Secluded islands definitely have stress relieving appeal – except when it comes to the cooking.
Secluded islands definitely have stress relieving appeal – except when it comes to the cooking.
Seclusion provides beaches minus the crowds, but visitors are often required to pay a hefty price for gourmet fare because there is usually no restaurant within cooee.
However, the operators of Dirk Hartog Island, located off the coast of Shark Bay, have come up with a new concept that provides pristine seclusion together with sensational food.
Kieran and Tory Wardle have teamed up with Must Winebar chef Russell Blaikie for a series of gourmet adventures.
A maximum of 10 guests will enjoy four days and three nights staying at Dirk Island’s homestead, with Mr Blaikie on-site preparing breakfast, brunches, lunches, afternoon tea and dinners.
Also lending a hand to the gourmet adventure is Luke Wyllie, son of late Wyllie Group founder, Bill Wyllie.
Mr Wyllie is a trained pilot and recently bought a luxury light plane, which he will use to fly from the Perth Airport straight to the island.
Guests will be shown around the island on board Mr and Mrs Wardle’s 14.5 metre Cougar catamaran.
One day’s itinerary includes whale watching, snorkelling and fishing, with a light ‘Must Box’ lunch served for morning tea.
In the afternoon, guests can soak in the scenery of Turtle Bay while enjoying champagne and canapés on the beach.
Mr Blaikie said the trip was designed to make a northern adventure “do-able” in a small amount of time.
“Everything is taken care of; all people have to do is get to the airport and we’ve put together everything else,” Mr Blaikie said.
“The island is spectacular. On the west side are 300-metre cliffs and on the east side there is bay after bay of beautiful ocean.”
Mr Blaikie is a keen fisherman said he would most likely spend most of his time cooking the catch of others.
“I’ll probably work harder than I ever have because it’s a remote set up,” Mr Blaikie said.
“We have to have everything there.”
One evening’s dinner is scheduled for a tiny bay just north of the homestead with guests transported via an island barge.
The gourmet adventure is likely to be an annual event.
The Dirk Hartog Island Gourmet Adventure departs Perth on Tuesday August 21 and returns on the evening of Friday August 24.
The four-day indulgent trip costs $3,450 all inclusive.
