Inside the ‘time bomb’ which sunk the Kimberley’s Aboriginal and eco-tourism trailblazer

It was a hospital pass 32 years in the making — a swathe of decaying service infrastructure left by a government agency to Aboriginal people with a dream to share their country with the world. And for three decades, that dream was rosy; the Kooljaman eco retreat at Cape Leveque sat on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula as a shining beacon for WA’s fledgling glamping and Aboriginal tourism scene. It won awards — lots of them — and drew tourists in droves. It aided some of Australia’s best-known Aboriginal tourism experiences — guides who have featured on national and global tourism campaigns. As social media became a part of our lives, the red cliffs, beach huts and canvas canopies of Kooljaman became “Insta-fodder” for the wanderlust generation. But beneath the surface, a time bomb was ticking. Infrastructure such as bores were built to service the 110-year-old Cape Leveque lighthouse, which was automated in 1985. That infrastructure was then critical to the Djarindjin and Ardyaloon communities’ ability to build a groundbreaking tourism venture in 1989. But last week, 32 years later, the deteriorating nature of that infrastructure finally came to a head. The Dampier Peninsula’s biggest tourism drawcard announced it would close its doors indefinitely as ageing infrastructure and increasingly onerous compliance standards hit profit margins. An email was last week sent around to guests informing them of the decision. “It is extremely unfortunate and with heavy hearts that we must announce from November 1st, 2021, we will be closing due to the requirements for major upgrades to continue to meet compliance, standards and guest expectations,” it said. “The communities of Ardyaloon and Djarindjin remain optimistic about the future of Kooljaman and are seeking the support of State and Federal Government agencies and trading enterprises to assist with the progression of our long-term plans. “We sincerely regret having to pass on this news and the impact it will have on our guests.” The email said all bookings would be refunded, and tours would still be operating. A second email sent to stakeholders gave a more telling insight into the problems. “The deteriorating infrastructure and legacy assets from the Cape Leveque Lighthouse that supported Kooljaman’s establishment have begun to fail,” the email said. “The necessary maintenance costs and upkeep relative to income and profits generated have not been sufficient to enable asset replacement or redevelopment in a manner that meets modern day regulatory requirements. “This is not an uncommon situation for many tourism facilities which predominantly service the camping and caravanning market in remote areas.” Kooljaman’s operators will now seek government funding for a “significant” redevelopment. A State Government spokesperson said Tourism WA and the Kimberley Development Commission would look into the matter. “The closure of any tourism related business in the Kimberley is concerning and we are working to better understand what the issues are and what can be done to address them,” they said. The closure comes as the much-hyped sealing of the Cape Leveque Road widely tipped to bring a huge influx of new tourists to the top of the peninsula nears completion. Durack MHR Melissa Price said Kooljaman’s closure as the road opened up was disappointing. “I have been very supportive of the prize-winning Kooljaman and believe it offered a great showcase of the Kimberley to both the domestic and international tourism market,” she said. “I worked hard to get the $52 million for the sealing of the Cape Leveque road, so it is disappointing that the resort has not been able to take advantage of that increased accessibility and the financial benefits provided by the opening up of the Dampier Peninsula.” The State was also preparing to start work on the access road to Kooljaman next year, which Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts said would still occur. “The commitment to seal the access road into Kooljaman still stands, Main Roads are currently in the process of gaining heritage approvals,” Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts said. “Main Roads will work with the Kooljaman resort regarding the upgrades during their closure over the next year.” No spokespeople from Kooljaman were available for comment.