30 Years On: The Kimberley’s ‘Wilderness Couple’

Terns ew noiselessly, low across the water, their raked forms graceful silhouettes against the mellow blush of clouds deflating in the cooling day. Small bush birds called clear and crisp from the mangroves and beyond, their evensong drifting easily across the water.

So wrote Michael and Susan Cusack, in their book Our Year in the Wilderness, an account of their time in the Kimberley outback in 1987, when they were chosen by Dick Smith to become the Australian Geographic Society’s rst “Wilderness Couple”. During their much-celebrated 12 months at Kunmunya, near the Kimberley coast, the couple battled the harsh elements, building themselves shelter and running daily errands for fresh water and food, and overcame many hardships and challenges, including bush res, drought, extreme heat and dehydration.

Their experience ignited a passion for the region that is as strong today as it was back then.

Now, nearly 30 years on, expedition cruise specialists, Aurora Expeditions, are celebrating the couple’s remarkable adventure and giving you the opportunity to join them.

In 2017 Mike will return to the Kimberley to celebrate his and Susan’s wonderful feat, leading four of Aurora Expeditions’ cruises along the remote Kimberley Coast. Mike will share his story as you travel between Broome to Darwin, exploring some of Australia’s most remote and wild locations; the Horizontal Waterfalls, Montgomery reef, the croc- lined banks of Prince Regent River, King George Falls (WA’s Highest) and more!