Abstract: This paper illustrates the malleable boundaries that define nature. Personal construct theory is employed to examine the apparent contradiction of the human/nature binary
posed by landscapes generated by domesticated agriculture and physical and biological processes. Specifically, the paper reports on how tourists to the Kimberley region of Australia
discriminate between their perception of human artifacts as attractions (including Lake
Argyle, the Argyle Dam, and irrigated agriculture) and the region’s gorges, rivers, billabongs,
flora and fauna. Repertory grid analysis suggests that the Argyle Dam is perceived in a similar
fashion to physical, geological, and biological attractions. However, the irrigated agriculture
is perceived quite differently, as domesticated. Policy implications for the region’s nature
based tourism are explored. Keywords: personal construct theory, nature tourism, The Kimberley. 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.