The Kimberley Guide
CONTENTS
Introducing the Kimberley region
The Kimberley region offers a distinctive and memorable Australian outback experience. From the historical pearling town of Broome, to the rugged and adventurous Gibb River Road and the pristine coastline, the Kimberley has something to tantalise every traveller to the region.
The Kimberley covers the north-west region of Australia. It is a relatively untouched part of the country with a craggy coastline and an interior consisting of rugged ranges, expansive cattle stations, tidal rivers and beautiful gorges. It encompasses approximately 420,000kms² with a total population of over 40,000 people. The Kimberley is roughly one-sixth of Western Australia, which is Victoria & Tasmania combined or over 3 times the size of England.
Magic Kimberley Adventure
Discover Denise & Michael’s Kimberley adventure below, and start to plan your own Magic Kimberley trip!
Two grey nomads, on a road trip through the Kimberley in Western Australia.
Kimberley Weather
Climate
The Kimberley has a tropical climate with a distinct wet and dry season.
Dry Season – The most popular time to visit the Kimberley is May through until October. The season usually offers a clear heat and an average daily temperature of around 30°C.
Wet Season – Once November arrives humidity may begin. Most rainfall occurs from January to March and is usually in short, sharp bursts in the late afternoon and evenings. The days can be hot and the nights are balmy. This time of the year can provide great lightning shows, spectacular sunsets, thundering waterfalls and plenty of wildlife.
Temperature Chart
Broome | ||
Months | Max | Min |
Jun to Aug | 29°C | 15°C |
Sep to Nov | 33°C | 22°C |
Dec to Feb | 33°C | 26°C |
Mar to May | 33°C | 22°C |
Kununurra | ||
Months | Max | Min |
Jun to Aug | 32°C | 16°C |
Sep to Nov | 38°C | 23°C |
Dec to Feb | 37°C | 25°C |
Mar to May | 34°C | 21°C |
Best Time To Go
The dry season offers visitors the chance to see all the Kimberley has to offer. Broome is very popular between the months of May and October, and the Gibb River Road is also open during these months.
For those visitors who have flexibility of time to travel to the Kimberley, we would suggest travelling at the start of the season; late April, May & June for the following reasons:
- The gorges and waterfalls have an abundance of water as the wet season has just ended;
- Broome has fewer tourists than in the peak July/August period;
- Accommodation in May is usually at shoulder season prices; and
- The Gibb River Road has been graded after the wet season and is smoother for more comfortable travel.
July and September school holidays and Broome Cup (mid August) are extremely busy periods, and we would recommend that if you intend to visit Broome during these times that you book as far ahead as possible.
Flying to the Kimberley
Broome is the main gateway into the Kimberley from the major cities around Australia.
Qantas operate three flights a week out of Melbourne in peak season, two out of Sydney, one out of Brisbane and daily out of Perth. Qantas also offer a code share flight with Air North daily out of Darwin. Return flights are same day schedule as the inbound flights.
Kununurra is the gateway town to the East Kimberley. From here, you can also transfer to Wyndham port to board a Kimberley coastal cruise.
ALLIANCE Airlines new direct flights between Melbourne and Kununurra, starting on 15 May 2020 through to August 2020. Flights departing Melbourne on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and departing Kununurra on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Flying within the Kimberley
Flight options are available between Broome, Kununurra and through to Darwin with Air North and SkyWest. These carriers operate various daily and weekly schedules between these ports. In addition, air charter services between these points and the various landing strips around the Kimberley are available.
Travelling the Gibb River Road
The Gibb River Road, one of Australia’s true outback 4WD experiences, extends from Derby to Kununurra. The road opens at the end of the wet season, usually late April, and can normally be driven on until late September. The Gibb River Road is unsealed from just beyond Derby until 60km outside Kununurra. The 712km of 4WD terrain takes in stunning gorges, vast cattle stations and rugged panoramic ranges. We would recommend a minimum of 6 nights to truly get the best out of your trip.
Road Conditions
The Gibb River Road is graded at the start of the season and is mainly rocky earth. It is only suitable for large 4WD vehicles and not recommended for towing caravans, trailers and boats. The road can become very corrugated as the touring season continues. As a guide the average travelling speed is 60 to 80km per hour. We would recommend anyone with a back condition to be conscious of how jarring the road can be.
Derby to Kununurra Driving Distance (km)
Derby | ||||||||||
144 | Windjana Gorge | |||||||||
239 | 135 | Mount Hart | ||||||||
227 | 247 | 327 | Imintji Roadhouse | |||||||
342 | 238 | 203 | 115 | Mornington Wilderness Camp | ||||||
305 | 181 | 166 | 78 | 143 | Mt Barnett | |||||
374 | 300 | 235 | 147 | 212 | 59 | Mt Elizabeth | ||||
415 | 311 | 276 | 188 | 253 | 110 | 101 | Kalumburu Turn off | |||
593 | 489 | 454 | 366 | 431 | 288 | 269 | 178 | Home Valley | ||
642 | 538 | 503 | 415 | 480 | 337 | 312 | 227 | 49 | El Questro Township | |
712 | 608 | 540 | 485 | 550 | 407 | 398 | 297 | 119 | 102 | Kununurra |
Destinations
Broome
Broome was originally founded in the late 1880’s as a pearling port. Lured by the promise to make their fortune, Broome welcomed a diverse range of peoples including Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Koepanger and European. All these cultures, together with the local indigenous people, have combined to create a diverse and exotic town that today boasts a population of around 15,000.
