Our Team
MATTHEW AND CARMEL BAMBACH
My wife Carmel and I founded the business in 2014 out of a sheer love for the North West of Western Australia in particularly the Gibb River Road and the Kimberley. We have a passionate desire to enable others who perhaps don’t have access to a 4WD and camping equipment, to share in these unique holiday destinations and experiences.
Carmel and I have been married since 1991 and have spent 4 of those years based in the UK working in developing nations to enhance education, health and business opportunities with disadvantaged people (focus on Eastern and Southern Africa). We have travelled extensively throughout these nations using local transport and tenting. We have also lived for many years in the northwest of WA – exploring the Pilbara and Kimberley regions extensively. Part of my work in the Northwest was to support local Aboriginal communities in their governance. We have spent our adult lives camping and exploring our vast magnificent country Australia (with our three now grown up children). A Family highlight was travelling around Australia as a family in our 4WD – camping for 13 months. Life before marriage saw me working for a rural development organisation in Nepal – focusing on reforestation, enhanced farming techniques and water sanitation. This sparked a passion to look outside of my immediate social context and embrace the world as my neighbour. My educational background is in management and adult education. Carmel has 30+ years’ experience working in health as an Occupational Therapist and as Managing Director of a Community OT Practice. We both bring high level interpersonal skills and management experience to Kimberley Safari Tours.
Come on a tour and get to know us. We’d love to meet you.
Other Helpers
Dean is a very experience overland Tour Leader. Before turning his attention to Tour Leading he was a diesel mechanic. While on tour he is the perfect person to have on board should a vehicle encounter any issues.
He also has many years experience as a Tour Leader in Africa and South America with the same company Andy was with (Kumuka). In October 2022 (after the season with us) he plans to Lead tours in Western Africa for 6 month before returning with us to Lead tours in the Kimberley.
Simon is a very experienced Tour Leader having for many years led overland tours in Africa with Dragoman Tours. He is also an experienced mechanic and in his spare time has been modifying his own 4WD bus as a camper to explore Australia in with his partner Hillary.
Hillary is a qualified Chef who has a wealth of world-wide travelling experiences. She runs Tours with her partner Simon and also prepares fantastic meals for our guests.
Bill is a qualified Chef who works off-shore. When his roster permits he joins us on our tours and prepares fantastic meals.
Lou works most of the year in a local Indigenous School. She has wealth of knowledge about indigenous culture.
Elise & Tom (two of our children) are university students and have been fantastic Kimberley Safari Tours helpers for many years. Don't be offended if they turn down the offers to meet your younger relatives of the opposite sex.
Chris has been assisting on Kimberley Safari Tours since 2017. During the northern wet season, he’s busy in the southwest of the state with his other passion, tending his bees and harvesting the delicious honey that KST are pleased to be able to provide to you during your Kimberley experience. He has a wealth of knowledge about local flora and fauna.
After sunset, whilst in the Kimberley, his favourite past time is scanning the sky for meteors and other heavenly events.
ANDY BAMBACH
Andy Bambach has been a valued and popular tour leader/driver with Kimberley Safari Tours since we started. Together Matthew and Andy researched and implement the wonderful tours we offer. He has a wealth of tour leading exerience having spent many years as a tour leader and diver in East Africa, guiding travellers to experience exotic animals and cultures in the wilds of Africa.
Andy has travelled extensively through the Kimberley and the World. Andy led Tours driving 4WD trucks on some of the worst roads in Africa so guests could experience amazing places like the Serengeti (Tanzania), Masai Mara (Kenya), Ngorongoro Crater & Zanzibar (Tanzania). From close up encounters with Mountain Gorillas (Zaire/DRC) to gliding through the Okavango Delta (Botswana) past hippo’s in traditional Macoro canoes, Andy’s love for ‘off the beaten track’ adventure, foreign cultures and camping by an open fire under a canopy of stars makes him the perfect tour guide/driver for the Kimberley.
Andy also travels extensively working as a documentary film-maker and photographer into remote Aboriginal bush communities in Australia and recently in the slums of India and Africa. He loves driving remote Australian desert and bush tracks including the Gibb River Road, Tanami, Gunbarrel, Strzeliki, Oodnadata, Birdsville, Plenty and Sandover.
Andy and Matthew are Brothers who have travelled extensively together in Australia and may other parts of the globe. Andy loves music and travels with his guitar, so you can expect some music around the campfire.
JOEL BAMBACH
Joel Bambach - Tour Leader & Guide
Joel, our eldest Son has been working in the business for many years now. The guests love his fun easy going nature and his love for the North West is obvious. Before becoming a Tour Leader he worked several seasons as a tour guide, driver, and cook. He has also worked behind the scenes on product review/development as well as coordinating aspects of vehicle and equipment preparation and maintenance. He brings exuberance and energy to his tours.
His pastimes include snowboarding, surfing, basketball and playing the keyboard.
During the previous two off-seasons prior to Covid-19, Joel worked as a snowboard instructor in Canada (near Calgary).
Joel is often accompanied on Tours by his Partner Grace. Together they make a great team.
