Kimberley Guide 2026

EAST & WEST & LOOP

Broome is the pearl of the West Kimberley, with the Dampier Peninsula, to its north, adding excursions to country and coast.

The Gibb River Road links west (Derby) and east (Kununurra) along about 700km of mostly unsealed track. Or take the sealed Highway 1 (to its south), through Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.

Kununurra is the diamond of the East Kimberley — a green oasis of a town wetted by the waters of the Ord River, held back in Lake Argyle and then Lake Kununurra, and used to irrigate its growing areas and the town.

And then, of course, there’s the great, castellated arc of the Kimberley coast above that.

West, east, driving the loop (Gibb River Road and Highway 1) and the coast.

The Kimberley can be seen from every angle.

NOW’S THE TIME

We publish this now because for any travellers who have ever thought of seeing the Kimberley, now’s the time to consider, plan and act.

While Broome is open year-round, of course, the season heading east is from April-September. Most camps and lodges set in the Kimberley landscape and along its coast open in April. The peak time to be there is in June and July, with cooler days and blue skies, but I like the end of the season, to September, as it heats up.

For Broome, look for accommodation and tours at visitbroome.com.au.

For Kununurra, visitkununurra.com.

TOURING

If I was going to pick one see-all tour, it would be Essence of the Kimberley.

APT’s trip is nine days, in a return loop from Broome, and from $7995 per person (I see it is currently reduced from $10,959 per person). This is a 4WD small group tour with a maximum of 22 guests.

From Broome, it’s up the highway towards Derby and then on to the west end of the Gibb River Road, before heading south through Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek, to spend the night at Fitzroy Crossing.

The tour continues to the Purnululu National Park for a two-night stay at Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge and a walk in Echidna Chasm.

From there, the trip continues to Kununurra (one night), while visiting Lake Argyle, El Questro (two nights) and back west along the Gibb River Road, to stay for two nights at Bell Gorge Wilderness Lodge before heading back to Broome.

That’s the full Kimberley loop.

aptouring.com and 1300 336 932

DRIVING

I’ve “driven the loop” many times, settling in Derby for a while and enjoying its mudflats, jetty and sunsets; then heading off east along the Gibb River Road, with its gorges and ranges; a side trip to Wyndham, with its Five Rivers Lookout; and time in Kununurra.

On the way back west, a side trip out to the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, where there is accommodation and camping, and back through Halls Creek to Fitzroy Crossing (where there is good accommodation at Fitzroy River Lodge).

And then we’re back in Broome.

It requires some planning and forethought — and at least a couple of spare tyres (and some plugs) on the Gibb River Road.

GIBB RIVER ROAD

It surely must be the best-known of WA’s serious outback trails. This dramatic road through the heart of the Kimberley is internationally famous.

Most accommodation is open from April-October, and the best months are May-September. Earlier in the year, there is more likely to be water in gorges — but go too early and there is the chance of late wet season rains and the road may be closed. Towards the end of the year it is hotter, with the build-up for the wet from November.

Particularly early in the dry season, the gorges of the Gibb are oases.

Bells, Lennard and Adcock gorges are among the best.

It is mostly four-wheel drive territory, mainly because it needs robust vehicles. Most of the road is gravel, unsealed, and it can be potholed and corrugated. It can be hard on tyres.

WHAT YOU GET

Broome

Cable Beach, wide range of accommodation, multicultural history, pearl shops, and the Staircase to the Moon at low tide on Roebuck Bay. Broome has that fruity, tropical, latticework and bougainvillea feel.

Derby

Like an island adrift in mudflats, it’s a real phenomenon. There’s a choice of accommodation, dining, and try sunset snacks at the jetty.

Mowanjum Arts & Cultural Centre

On the west end of the Gibb River Road, the gallery is full of artwork, particularly that of Wandjina stories. Mowanjum gives a clear view into the deeper stories of the region.

Windjana Gorge National Park

Lots of tours set off down the bitumen at the west end of the Gibb River Road, then turn south to Windjana Gorge. It’s worth it to spend time in this deep gorge, with its big water pools with lots of freshwater crocs, floating like toys on the tannin water. A little further on is Tunnel Creek National Park.

Napier Range

This is one of the great features of world geology — an exposed 380 million year old Devonian reef system. Gibb River Road cuts through it.

Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges

Formerly the King Leopold Range, these mark the south-western edge of the Kimberley Plateau. The Kimberley continent collided with the Australian landmass, causing folding and buckling, pushing up the corrugations of this range.

Lennard River and Gorge

The road has a good crossing over Lennard River, but its worth climbing down to swimmable pools.

