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By: Natalie Pugh
Tucked away among ancient boab trees and red cliffs of Kununurra, the Gourmet Camp Oven Experience is redefining fine dining in the remote north. Crowned ‘Western Australia’s Best Tourism Restaurant’ for the last two consecutive years, as well as winning Gold for ‘Food Excellence' at the 2025 WA Tourism Awards, this multi award-winning culinary adventure blends open-fire cooking, bush tucker flavours, and pure Kimberley magic.
Guests can expect to be collected from their Kununurra accommodation before being whisked away to a secret location where an outback sunset sets the scene. A complimentary drink from the Boab Bar welcomes diners, followed by live music, cackling fires, a menu designed to surprise and delight, with the added serenity of dining under the Kimberley stars.
Led by local chef, Josh Melville, the four-course experience heroes seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and bush tucker, from native herbs to freshly caught barramundi, all cooked over the coals and camp ovens right in front of you. Catering to all dietary requirements, they believe everyone deserves an unforgettable dining experience.
Hailed by many as the best "restaurant" in Kununurra, each dish is crafted entirely off-grid, with everything, from chandeliers to fridges, running on solar power. The kitchen is fired by off-cuts of local Indian sandalwood, transforming what would be waste into a sustainable signature of luxury dining.
The family-run venture began at Lake Argyle in 2017, born from Josh and his wife Tamsyn’s shared passion for food, storytelling and connection. Josh’s love for food stemmed from the young age of 10, where he began cooking dishes for his family.
While running tours in the East Kimberley, I stopped at a stockman's camp where I jumped at the opportunity to improve my camp oven skills. I fell in love with the combination of fire, food, and the Kimberley landscape and discovered the potential to offer visitors an iconically Australian blend of fine dining and outdoor adventure, something unlike anything else in the tourism landscape
Today it’s praised as the most elusive and atmospheric dining experience in the Kimberley, where fine dining meets red dirt, firelight and stars. It surprises many with just how refined and comfortable an “outback dinner” can be, offering an unforgettable taste of the Kimberley and memories that last a lifetime.
The Gourmet Camp Oven Experience operates seasonally from Kununurra, between mid-April and mid-September.
