Owner / Manager Kylie Bartle has been adventuring in Broome and the Kimberley for 25 years. A labour of love, Kylie reflects on the journey as The Great Escape Charter Company prepares to celebrate 20 years in 2019.
Well it all began when I lied through my teeth and got a job on a boat as a cook. I cruised up the coast from Exmouth through the Montebello Islands and eventually landed in Broome. I’ve been here ever since. That was 25 years ago.
I met my partner Chris in Broome and we worked for many years on various vessels in the Kimberley. Eventually, we found ourselves looking for the next big adventure.
The choices we saw were to go overseas and work on the white boats together or try and start our own business in the Kimberley. The Kimberley was a place that we loved, that we were passionate about. We wanted to share that. So, we threw caution to the wind and with the support of some wonderful family and friends, we gave it a shot.
Sometimes I shake my head and wonder how we did it. We were so young and had so much to learn. Working in this wild, remote location, it is pretty crazy. But we just knew we had to give it a go because we didn’t want to be left wondering “what if”. Here we are almost 20 years later.
In 2019, we will celebrate 20 years of operation for The Great Escape Charter Company. It feels incredibly surreal.
We are so thankful to the people who have supported us along the way – our family, our business mentors, our crew past and present but most importantly our wonderful guests. Our friends.
We cannot wait to take that walk down memory lane and share the many tales of The Great Escape. To celebrate and reflect on two decades of friendship and unbelievable Kimberley adventure.