13 Reasons To Visit The Kimberley

The Kimberley offers diverse natural attractions, and there are a number of ‘must-sees and do’s’ depending on individual tastes. The following list of highlights is pretty subjective and by no means exhaustive, but it should give you an idea of what to expect.

1. Broome Bird Observatory – Take a guided tour and see some of the 300 bird species that have been recorded from the Broome area. Over 300,000 migratory shorebirds spend six months of the year feeding on the mudflats of nearby Roebuck Bay before leaving for the Arctic

2. Buccaneer Archipelago – Take a scenic flight over extensive tidal flats and rugged islands north of Derby. See iron ore mines, humpback whales (in season) and the remarkable Horizontal Waterfall.

3. Cable Beach – Swim in the clear waters off one of Western Australia’s most beautiful beaches.

4. Coastal cruises – Join an extended cruise along the remote coast between Derby and Wyndham and experience many spectacular highlights – all of them inaccessible to motor vehicles.

5. El Questro Gorge – Towering red cliffs, tall palms and hanging gardens of ferns combine to make a walk-up El Questro Gorge a highlight of the Gibb River Rd.

6. Fishing – The Kimberley offers some of Australia’s best sport fishing, with barramundi high on the list of target species. Go on a charter, stay at a remote fishing camp or organise your own self-drive trip.

7. Kooljaman/Cape Leveque – On offer are some magnificent coastal scenery, a safe swimming beach, good fishing (beach, sea and estuary), 4WD beach driving and a variety of Aboriginal- guided tours.

8. Mitchell Falls – View this stunning remote feature as part of a helicopter scenic flight over the nearby coast and estuaries. You can either walk both ways between the car park and the falls or walk one way and use an aerial taxi for the other.

9. Ord River Canoe Trip – Hire a canoe and camping gear and go on a two or three-day paddle down the Ord River from Lake Argyle to Kununurra. The atmosphere is sublime and there’s magnificent gorge scenery on the way.

10. Purnululu National Park – It’s easy to see why this is a World Heritage Area. Short walks into stunning gorges and the famous ‘beehives’ provide a glimpse of what must lie hidden in inaccessible areas of the park.

11. Rowley Shoals – Rising vertically for hundreds of metres from the seafloor, these remote atolls in the vastness of the Indian Ocean boast some of Australia’s best dive sites. Visit on an overnight charter from Broome.

12. Tunnel Creek Cave – Walking and wading through this 750m-long passage under the Napier Range is a unique experience. The cave forms part of the tragic story of the Aboriginal freedom fighter Jandamarra.

13. Wolfe Creek Crater – Stand on the rim of this amazing feature in the vast, biscuit-flat Tanami Desert and wonder at the forces unleashed during its creation.