The Kimberley region is a rugged and remote area in northern western Australia. It can only be described as a magical place. It is largely uninhabited, but the scenery is beautiful, breathtaking, and very dramatic. You will need to rent a four wheel drive vehicle to traverse the rugged terrain, but the scenery is worth the bumpy road. One way to see most of the Kimberley is by taking the Gibb River Road, an adventurous road trip right through the Kimberley from Broome on the west coast to Kununurra on the eastern border of the Northern Territory. Here are five destinations that you should not miss when visiting the Kimberley:
photo: ElQuestro.com.au
El Questro Wilderness Park
El Questro Wilderness Park is a unique resort in the Kimberley, located on El Questro Station, a working cattle station near Kununurra. For most of your trip through the Kimberley, you will need to camp and rough it, but not at El Questro Wilderness Park. You can choose from a number of different luxury resort options or camping. While there, you’ll be able to choose from dining options, swimming in the natural springs, horseback riding, fishing, bushwalking, and more.
photo: parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au
Mitchell Falls
The four-tiered, 80-kilometre descent that is the centrepiece of Mitchell River National Park is just one of nine national parks in the Kimberley, the falls and the Mitchell River are completely spectacular. While in the park marvelling at the beauty, take some time to learn about the significant culture and history here in the Mitchell River and the Mitchell River Plateau in the northern reaches of the Kimberley. The park boasts an amazingly diverse habitat filled with a variety of vegetation and plants including Livistona Palms estimated to be close to 300 years old. The national park is home to 220 species of birds, 50 types of mammals, and 86 kinds of reptiles and amphibians. Of course, the infamous salt water crocodiles are included on that list, so beware and follow all of the “croc wise” tips you see and read.
photo: WesternAustralia.com
Purnululu National Park
Another of the fabulous and fascinating national parks in the Kimberley, Purnululu is quite possibly the most fascinating because of the Bungle Bungle Range (above) located in the park and pictured above. The extremely unique rock structures here have been carved by nature for the last 350 million years. To indicate how remote and unexplored this region is, the park spans over 240,000 hectares of land, and the Bungle Bungle Range was not even discovered and documented until the 1980s. While in the park you can also explore the walking trails and look for the unique wildlife.
photo: Parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au
Windjana Gorge
One of many beautiful, towering, and impressive gorges to visit in the Kimberley, it's 3.5 km long, carved by the Lennard River into the Napier Range. Windjana Gorge made our list because it is easy to get to with a four wheel drive vehicle during the dry season. You can camp out in the park and explore the different walking trails that expose you to the ancient geological history as well as the Aboriginal history and culture here.
photo: SavannahWay.com.au
Broome
This distinctive city is located on the western coast and lined with beautiful coastline and beaches such as Cable Beach (above). For a remote region, this is a pretty bustling and busy town and where the red sand and rocks of the Kimberley meet the azure blue ocean waters. Plenty of different types of accommodations are available in the city. Among the things to do, a camel ride on the beach is an iconic must for all visitors to this unique city. You should also plan a visit to the Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Park where you can safely observe crocodiles and learn about the famous wildlife conservationist the park is named after. Malcolm Douglas lived in Broome his whole life and was a well-known name in Australian animal conservation even before Steve Irwin.
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