Broome has a colourful history dominated by the pearling trade. However the riches from the pearl beds did not come cheap and the town’s Japanese cemetery is the resting place of many divers who lost their lives working in the industry. Broome was also attacked by Japanese aircraft in March 1942 resulting in 88 deaths. Shaped by a turbulent history Broome is now a mix of the old and the new; Chinatown’s historical buildings and the beautiful Kimberley architecture mix with the vibrant modern town that Broome has become. Its diversity has also created a fantastic blend of wonderful local style cuisine and unique characters.
Broome’s famous Cable Beach is a 22 kilometre-long stretch of pure white sand, turquoise water, set against spectacular Indian Ocean sunsets. Cable Beach with its gentle rolling waves is perfect for swimming, sunbathing and sunsets. Broome Township is situated 6 kilometres from Cable Beach. The township itself provides the majority of shopping options, together with many art galleries and pearl showrooms.
Broome also offers many other attractions. Visit Gantheume Point to see dinosaur footprints reputed to be 130 million years old, take in a movie at the longest running outdoor cinema in the world — Sun Pictures — or visit the pearl stores in Chinatown.
Staircase to the Moon
One of Broome’s natural wonders is the Staircase to the Moon. This phenomenon occurs for three days after the full moon from March to November. It is caused by the rising moon reflecting off the mudflats of Roebuck Bay, creating the beautiful illusion of a staircase leading to the moon.
Staircase to the Moon markets are held on many of the Staircase to the Moon dates at Town Beach. The Broome Courthouse Market is also held on each Saturday and Sunday morning between April and October.
2022 Staircase to the Moon, Broome | |||
Date | Time | Date | Time |
Mar 19 | 6:55pm | Apr 17 | 6:09pm |
Mar 20 | 7:34pm | Apr 18 | 6:55pm |
Mar 21 | 8:16pm | Apr 19 | 7:45pm |
Date | Time | Date | Time |
May 17 | 6:27pm | Jun 15 | 6:16pm |
May 18 | 7:28pm | Jun 16 | 7:21pm |
May 19 | 8:33pm | Jun 17 | 8:29pm |
Date | Time | Date | Time |
Jul 14 | 6:07pm | Aug 12 | 5:58pm |
Jul 15 | 7:15pm | Aug 13 | 7:01pm |
Jul 16 | 8:19pm | Aug 14 | 8:00pm |
Date | Time | Date | Time |
Sep 11 | 6:40pm | Oct 10 | 6:17pm |
Sep 12 | 7:36pm | Oct 11 | 7:11pm |
Sep 13 | 8:30pm | Oct 12 | 8:06pm |
Date | Time | ||
Nov 09 | 6:50pm | ||
Nov 10 | 7:45pm | ||
Nov 11 | 8:40pm |
Kununurra
Kununurra, the east of the Kimberley, was originally built in the early 1960s to serve the Ord River Irrigation Project. It has now become a vibrant town of about 6,000, and is the hub for visiting such icons as Lake Argyle, the Ord River, El Questro Wilderness Park, the Argyle Diamond Mine and the unique Bungle Bungle Range. These huge black and oranges stripped beehive-like mounds can be as high as 300 metres. Purnululu National Park, in which the Bungles are located, is now a World Heritage listed site and something every Kimberley visitor should not miss out on seeing.
Wyndham
Wyndham is a town of approximately 800 people in the East Kimberley. The stunning town backdrop is The Bastion, part of the Bastion Ranges. On top of The Bastion sits the Five Rivers Lookout, the highest point of the Range which provides a spectacular view of the Cambridge Gulf into which the Ord, Forrest, King, Durack and Pentecost rivers flow.
Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy is the home to Geikie Gorge National Park, a spectacular waterway with weather-beaten escarpments and copious wildlife. It is also a great base to access Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek.
(Click on the map to enlarge)
Kimberley Calendar of Events 2022
The Kimberley has a vast array of events occurring mainly in the dry season months of April to October. Please note dates for some events and festivals may change. For up to date information, please call our office.
Ord Valley Muster
Kununurra: 13 to 22 May
Cable Beach Polo
Broome: Postponed to May 2023
The Gibb Challenge
Broome to El Questro: 13 to 20 May
Kimberley Moon Experience
Kununurra: 14 May
Broome Turf Club Races
Broome: 28 May, 4,18 & 26 Jun and 9 & 22 Jul
Kununurra Half Marathon
Kununurra: 19 Jun
Broome Turf Club – Kimberley Cup
Broome: 30 Jul
Broome Marathon
Broome: 7 Aug
Broome Turf Club – Ladies Day
Broome: 9 Aug
Broome Turf Club – Cup Day
Broome: 13 Aug
Kununurra Races – Ladies Day
Kununurra: Aug TBA
Shinju Matsuri Festival
Broome: 20 Aug to 4th Sep
Kununurra Races – Cup Day
Kununurra: Aug TBA
Australian School Holidays 2022
ACT & NSW
8 Apr to 26 Apr
1 Jul to 18 Jul
23 Sep to 10 Oct
20 Dec to 27 Jan
NT
8 Apr to 19 Apr
24 Jun to 19 Jul
23 Sep to 10 Oct
15 Dec to 31 Jan
QLD
1 Apr to 19 Apr
24 Jun to 11 Jul
16 Sep to 4 Oct
9 Dec to 23 Jan
SA
14 Apr to 2 May
8 Jul to 25 Jul
30 Sep to 17 Oct
16 Dec to 30 Jan
TAS
14 Apr to 2 May
8 Jul to 25 Jul
30 Sep to 17 Oct
21 Dec to 8 Feb
VIC
8 Apr to 25 Apr
24 Jun to 11 Jul
16 Sep to 3 Oct
20 Dec to 30 Jan
WA
8 Apr to 26 Apr
1 Jul to 18 Jul
23 Sep to 10 Oct
15 Dec to 1 Feb