Embark on a bespoke culinary journey to the Kimberley

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, and experiential roving culinary creative Fervor have curated a bespoke luxury travel experience that offers an exclusive way to see – and taste – the wonders of Western Australia.

For many travellers seeking barefoot luxury, The Kimberley offers quintessential Australian outback experiences in (arguably) the most awe-inspiring wilderness in the world. The Kimberley is where ancient Indigenous culture and thousands of years old landscapes collide. Dreamlike and otherworldly, it was always a bucket list destination for me to delve into this wondrous part of Western Australia and discover its magic. And now The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, is inspiring travellers with an experience that connects guests even more deeply to the state’s rich culinary heritage.

External sunset shot of The Ritz Carlton, Perth — The Ritz Carlton, Perth

The Ritz-Carlton with a Western Australian flair

Checking into the The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, sets the tone for what’s to come. The hotel’s connection to Western Australia is woven through each aspect of its design, from the lobby’s soaring 13-metre-high ceilings to a custom chandelier echoing the cascading waters of the Karijini gorges in the state’s remote Pilbara region. Tucked along the picturesque Elizabeth Quay on the city’s CBD, it offers a sophisticated setting for travellers to begin their adventure.

Indulge in the Japanese-inspired spa

I start at the spa on the fifth floor. Its design boasts earthy tones of natural wood and marble materials, with Japanese touches, including Shoji screens. Lush green gardens form the backdrop to the reception lounge; it offers tranquillity a world away from the bustling CBD below with bespoke spa treatments using Australian LaGaia Unedited products.

‘Healing Spirit’ expertly blends traditional deep tissue massage techniques with acupressure and warm hand-crafted herbal pouches dipped in aromatherapy oils that work along your meridian points to unblock energy flow. It’s a fusion of pure relaxation with added therapeutic benefits. Post massage, I’m encouraged to relax in one of the lounge rooms on a daybed-style sofa with pool views. Then it’s time for dinner.

Dining at Hearth in The Ritz-Carlton, Perth

Led by Hearth Chef de Cuisine Brian Cole and Fervor Executive Chef Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov, the exclusive degustation dinner showcases seasonal native ingredients only found along Western Australia’s rugged landscape. Over five courses, dishes feature samphire, sea blite, saltbush, and wattleseed, all cooked over an open fire on the hearth in the centre of the restaurant.

We start with charred Fremantle octopus, kombu, and native juniper, and South West marron with cavolo nero cream and finger lime. Then, we ease into perfectly cooked five-spice Linley Valley Pork sweetened with rhubarb and emu plum, followed by Pardoo Wagyu beef drizzled in bloodroot oil, all paired with fine Margaret River wines.

Travelling north, from Perth to Broome

After a restful sleep in my Studio suite on the 16th floor, it was an early call time to travel to Perth Airport and onward north to Broome (Rubibi), the western gateway to the Kimberley. The region is known as the pearling capital of Australia, with Broome home to South Sea pearls, which are famed as the largest and most coveted cultured pearls in the world.

Their discovery in the 1800s fuelled a mass migration of Japanese, Filipino, Chinese and Malay pearl divers and merchants to the region, creating today’s multicultural community. Jumping into SUVs, we venture further north up the coastline to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on the Dampier Peninsula, a remote location to unlock a truly unique Kimberley Coast experience.

View from Corner Studio at The Ritz Carlton, Perth — Corner Studio at The Ritz Carlton, Perth

Cygnet Bay is a family-owned and operated pearl farm spanning four generations of the Brown Family. Until recently, it was only accessible by a dirt track, and its outback location only adds to its charm. After checking into our glamping-style tents, we take off for a secret sunset picnic on a remote beach accessible by boat. Laying blankets in the sand, platters of locally cured meats and glasses of wine are poured and sipped as the sun sets with its candy colour across the glittering waters over Mission Bay.

Visiting Waterfall Reef

At sunrise, we return to the waters on a morning Waterfall Reef tour to witness the natural phenomenon and the world’s largest tropical tides, only found in this part of the Kimberley, the Buccaneer Archipelago. As the tide goes low, it exposes the natural reef, with the cascading waters creating a rippling waterfall along a two-kilometre ridge as the outgoing tides sink us to a deeper level.

Boat on Waterfall Reef Tour — Waterfall Reef Tour

A welcome to Lullumb, where the bush meets the sea

Back on dry land, we take the red dirt road and arrive at Djarindjin Roadhouse to meet Bardi-Jawi man Bolo Angus in his ancestral homeland at Lullumb, where the bush meets the sea. Under Bolo’s guidance, we explore the land as part of his Southern Cross Tour. Bolo’s knowledge of the region and its rhythm runs deep; we take to the soft sands and hunt for mud grabs by hand; he showcases local edible flora that will become part of our meal that evening, sharing survival skills and hunting methods along the way.

Bolo is animated as he tells stories and breaks into songs passed down from his elders that bring the region to life. As the sun beats down on our group, we wander the bush, hugging the bay, drinking in the natural beauty of this pristine coastal countryside under his watchful eye. Come lunchtime, we head to his homestead for a cook-up over coals featuring bush tucker collected during the tour, which includes fresh Blue Bone fish along with traditional Kimberley damper.

Guide and guests on Coast to Creek Tour — Coast to Creek Tour

‘Dining under the stars’ a Hearth x Fervor collaboration

Come nightfall, the highlight of the journey is an intimate ‘Under The Stars’ dining event, where chefs Brian Cole and Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov, who created our dinner on the first evening at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, and who have joined us in Cygnet Bay, prepare an exclusive meal using Indigenous ingredients foraged during the day.

The collaboration between restaurant Hearth and Fervor is driven by a shared passion for unearthing unique, locally sourced Australian produce, creating dishes aligned to the region with unforgettable pop-up degustation dining prepared before guests’ eyes.

Hearth x Fervor restaurants/chefs collaborate — Hearth x Fervor collaboration

After pre-dinner Pearlers Gin cocktails, we feast on a six-course menu featuring kangaroo (Boorroo) with bush carrot, crocodile (Lingoorr) with native lemongrass and bird flower, fresh mud crab (Ngudoon) on a Nasi Goreng cracker and saltbush cured emu egg yolk, and fresh pearl meat (Guwarn) with wild rosella. All devoured with Wattleseed damper and smoked butter.

It’s the ultimate Australian culinary experience and an incredible culmination of an immersive trip discovering the natural wonders of Western Australia and a true taste of the region’s natural bounty.

How to book the Perth x Fervor experience

The Ritz-Carlton, Perth x Fervor experience is a bespoke package that can be tailored for each group – Cygnet Bay has been included as an example itinerary to showcase one of the spectacular locations in Western Australia.

This itinerary includes: