An off-grid ‘floatel’ is moored beside some of Kununurra’s most majestic – and accessible – rock formations.
Waking up on water beside some of the oldest landforms on the planet is an entirely doable prospect, thanks to a reimagined Kimberley “floatel".
The recently glammed-up houseboat sits on the Ord River, within reach of 250-metre-tall rock formations and dinosaur-era plants.
The reimagined ‘floatel’ experience
Nyawoorn, Kimberley Spirit's off-grid ‘floatel’ is moored beside some of Kununurra’s most majestic rock formations, and it's giving visitors a new way to stay. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
‘Nyawoorn’, which means ‘the gathering’, is the only way to stay on the river around Kununurra, and you don’t even have to drive the vessel.
The floatel is run by local Bunuba Gija artist, Taminga Connell and her tour guide husband, Scotty Connell, of Kimberley Spirit. They change its moorings for multi-night stays, pop by to whisk guests on private excursions and even fire up the barbecue.
The couple took ownership of the houseboat in 2024 and set about flipping it, installing a solar system “That could power a 3×1 home", as well as all-new furniture, fittings and fixtures.
Owners, Taminga and Scotty Connell, on board Nyawoorn, the couple’s reimagined houseboat. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
In 2025 they started offering fully hosted, all-inclusive stays and are now gradually adding an authentic, Aboriginal cultural element, sharing first-hand insights into the lives and history of the Miriwoong, Bunuba and Gija people.
That could be a cultural boat cruise, art creation on the upper deck or a campfire get-together.
“We want anyone who’s coming up here to have the best experience possible and come away saying, ‘Wow, that community was awesome’," says Taminga, whose family members will swing in and out to impart their culture. “We want guests to see positive people who are passionate and can share our story."
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AI Prompt
What are the onboard facilities like?
A spectacular spot to watch the sunset. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
Kayaks are available to use. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
All-inclusive stays includes dining onboard. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
A barbecue feast is served. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
Taminga’s art lines the floatel’s walls, while eco-friendly, water-safe products fill the bathroom and insect screens keep light-attracted bugs out. While fully off-grid, there’s air conditioning in every room. Two double beds and a fold-out couch sleep up to six people, be it couples or a family. You can turn sausages on the front deck barbecue and an airy top level is kitted out with everything you might need for an open-air dinner party.
The floatel steps down to the waterline; while it may feel counterintuitive, swimming is safe, with harmless freshwater crocodiles the only toothy reptiles – and they’re shy. Keep the outdoor deck shower for starlit dousings. On a clear night (which is most of the dry season), stars reflect in the still, inky river. A night in a swag on the twinkling top deck can be arranged.
How do you spend your time?
Explore the Kimberley from the river. (Credit: Scotty Connell)
For many, the luxury is in simply doing very little, with no buildings in sight and no people around. With unrivalled access to ancient rocky ranges at any of four moorings, they just sit on the deck and gaze at the view.
“It makes me emotional, because of how beautiful it is," says Taminga. “When you’re on the Ord, it looks like such a big river and then you go up any of the gorges and stand on one of the hills and look down, and the perspective changes so much. It’s freeing. You feel so connected to the land and nature. There’s nothing else in the world that matters. You’re not in the hustle and bustle of anything. You’re surrounded by beauty and you’re all by yourself."
With Scotty leading, agile types can try hiking to the peak of Elephant Rock (its name hints at its size), or to a secret infinity pool naturally etched into a red range. There’s also a popular excursion to Herbie’s Hideaway, an idyllic waterfall and swimming hole. For the more athletic, wakeboarding and skiing is on the menu. Anglers chasing a prized barramundi are taken to nose-tap places where the fighting fish is known to run.
By night, guests might choose to be left alone, or taken to dinner at the lauded Pump House restaurant – arriving via speedboat – where fish and maybe a resident freshwater croc will swim in the floodlights.
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Travel details
Explore the river around Kununurra on Nyawoorn. (Credit: Scotty Connell)
Sailing season: The Kimberley dry season runs from May to October.
Inclusions: Guests can opt to be fully hosted with an all-inclusive, minimum three-night stay, or there are options for independent stays, with or without catering.
Fleur Bainger is a freelance travel writer and journalism mentor who has been contributing to Australian Traveller since 2009! The thrill of discovering new, hidden and surprising things is what ignites her. She gets a buzz from sharing these adventures with readers, so their travels can be equally transformative.
Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.
Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.
In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.
Nyawoorn, Kimberley Spirit's off-grid ‘floatel’ is moored beside some of Kununurra’s most majestic rock formations, and it's giving visitors a new way to stay. (Credit: Fleur Bainger)
Day 1
Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.
There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.
Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.
Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.
Day 2
After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.
Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.
Day 3
Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.
With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.
Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.
Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay. Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.
For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up, courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.
Day 4
Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.
Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.
Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines. Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.
If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering, where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.
Day 5
Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)
Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.
Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines. Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.
Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.
Day 6
Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)
After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.
Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.
Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.
Day 7
Farewell the Margaret River.
Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.
