Berkeley River Lodge has just reopened in the Kimberley - Travel Australia

May 05, 2026

It has since been rebuilt and reimagined, now more intimate than ever.

One of Australia’s most remote luxury lodges reopened on May 1, 2026, following a five-month rebuild after tropical cyclone Fina tore through the property last November. Berkeley River Lodge, perched on the dunes of Balanggarra Country, at the mouth of the Berkeley River in WA’s Kimberley, has emerged from the wreckage more considered than ever.

“Cyclone Fina destroyed two villas and three were deemed unsalvageable, meaning our barefoot luxury experience is more exclusive than ever,” says general manager Hannah Wark.

Fina was a Category 3 system when it hovered over the property for almost 12 hours. In addition to the villas that were destroyed and damaged, the staff accommodation was gutted, and surrounding dunes were stripped bare. What the cyclone couldn’t touch was a three-year refurbishment already well advanced, and the resolve of co-owners Rachel Bromage and Chris Banson to reopen better and stronger.

After the storm

Electricians and builders were onsite within a week. Barges navigated the remote coastline carrying new furniture. A second cyclone in March – Narelle – was not part of the plan, with rain adding further delays to the rebuild. Still, the lodge reopened on schedule.

The rebuild also accelerated the completion of a planned design overhaul, in collaboration with Perth’s Empire Home, which draws inspiration directly from the landscape.“Every element of this project was approached with a singular philosophy: thoughtful intentionality,” says Wark. “From the grandest custom furniture to the smallest vanity accessory, nothing was overlooked,” she says.

Wark says the ruggedness of the outdoors has been balanced against a refined and restrained aesthetic. Organic tree root benches, fossil bowls and recycled tables sit alongside custom teak and leather chairs, French linen robes are by Carlotta & Gee, and open-air bathrooms beneath the Kimberley sky feature marble vanities and bespoke teak benches. The private villas and shared spaces also connect visitors with their surrounds with soft, earthy tones, hand-finished timbers, woven forms, and tactile natural materials like leather and stone.

“Barefoot luxury at Berkeley River Lodge really takes on a literal meaning,” Wark says. “It is soaking under a star-lit Kimberley sky and listening to the night, rinsing away the day’s adventures,” she says.

On the plate

The food program has been overhauled with the same intention. Executive chef Christian Iacovella, now in his first season leading the kitchen, builds his menu around Western Australian produce and native ingredients. Shark Bay crab, Fremantle octopus, Margaret River wagyu and WA veal from Vitello Bianco underpin the menu, while native botanicals run through everything from the bread to the cocktail list.

Iacovella’s Italian foundation – forged beside his Nonna in Naples – shapes the lodge’s dining experience. Antipasto with charcoal focaccia baked fresh daily, potato and ricotta gnocchi with chorizo, plum tomato and goat’s cheese foam, and a 36-hour slow-cooked porchetta with burnt apple and salt caramel puree. His Italian dinner menu is, the lodge notes, ‘Nonna-approved’. The ethos – a tavola non s’invecchia (one does not age at the table) – travels well, it turns out, even to the Kimberley.

Breakfast served at Berkeley River Lodge.

Native Australian ingredients run through the menu. The new Kimberley Pantry replaces the traditional minibar with daily-refreshed native snacks developed in collaboration with Blak Tapas from Kununurra: pepperberry popcorn, wattleseed chocolate brownie and lemon myrtle-roasted nuts. The cocktail menu features house-made syrups infused with native botanicals; the Casuarina Sunset Spritz, with lemon myrtle, saltbush, sparkling wine and blood orange soda, is named after the casuarina trees that are found on guided journeys around the lodge.

Iacovella says what he hopes to create for guests is a sense of connection “to the landscape, the food and to the moment”. He says what he loves most about cooking in the Kimberley is its raw, untamed beauty. “It’s not polished. It’s powerful, and it shapes the way you cook. In a place like this, you learn to respect the land, the ingredients, and the limitations of a truly remote kitchen, while still delivering a refined dining experience.”

Fish and chips served at Berkeley River Lodge.

Where the river meets the sea

Fifteen villas now remain at the resort, with a maximum of 30 guests onsite at any one time. What began as a logistical constraint has become a defining quality of the 2026 season – with a new level of privacy and personalised service on offer.

The Kimberley Spa has also moved in-villa this season, after Fina destroyed the former spa villa. The Dreaming signature massage – hot stone technique, native botanical oils – is now delivered to guests in their own space. Morning Movement Sessions bring sunrise yoga, Pilates and breathwork to the pool deck as the Timor Sea glows into view. Berkeley River Lodge is located where the river meets the sea and is one of the most geographically isolated luxury lodges in the country. But that edge-of-the-world isolation doesn’t feel like a limitation. “It’s where the luxury lies and precisely the point,” says Wark.

The villa interior at Berkeley River Lodge.

How to get to Berkeley River Lodge

Access to Berkeley River Lodge has been simplified. Direct return scenic flight transfers from Darwin now offer same-day east coast connectivity. Since opening in 2012, fewer than 14,000 people have visited Balanggarra Country at Berkeley River Lodge. The 2026 season, with its capped numbers, won’t add many more to that count.

Berkeley River Lodge reopened May 1, 2026. Five-night all-inclusive packages via berkeleyriverlodge.com.au