Molly on our trip but on returning the next afternoon, lying on the beach close to the entrance to the creek where we had fished the previous day was Molly, which was absolutely HUGE!!!!! We wondered about the wisdom of allowing guests to fish unescorted in the vicinity of such a huge crocodile, which we estimated was 4 - 5 metres long. These criticisms are intended to be constructive comments which could improve the Faraway Bay experience, but our time at Faraway Bay was superb and unforgettable and we would unreservedly recommend this wonderful place to anyone who wishes to see a unique and remote part of Australia in comfort.

  

• sancrox24

  11 julio 2019
  Part of a Wet Season Experience in the Kimberley - but this year the wet did not really eventuate.

  Very isolated but relaxing. Kevin and the team made our stay very enjoyable. Treated us all to a Kimberley Shower at the falls. And if you dont know what that is you will have to go there. Food was excellent. The cabins have been there for I suppose 25 years and very rustic - but this is the charm of the place. The plane that brought us in also delivered a keg of beer as apparently supplies were running low and there may have been murmurings of muting in the ranks but all was saved. A fun experience.

  

• chrismcl

  07 octubre 2019
  Maybe Time for a Refresh?

  This is a difficult review to write. I wondered whether I should post it at all. I flipped a coin between three stars and four. There are two things to deeply appreciate about Faraway Bay. One is the remoteness. You are paying top dollar for lots of people NOT to be there and to have a hosted wilderness experience: just the host and a few others. The other thing to appreciate is just how much perseverance and planning is needed to keep this place going as a small owner operator lodge. I sense a massive wave of corporate consolidation sweeping over Australian wilderness adventures. Those Outback Spirit trips are changing things and not for the better in my mind. So Faraway Bay gets four stars for the remoteness and the the sheer grit of the owner operators for keeping things running through cyclones, fires and droughts. It's a miracle to get sophisticated meals with good wine every evening. The excellent planning also shows through in the Resort's eye for detail in terms of arranging flights and very clear joining instructions in terms of what to bring. I would have left my reef shoes at home otherwise! There are other factors however that act to limit what could be a truly memorable stay. I believe that there are at least three key roles in running a camp like this: The Host (putting guests at ease, explaining choices and options), The Guide (high energy, enthusiasm, with deep knowledge that is graciously and easily shared) and The Chef (formal training plus high adaptability to bush conditions). These roles require different skills and strengths. It's usually different people who do these jobs. In Faraway Bay there is one person doing all the work and in my perception things get stretched. It's understandable when labour costs are sky high. It is also likely that this individual will get tired and look forward to the end of the season. There are other implications. Almost all activity will be in the morning, as the Guide needs to be the Chef for lunch and the evening meal. It's extra hard if different clients want to do different things in the morning. What I missed at Faraway was someone who had a really deep infectious love of the environment, the archaeology and the flora and fauna. Maybe as a guest I can be grumpy on some days and it is good if someone can cheer me up. If the host/guide/chef is silent and distracted, it's hard to know what to do. Maybe Faraway Bay is reaching a point in it's life cycle when it needs a rethink and refresh. What might have won a strong following and rave reviews in 1999 may need to be rethought in 2019. The tents are comfortable but small. Really spacious walk in tents that survive extreme weather events have arrived in Africa, Canada, the Galapagos and the Mongolian Steppe. Maybe it's time to have a look at what's possible. The keynote day trip to see the King George Falls is a little flat when the Falls are dry as a bone. This is no ones fault of course, it's in the gift of mother nature. In their full wet season pomp, these Falls are probably in Australia's top ten natural wonders. In the Dry, it's a very modest salt water version of Katherine Gorge. It's not really worth the trip. Maybe in the Dry it might be good to imagine other alternative excursions? Picnics on desert islands? Thinking how to better explain and explore the scenic and archaeological wonders of the Lost City? Perhaps my favourite moment was a late afternoon scramble with my daughter up Champagne Rock, a short walk from the camp. The sun turned the rock formations bright gold and the views of the coast got better and better as we climbed higher. Maybe at some time in the Camp's past this was a location for sundowners in the safari tradition, hence the name. A shattered panel of rock art decorated the back of a shallow cave at the top. The magic of this place was tangible and I was glad to have made the trip. Perhaps I am truly spoilt. I have been doing a trip of a lifetime every year for most of my lifetime, so maybe it's getting harder over the years for a location to truly differentiate and impress. I do wonder if Faraway Bay could benefit from a refresh and a few more hands on the deck.

  

• Jill H

  22 marzo 2020
  Peace!

  This was our second visit to this amazing destination - we had been there in the dry and it was a special experience to be there in the wet. The accommodation is now ensuite, reasonably basic but very comfortable, but oh so special in its remoteness and vista.