Feedback and Testimonials

As seen on the Lonely Planet forum:

"I have read this guide and I can hand on heart tell you it is THE ONLY GUIDE TO THE KIMBERLEY YOU'LL EVER NEED (as it states on the cover! But it's true.) It has everything right down to tyre pressure you'll need and the places to eat.
Anyone who knows me knows I have no vested interest in this post other than to advise my fellow traveller. This is the most enjoyable travel guide I've ever read."
--posted by Pidey of the Lonely Planet community

"You were instrumental in making us choose a campervan for going Broome-Darwin via GRR. Was a fantastic trip, and your Kimberley guide which I'd bought previously was extremely useful. Clear, extremely detailed, and with a nice sense of humour.
I would have liked to bump into you in Kununurra (you're right, the best place in Kimberley - but we also liked Wyndham for the same reasons than you) but maybe next time...
Suggestion: why don't you extend your guides to NT and Pilbara?
Best wishes and thanks, Stefano & Makara"
--S & M Magistretti, Lombardia, Italy

"Thankyou for your great Kimberley Travel Guide, your passion for the area shines through. We used several of your suggestions, including the campsite at the Durack River Crossing and Sawpit Gorge off Duncan's road during our eight weeks travelling and camping throughout the Kimberley and Dampier Peninsula. I must say, we used three guides, that published by the Derby Visitors Centre on the Gibb River Road, the Ron and Viv Moon Kimberley Guide and yours - your guide was the one most consulted."
--Harry, Briar Hill, VIC

"A Big Thank You! My wife and I have just returned from a 6 week trip which included 3 weeks in the Kimberley. One of the final deciding points on whether to make the trip to the Kimberley was the travel guide information provided by you. We had a great time travelling from Broome to Kununurra including Cape Leveque, a sea plane flight to the Horizontal Falls, the Gibb River Road, Windjana, Manning Gorge, Mitchell Falls, ElQuestro and much more.
Your travel guide was an excellent and up to date travel reference. Keep up the good work. We'll be back some time in the future."
--Neville Britton, Ballarat, Victoria

"Hi B! Finally back home in the reality again after a fantastic holiday in the Kimberley! Even though, due to the rain and some unforeseen occurences, we didn't manage to get everywhere we wanted to (Mitchell Falls, Mornington WC...) this holiday was singular and unforgettable. It was topped-off by 4 days at the Broome Cable Beach Club, where I celebrated my 50th birthday.
Dear B: your "Destination Kimberley Guide" was during this 4 weeks (and during lead time) always our loyal companion and a big, big support. Thanks a lot!"
--Thomas Lavall, Langenargen, Germany

Hi Birgit, I want to thank you for your incredible book you have produced. We have just returned from our trip and we used your great book DAILY. We would continually refer to it for all the places we intended to go and for history information. Thank you for the incredible amount of work you have put into this. We appreciated it immensely. We will be recommending your book to any other travellers we know who will venture your way. Thanks again, Dianne
--Dianne Garred, Newcastle, NSW

"I have yet to read all of your e-book, but am already really impressed, this is good stuff & really quite refreshing. Well done & thanks again."
--Cuppa, Gippsland, Victoria

"I have purchased a copy (and printed a copy) of your 'Destination Kimberley' and have to admit I can not keep away from it. It is a great source of information. Thanks for that!"
--Sheena Sorrell, New Brighton, New South Wales

Sheena wrote to me again after her return:

"Hi B, my husband and I have just returned from our 4 week journey from Darwin to Broome in a hired 4WD Camper. Thanks to your wonderful guide we had a very enjoyable, informed and safe trip. What an amazing country we have! I think the highlight of our trip was the 7 days we spent at Cape Leveque and Middle Lagoon. We (as you suggested in your guide) booked the beach shelters in both and could not believe how lucky we were to have such magic camping spots!! Middle Lagoon we nearly had to ourselves, being the only ones camping on the beach. I could go on for ages with everything we saw and did but you have heard it all before. So just wanted to thank you again for your guide and I have passed your site address onto friends thinking of doing the same trip. Thanks again B and good luck with your future ventures and website. Regards, Sheena"
--Sheena Sorrell, New Brighton, New South Wales

"Hi Birgit, Just wanted to give you a huge thanks for all your hard work in the guide. My husband and I have returned after a short fortnight travelling from Darwin to Broome. Your guide is absolutely essential and the only guide necessary (along with HEMA map!). We were virgin 4X4 drivers but we didn't come across anything too tricky apart from getting off the beach at Middle Lagoon after a particularly blowy night in one of their beach shelters. My best memories are the 6 am walk to the Mitchell Falls to escape the 'crowds' and the sun, the reef walk at Gumbanun, the obligatory helicoptor over the Bungles, Staircase to the Moon in Broome. We crammed a lot into 14 days. We could never have done so much without your invaluable guidance. A top top guide book!"
--Helen, Melbourne, VIC

"Having driven from Brisbane to Kununurra and approaching the border of WA we reached for our copy of Destination Kimberley to refresh our memories with regard to matters of quarantine and realised we had left it behind. We had to face the area with only what we remembered and the brief notes we had made. We felt like orphans. We comforted each other with the thought that our preparations, our schedule, our booking of accommodation had already drawn on the information we had found in the book. It was not enough.
We felt our loss deeply. I sent you an email and was greatly relieved when you made a link to the book again available to me on the net, so that within 24 hours we were in possession of a printed copy of your book again.
We found it very helpful and never once were we led astray. Thanks for your help. Our seventeen days' travel were delightful. What a place!!
I believe that the best preparation for travel in this region is to have already done it. Failing that, have a copy of Destination Kimberley by B. Bradtke on hand."
--Terry Finn, Brisbane, Queensland

