Large bull shark lurking in Swan River; Kimberley luxury resort hit by Cyclone Fina uninsured
The luxury Kimberley retreat, which was directly affected by former Tropical Cyclone Fina on Monday night, has no insurance, its owner has revealed.
Speaking to Radio 6PR this morning, Berkeley River Lodge co-owner Rachel Bromage said she had to decide between having a viable job or having insurance.
Portions of the Berkeley River Lodge were destroyed by Hurricane Fina.
“Insurance and premiums have become unsustainable and you have to balance risk with viability, so yes, that makes everything more difficult and realization is definitely there,” he said.
Bromage said the two guards stayed in an underground sea container during the storm, which passed the coast as a category three storm and brought winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
“They had to stay in the shelter for almost 13 hours,” he said.
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“They came out and said the sounds were terrible, as you can imagine, and of course you think it wouldn’t be pleasant, but there was a lot of shock and disbelief.”
Three of the lodge’s 20 villas are beyond repair, but Bromage is optimistic that at least 15 of them will be ready for the next tourist season in May 2026.
“The thing that held up really well was the shed, the shed is great, there is some roof damage and some panels lost but other than that the shed is in really good shape and it’s the same for the decking areas and the pool,” he said.
The retreat had gone through a three-year renovation before the hurricane hit.
