Inside Berkeley River Lodge’s remarkable revival

Wild, rugged, immense. These are all fitting descriptions for Australia’s Kimberley: a region so remote it feels like you’ve journeyed to the edge of the map.

Which makes the existence of Berkeley River Lodge, an all-inclusive hotel in its isolated northeast, all the more surprising.

In this ancient landscape painted in streaks of deep red, ochre and olive green, the luxury lodge is an anomaly: a high-end, barefoot escape offering Möet on arrival, evenings unfolding over degustation dinners, and private villas kitted out with a surprising level of quality.

Opened in 2012, and accessible only via an 80-minute scenic flight from Darwin, the lodge is consistently ranked among Australia’s best remote escapes, with a devoted following to match.

Berkeley River Lodge welcomes just 30 guests at a time.

Now, emerging from a three-year “reimagining”, it’s more polished than ever. Yet it almost didn’t happen.

Operating just four months of the year in the cooler winter season, the lodge was battered by Cyclone Fina, which hovered above it for 13 harrowing hours in November 2025.

Caretakers recall huddling in the cyclone shelter as steel-framed villas were lifted and thrown like toys; the surrounding landscape reshaped in real-time.

For the lodge to be standing at all is remarkable, but to see it return in such fine form speaks to something deeper – a testament to the strength and resilience of the people behind it.

General Manager duo Hannah Wark and Jake Oxenham.

General Manager Hannah Wark is first to champion the skills and adaptability of the team, which swelled from two in a normal off-season to more than 35, all working through the intense heat of summer to ensure the lodge could not only reopen on time but at the high standard guests have come to expect.

“It’s been an emotional journey,” says Wark, after a deep exhale.

“When the cyclone came through, we didn’t know where we sat, or if we could reach our April goal. In one sense, it feels like we’ve lost a lot, but we’ve also grown. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved, and to finally be sharing it with guests.”

A new dawn at Berkeley River Lodge.

Rachel Bromage, of lodge owner Saltwater Hotels & Resorts, spearheaded the transformation, which began as a straightforward refresh – new beds, new baths – before evolving into something more ambitious.

“What I could see was the details were missing, those little final touches,” explains Bromage, who joined her family’s hospitality business full-time two years ago, after helping create Victoria’s acclaimed Metung Hot Springs with her husband, Adrian.

Working alongside Perth-based design brand Empire Home, Bromage set about creating an aesthetic that was elevated yet deeply grounded in place, with custom pieces designed like they’d always belonged.

One of the newly-refurbished villas.

Nothing about the process was simple. In a location like this, there’s no quick run to the shops: every element arrived by barge, hauled onto the beach, then carried the final stretch by hand.

The result – spanning the Dunes Restaurant, a new gathering space in the main building, and all 15 remaining villas – builds on the already-strong foundations, with the refresh focused on taking what worked and levelling it up even further.

Recycled teak timber bench seats, beautifully-finished yet also looking as if they’ve just been deposited on the shore by the high tide, are a perfect example of that rustic-chic style.

Wi-Fi is only available in the main lodge; a good excuse to switch off.

In the villas, bespoke ceramics, an open-air wardrobe and cloud-like king-size bed elevate the everyday, while custom bed-side tables, cane detailing and neutral furnishings create a striking contrast to the wild world outside.

Outside, an open-air bathroom and stargazing tub bring the Kimberley firmly back into view.

“It had to be beautiful, but it also had to withstand the elements and the remoteness,” adds Bromage. “What we’ve created with ‘Berkeley Reimagined’ has exceeded even my expectations.”

The open air bathroom: beautiful by day...

... extraordinary by night.

Adding to the physical transformation, a culinary upgrade in the kitchen – led by new Executive Chef Christian Iacovella – sees greater focus on Western Australian and native ingredients, enhanced by a more local wine and cocktail offering.

Also new this season is a mobile spa, offering signature one-hour treatments in the privacy of your own villa, alongside esky-style mini bars, a barefoot barbeque, and morning movement sessions, with yoga, Qigong and breathwork on the pool deck.

Of course, it’s not just about the lodge. The primal landscape and creatures within it – crocodiles lounging on the beach and muddy banks of the Berkeley River, barramundi ready to fight on the end of your line – are big drawcards too.

Casuarina Falls.

Over four days, guests are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the offering: a river cruise and hike to Casuarina Falls, viewing millennia-old Indigenous rock art from three distinct eras, and watching the sun rise over the Timor Sea.

For keen anglers and even curious amateurs, barramundi, golden snapper and mangrove jack are all ready to test the strength of both line and patience – as this writer discovered firsthand, landing a 79cm barra.

Fishing and river cruises are two of many highlights.

If there’s another genuine highlight that’s not mentioned in any itinerary, it’s the conversations that flow across the lunch and dinner table, as fellow guests recount the day’s adventures, arriving as strangers and departing as friends.

Berkeley River Lodge has always been extraordinary. Now, it feels complete – a place where luxury doesn’t compete with its surroundings but deepens your connection to it. In a destination like this, that’s exactly as it should be.

The writer travelled as a guest of Berkeley River Lodge and Tourism Western Australia.