Top-7 off-road destinations: Kimberley

The Kimberley is a vast area of northern Western Australia and you’re not going to see all of it on a one-month trip from the southern or eastern coasts.

We’ve been there a few times and we’ve still more sites to visit, but here are some highlights.

The ‘beehive’ formations of Purnululu National Park (the Bungle Bungles) are the result of millions of years of wind and water erosion acting on uplifted ancient sea beds, carving the Bungle Bungle Ranges into shapes as varied as the huge ‘amphitheatre’ at Cathedral Gorge, the narrow defile at Echidna Chasm and the broad, stony expanse of Piccaninny Creek..

This World Heritage listed area is justifiably famous and you’ll need a minimum two-day stay to appreciate its glory. The drive in from the Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra is steep and demanding in places.

From Purnululu you can continue south-west on the Highway to Fitzroy Crossing and visit Geikie Gorge on a boat cruise that makes a refreshing change from driving.

Most Kimberley visitors want to experience Broome’s pearling heritage and the delights of a swim at Cable Beach – an easy four-hour blacktop drive from the Crossing.

Making east from Broome, via Derby’s amazing tidal foreshore, along the gravel Gibb River Road, you can take the turnoff to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek.

There’s camping at Windjana, adjacent to Gorge walks beside the sand-edged cliffs. Usually there are fresh water crocodiles basking on the shore or floating along the Lennard River.

At Tunnel Creek it’s possible to walk through a 750-metre-long cave, from one side of the limestone range to the other, splashing through shallow water by torchlight. Great fun.

Next stop on the Gibb River Road is King Leopold Ranges Conservation Park, where there’s camping and bush walking at Silent Grove and Bell Gorge. A swim beneath the massive cliffs at Bell Gorge is a memorable experience.

It’s worth booking in for a taste of Kimberley hospitality at Mount Elizabeth Station where the Lacy family has been making visitors welcome for many years.

It’s often possible to join an Aboriginal rock art tour and rugged 4WD vehicles may be permitted to venture along the challenging Walcott Inlet track.

Mitchell Falls is the next destination, but it involves a 260km each-way slog up indifferent roads and tracks, via Drysdale River Station, where there’s camping, along with fuel, some supplies and mechanical repair facilities.

At Mitchell Falls the best bet is to take a helicopter flight from the campground, circle the Falls and then trek back to camp. There are many Aboriginal rock art sites along the way.

En route to Kununurra it’s essential to endure the crowded camping area at El Questro because there’s much to see here. Since Voyages took over the resort there are more 4x4 tracks to explore and all of them lead to magnificent views and waterholes.

Steep climbs and descents, stony river crossings and sandy, dusty sections abound, but the views are worth it. Pigeon Hole, Explosion Gorge and Saddleback Ridge are all delightfully different.

Emma Gorge is famous for its huge rockhole, but the walk in is dry and stony, with several rock-hopping sections. Many people ‘chicken out’ of a swim once they feel the chilly water temperature!

Chamberlain Gorge is more civilised and the best way to appreciate it is on a boat tour. A dip in the warm thermal water at Zebedee Springs is a compulsory morning event. It’s only a short walk from the car park and great fun, and private guests have exclusive access in the afternoon.

El Questro Gorge track is an easy walk through a Livistona Palm forest between red rocky walls. Most of it’s sheltered and relatively cool, even in the middle of the day.

Your Kimberley exit point is the town of Kununurra, which is the ideal spot for stocking up, doing vehicle and tyre repairs, and making a side trip by road or aircraft down to Lake Argyle, the heart of the Ord River Scheme.