Mt Hart Wilderness Lodge

In the Wunaamin Conservation Park, the lodge has accommodation and meals at Pippa’s Corner. There are safari tents with ensuites, rooms in the homestead, tents and a campground. I always think it’s a short-stay destination in its own right (and I spent plenty of time here with former manager Taffy Abbotts — a legend in these parts). This season it is open from April 28 to September 20. A safari tent is from $590 per night. mounthart.com.au

Bell Gorge

There’s camping at Dulundi (Silent Grove) Campground, which has facilities. It is just a short walk in to what, for many, will be their favourite gorge on the Gibb River Road. A great place to hang out on a warm day. Camping is $20 per adult. exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au

Bell Gorge Wilderness Lodge

Just off the Gibb River Road, APT’s Bell Gorge Wilderness Lodge has standard tented cabins with twin beds and private ensuites. All have a front deck and comfortable chairs. It will be about $423 per person per night. aptouring.com

Mitchell Plateau

Mitchell Plateau, up the Kalumburu Road, is famous for its falls. APT Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge has excellent accommodation, from $395 per person, per night. aptouring.com

Kununurra

Set against the backdrops of the Sleeping Buddha rock formation, Kelly’s Knob, and Mirima (Hidden Valley National Park, a “mini Bungle Bungle”), Kununurra is a modern town with a range of accommodation, dining and bars. There’s barramundi fishing, particularly on the lower Ord River, boat cruises on the upper Ord, and trips on Lake Argyle.

Wyndham

From the Five Rivers lookout, see remote, tidal country and the Durack, Pentecost, Ord, King, and Forrest rivers converging.

KIMBERLEY CRUISING

There is a tinkling sound as the tide recedes here in the ocean, off the Kimberley coast, as land appears before our eyes, from the turquoise sea.

The water level falls, and up to 400sqkm of Montgomery Reef appears to rise from of the ocean. It is revealed on the low tide.

And the tides are what drives every impression of the 13,000km Kimberley coast. They are some of the biggest in the world, with ranges of up to 12m in some places, and they set the rhythm of the place.

They certainly do on Montgomery Reef, which was named by Captain Phillip Parker King in 1821 after his ship’s surgeon, Andrew Montgomery. Australia’s first admiral, King sailed this coast four times, and published a diary of his explorations here between 1818 and 1822. He described this as the red coast, with rocks that appeared thrown together by a convulsion of nature. In 1838, John Lort Stokes named Raft Point, after he found local tribes’ rafts near a camp there.

In the afternoon, the cruise ship I’m on moves over to this red sandstone bluff.

An expedition cruise might continue to Vansittart Bay where, some 70 years ago, a C53 aircraft became seriously lost, ran out of fuel, and ditched.

But they will surely all visit Prince Frederick’s Harbour and the Hunter River. This serpentine river has mangroves and tributaries, crocodiles, and azure kingfishers.

The King George River winds from a wide mouth past ramparts of Kimberley sandstone and round big sweeping bends to its twin waterfalls.

Some ships sail between Broome and Darwin, others do return trips from Broome, and there are plenty of cruise companies to choose from, including:

Ponant, APT (which takes groups on MS Caledonian Sky), Seabourn and Silversea.

Smaller ships include Great Escape, Kimberley Pearl, True North, and Paspaley Pearl.

+ My pick is Ponant’s 11-day (10 nights on board) Australia’s Iconic Kimberley itinerary, which sails between Broome and Darwin (but I’d do it the other way round). Currently on their ship Le Jacques, it is from $16,300 per person. It visits King George River and falls, Vansittart Bay, Swift Bay, Hunter River, Careening Bay, and sails through the Lacepede Islands. Despite the comforts of the ship and its dining and bar options, it is an expedition cruise with Zodiac excursions and a knowledgeable expedition team. au.ponant.com/destinations/the-kimberley

WINNING

The Kimberley won across all medal categories in the recent national Australian Tourism Awards.

Gold

Gourmet Camp Oven Experience won two national gold medals — in the tourism restaurants and catering services and the excellence in food tourism categories.

The Gourmet Camp Oven Experience is a four-course meal in Kununurra.

Created and hosted by Josh Melville, it gives guests a real taste of the Kimberley.

It’s a secret, off-grid dining location, which is 100 per cent solar-powered.

All dishes are cooked using locally sourced Indian sandalwood offcuts that would otherwise go to waste. It sources most ingredients from the Kimberley.

It operates seasonally, reopening in April.

gourmetcampovenexperience.com.au

Silver

Willie Creek Pearls won silver in the tourism retail, hire and services category.

The company prides itself on its “shell to showroom” business, and the heart of the operation is on the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome, in the West Kimberley. The pearls are grown over two years in the coastal waters here.

For visitors, there’s plenty to see and learn, from the Willie Creek Pearl Farm Tour to its Pearl Luggers Tour.

Willie Creek Pearls is a WA family business which started in Broome more than 30 years ago. It is owned and operated by three generations of the Banfield family.

williecreekpearls.com.au

Bronze

HeliSpirit won a national bronze award in the major tour and transport operators category.

Although its base is in Kununurra, it has scenic helicopter sightseeing tours over the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu, Lake Argyle, El Questro, Mitchell Falls, and other spots.

In addition to flying out of Kununurra, it has helicopters based in other spots like the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park.

It also offers luxury helicopter safaris and is part of the Kimberley Experiences group.

helispirit.com.au and kimberleyexperiences.com.au