I've driven the Gibb River Road twice now, and both times I came back with red dust in places I didn't know existed and a renewed understanding of just how large and indifferent this country can be. The Kimberley isn't a place that courts you — it rewards the people who put in the effort to reach it.
Understanding the Kimberley: Size, Season and Expectations
The Kimberley region covers roughly 423,000 square kilometres in Western Australia's far north. That's larger than California. Broome sits at its western edge, Kununurra anchors the east, and in between lies some of the most geologically ancient and ecologically complex landscape on earth. Before you book anything, you need to reconcile yourself with a few facts.
The Wet versus the Dry
The Kimberley operates on a two-season calendar: the Wet (roughly November to April) and the Dry (May to October). During the Wet, much of the inland road network becomes impassable, waterfalls run at full capacity, and the region fills with a savage green that photographers dream about. During the Dry, the roads open, temperatures drop to manageable levels and the bulk of tourism operators swing into action. Most first-time visitors plan for May through September, when daytime temperatures sit between 25 and 32 degrees and the river crossings are passable.
For reference, if you're planning a broader Western Australian trip and working your way north, a logical sequence might take you from Perth up through the Mid West and Gascoyne, stopping at Coral Bay along the way before pushing into the remote north. Budget at least three weeks if you want to do the Kimberley any justice.
Getting There
Broome is the most common entry point, served by direct flights from Perth, Darwin and some east coast capitals. Kununurra has its own airport and is practical if you're looping in from the Northern Territory. Hiring a 4WD in Broome and doing the Gibb River Road to Kununurra (or vice versa) is the classic overland route and takes most travellers between seven and fourteen days depending on how many side tracks they explore.
The Gibb River Road: What You Need to Know Before You Drive It
The Gibb River Road stretches about 660 kilometres between Derby and Kununurra, passing through station country, Aboriginal land and a string of gorges that make the drive worth every bone-rattling kilometre. It's partly sealed, partly graded dirt, and conditions change rapidly after rain even during the Dry.
Key stops along the Gibb
- Windjana Gorge National Park — A former reef from the Devonian era, now a gorge with fresh water, enormous freshwater crocodiles lazing on the banks, and rock walls rising 90 metres. You can camp here through the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- Tunnel Creek — Adjacent to Windjana, this is a 750-metre walk through an underground tunnel with a torch. Water levels vary but it's passable for most of the Dry season. Freshwater crocs live here too, so watch your step.
- Bell Gorge — A multi-tiered waterfall on the Silent Grove station track. It's one of the most photographed spots on the Gibb and deservedly so. The walk in is about four kilometres return from the camping area.
- El Questro Wilderness Park — A private station of around 700,000 acres near Kununurra with thermal pools, gorges, gorge boat tours and accommodation across several price points. Zebedee Springs, a collection of palm-lined thermal pools, is worth the early morning entry time.
- Emma Gorge — Within El Questro's boundaries, a 1.6-kilometre walk ends at a waterfall feeding a small plunge pool. It's popular for good reason; go early to beat the crowd.
Practical logistics
A high-clearance 4WD is non-negotiable for the full Gibb River Road experience. Standard 2WD vehicles can reach some of the sealed-road detours, but you'll miss the majority of the gorges. Carry a minimum of two full-size spare tyres. Mobile coverage is essentially zero between Derby and Kununurra. A satellite communicator — either a SPOT device or an InReach — is a sensible investment rather than an optional extra. Fuel is available at roadhouses along the route including Imintji and Mount Barnett, but prices are high and supplies can be limited, so fill up whenever you can.
Broome: More Than Just Cable Beach
Broome is the Kimberley's only real town of scale and it's genuinely worth two or three days of your time rather than just a single night before you push inland. Cable Beach is beautiful — 22 kilometres of red-tinged sand facing a turquoise Indian Ocean — but the town itself has more going on than the camel-ride photographs suggest.
Chinatown and pearl history
Broome grew up around the pearling industry, and at its height in the early twentieth century it was one of the most culturally diverse places in Australia. Japanese, Malay, Chinese, Aboriginal and European divers and workers lived and worked here in conditions that were often brutal. The town's Chinatown precinct, centred on Carnarvon Street, still has a cluster of original lugger-era architecture. The Pearl Luggers museum on Dampier Terrace tells this story well and is worth two hours of your time.
Horizontal Falls
One of the Kimberley's more extraordinary natural phenomena, the Horizontal Falls in Talbot Bay are created by massive tidal flows pushing through narrow gorges in the McLarty Range. The water level difference between the two sides of each gap creates what appears to be a waterfall lying on its side. Access is almost exclusively by seaplane or scenic flight from Broome, or by liveaboard cruise. It's expensive — budget between $300 and $700 per person depending on the operator and package — but there's nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.
The Bungle Bungles and Purnululu National Park
East of Kununurra, the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park is the Kimberley's most iconic image — those distinctive beehive domes of orange and black-banded sandstone rising from flat spinifex plains. The range was effectively unknown outside the local Aboriginal community and station workers until 1983, when a documentary film crew flew over and footage reached a wider audience. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting into Purnululu
The 53-kilometre track from the Great Northern Highway into the park requires a 4WD and takes roughly two to three hours. There are two main gorge circuits within the park: Echidna Chasm in the northern section, a narrow slot gorge that glows orange in the middle of the day, and Cathedral Gorge in the south, a cavernous amphitheatre with extraordinary acoustics. Both are accessible on return walks from the respective car parks.
You can also fly over the Bungles on a scenic flight out of Kununurra, which gives context for the scale of the range that's impossible to appreciate from ground level. If time is short, the combination of a flight one day and a ground visit the next day is ideal. Purnululu National Park on the DBCA website has up-to-date road condition reports and camping information.
Aboriginal Culture and Country
The Kimberley is home to dozens of distinct Aboriginal language groups, and much of the land you'll pass through has been continuously inhabited for at least 50,000 years. The rock art at places like Quinkan, Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) figures is some of the most significant in the world. Access to many of the most sensitive sites is restricted or requires a guided tour with a local Aboriginal operator, and that's entirely appropriate.
Respectful travel
Several tourism operators in Broome and Kununurra offer guided cultural experiences led by local Traditional Owners. These range from half-day walking tours to multi-day camping trips on country. I'd recommend seeking these out rather than attempting to find and interpret sites independently — the context provided by someone whose family has cared for a place for generations is irreplaceable. Always check whether an area requires a permit before entering. The Kimberley Land Council website maintains permit information for much of the region.
If the Kimberley represents one end of the Western Australian travel spectrum — raw, remote, demanding — then the state's southwest offers its own rewards. Margaret River is an obvious counterpoint: wine country, surf breaks and cheese rather than gorges and red pindan dust. Both are worth your time on a longer itinerary.
The single most useful thing you can do before visiting the Kimberley is to check road conditions through the Main Roads WA website in the week before you leave, and then check again the day before. Conditions can shift overnight after unexpected rain even in the Dry season. Go in with flexible dates where possible, carry more water than you think you'll need, and tell someone your intended route before you set off — the Kimberley rewards preparation in a way that few places in Australia can match.