"Wow!! What a monumental task you undertook, and to do it so well, too. First up, it is great, so good in fact that I don't need to visit those places anymore, your book told me everything I ever wanted to know. (Just joking of course.) Yep, I love the book. Keep up the good work."
--Chris Ryan, Perth, www.perth-getaways.com

"Vielen Dank erst mal für den Newsletter und vor allem das E-Book. Hat mir bei meiner - leider doch sehr bruchstückhaften - Planung sehr geholfen. Danke für Deinen tollen informativen Service!"
--Karlo, Heidelberg, Germany

"Congratulations on putting together something that I'm sure is going to be of great interest and use to many people."
--Alison Dowley, Duncraig, WA

"Have been in your beautiful Kununurra since Sunday (staying @ Hidden Valley as you recommended). Visited Wolfe Creek crater and spent a night under a full moon then onto H/C and we camped out at Sawpit Gorge for 3 nights...just magical. Had 3 nights in the Bungles and followed your advice re the walks. We thought Tassie had some beautiful scenery, but the B/B were just awesome! Thankyou for your very informative info, so far it has been our 'guiding light'."
--Kaye Wilde, Tasmania

"I had a chance to look through this last night and it is very impressive – thank you for all your hard work that we will now very much benefit from during our travels in July."
--Annie Wilson, Whorouly, VIC

"Have just bought, downloaded and printed your book so all ready to go! Thanks for all your help – I can't tell you how helpful it is :-)."
--Sue Walter, Sydney, NSW

"Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise with the world! Your Destination Kimberley is a delight to read and makes our planning almost as joyful as I am sure our trip shall be."
--Yochai Coppenhagen, Melbourne, VIC

"Congratulations on your publication, it is excellent. Thanks very much."
--Tim Dobinson, Cairns, QLD

"Your Guide (which I bought) is very good. Very good, systematic, congratulations. (Normal, German roots.)"
--Bojan Korsika, Ljubljana, Slovenia

"...your guide is truly excellent...congratulations!"
--Robyn, Western Australia

"Thanks for "Destination Kimberley", a great publication and so far very helpful in planning our 14-day trip in May/June 2009."
--Geoff Hill

"Received the book download and have now downloaded and printed off a copy with no problems. Thank you! I am most impressed with the detail and presentation of material. Congratulations on such a fine guide!"
--Joy Poole, Ouyen, Victoria.

"I just read your latest update. Another informative piece, keep them coming! I look forward to reading them just to get the "jump/low down" on other tourists who have unfortunately not bothered or come across your guide."
--Damian Mills, Brisbane

"Destination Kimberley is more than a guide - it's an inspiration!
Written in an extremely friendly and engaging style, the author drew me in and convinced me that the Kimberley was an exciting, accessible and adventuresome destination - even though I'm a solo woman traveler.
I particularly liked the detail in Destination Kimberley. Each time a question came to mind, an answer appeared. With this book in hand, I don't need to look at any other source of information - it's all there - anything I could possibly need to plan ahead for this trip!"
--Leyla Giray, Switzerland
Travel writer, journalist, GoGirlfriend.com columnist, editor of this Backpacking Women site.

"Yours would most definitely be the only guide an international visitor needed to plan their top end trip – and it's such a great guide to a big part of our land and our lifestyle that even if they are not going to the Kimberley they should read it anyway!"
--Julia Patten, Perth

"Hi B! We are back from our trip, just want to thank you for the book again, it was what we ran by. Everything in the book was spot on to the km. It was also great reading as well. We all had a fantastic time can't wait to go back again to see what we didn't get to see this time due to the lack of time. We were well prepared & didn't rush like your book recommends. It also had more accurate imformation than any other book we took. THANKYOU VERY MUCH. Regards Sean, Gayna & kids."
--The McCarthy family, Serpentine, Western Australia

"Birgit, I have your excellent 'Destination Kimberley' (I wish I'd known about it years ago ... I can now throw away all the printouts from tens of websites I have been using to research our trip!!!) I would not have known about the Duncan Road but for you. Your book is everything I could want ... brilliant! Thanks."
--James

"Thank you!! Great resource. Originally I was just going to get a staionwagon and jayco, but once I discovered your guide, and started reading, we decided to spend a bit more and equip ourselves so we could really get to some special places. My wife has taken a lot of reassurance from your basic message, which I read as "take your time, don't push it, be sensible and do some planning". Thanks again for putting together such a great resource."
--Duncan McNab, Amsterdam, Netherlands

"I very much enjoyed reading your book! I am absolutely enthralled by it. It is obviously written by a local with a passion for their stomping ground.
I am very satisfied. The information you provide is more than sufficient – which is why it is such an interesting read. You give enough details to educate but you never bore."
--Julia Patten, Perth, www.getjealous.com/julesandheath

"Hi Birgit,
Just wanted to let you know I am just this hour back from our Kimberley trip – your Guide was fantastic!
We loved Tumblegoodiron and Pushups the most! All alone – what beautiful, beautiful spots! THANK YOU! The first night at Pushups my husband said, 'Well, Birgit's book has already paid for itself'!!"
--Sue Walter, Sydney

"Hi Birgit,
I just wanted to say a massive thanks for your amazingly accurate, realistic and general bible of a guidebook for the Kimberleys that I downloaded from your website. It really helped make our holiday. We had the most fantastic time and couldn't believe what a beautiful part of the world we were in.

Your directions, recommendations and descriptions of the less visited gorges and sights were really valuable and we often had the places to ourselves. It was all in all a magical trip and one that will stay with us for a long time!
--David Hill, London, UK