The concept of an organised, marathon-style rally for production powerboats became a reality in 2007 with the inaugural running of the Hobart-to-Melbourne Bass Strait Rally.
This large scale, long distance event specifically for powerboats proved that with good planning and proper support, it is entirely possible for small, standard production powerboats to undertake an epic adventure that would be very difficult to safely consider as a solo boat trip.
The second running of the Bass Strait Rally in 2011 consolidated the idea and generated Australia-wide interest in such events.
The search for interesting places to go next and still offer a genuine “challenge” had the organisers turn their attention to the other side of the continent. The Kimberley in Western Australia’s north is, even today, a wild, remote and largely unexplored stretch of pristine coastline with some of the best coastal waterways to be found anywhere.
And so The Kimberley Challenge was conceived. 1,000 nm of cruising the last frontier in Australia’s wild north-west.
Because of the remoteness and sheer diversity of places to visit, explore and experience, both on water and ashore, this event will be more of an expedition than a rally. As such, the emphasis will be on cruising-in-company with a tight knit group of fellow boating enthusiasts. Each day’s activities will centre around exploring, fishing, shared experiences and camaraderie and supported by our own chartered “mother-ship”.
Like all Offshore Challenge events, The Kimberley Challenge will consist of a series of day-stages, mooring each night in a new location and in plenty of time for relaxation, trips ashore, dawn or dusk fishing, and preparation for the next day’s adventure.
So start by exploring this web site, and if the idea of skippering your own boat through some of Australia’s most spectacular coastal scenery is on your must-do list, then join us in 2013 for the boating adventure of a lifetime.
