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Explore the rugged Kimberley region from Broome to Kununurra

Explore Australia’s rugged Kimberley region on this 13-day adventure through the red heart of the west. Explore the underground caves at Tunnel Creek, the tranquil pools at Bell Gorge and the lily-filled waters at Galvans Gorge. Trek through sandstone ranges at El Questro, spot wildlife in Geikie Gorge and hear stories from a descendant of the traditional owners of the Sunday Islands. Visit pearl farms at Cygnet Bay, admire the iconic Bungle Bungles and camp by a billabong (Banjo Patterson-style) on a cattle station. Get as active as you want or simply enjoy the serenity of this unusual corner of Australia.

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Terms & Conditions
Start
Broome, Australia
Finish
Broome, Australia
Destination
Australia
Style
Basix
Theme
Explorer, Overland
Code
PKOL-B
Physical rating
Ages
Min 8
Group size
Min 2, Max 20

Why you'll love this trip

  • A Guide and a host will accompany you on this trip

  • Enjoy an experience in Tunnell Creek, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm tour, Island of the Giant Tides and Geikie Gorge cruise

  • Spend two nights staying in the iconic El Questro Wilderness Park, with plenty of free time to take part in activities such as swimming in the gorges, trekking through the bush and bird watching

  • This itinerary covers all of the highlights across the Great Kimberley and accommodates for a more relaxed style of travelling

  • Cape Leveque is one of Australia's most beautiful, spiritual and remote places. Not many people visit this part of the world, but you will.

Is this trip right for you?

  • This trip is a bit more comfortable than a rustic camping experience, as there are a few more added home comforts. There's nothing wrong with being comfortable though, right?

  • The weather conditions can be challenging in the Kimberley, please ensure you are aware of the heat encountered in this region

  • Expect some early morning starts! It is nicer to walk in the cooler morning and travel in the vehicle during the heat of the day.

Map of The Great Kimberley Overland including Australia
Bungle Bungles aerial view
camels on beach in Broome
Windjana Gorge

Itinerary
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The Dampier Peninsula is an extraordinary blend of stunning coastline and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Travelling up the red 4WD track, learn about the region's fascinating history by guided commentary. Your first stop is for morning tea at the Beagle Bay Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Community, home of the Beagle Bay Church and its glimmering pearl shell altar. By mid-morning, arrive at One Arm Point (also known as Ardyaloon) home of the Bardi-Jawi people, a local community perched on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, and visit the Community’s aquaculture hatchery for barramundi, pearl and trochus shell. We’ll also visit Kevin and Donna, traditional owners from One Arm Point who will tell us about their history and life on the peninsula. After lunch arrive at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm to enjoy a pearl appreciation tour and then embark on an extraordinary cruise through the Islands of the Giant Tides.
Accommodation
  • Basix permanent tents with proper beds. Sheets provided, sleeping bag required. Hot showers and flushing toilets. (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Beagle Bay Pearl Shell Church Visit
  • Islands of the Giant Tides Cruise
  • Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community
  • One Arm Point Aquaculture Hatchery Visit
Meals Included
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Undertake a tour of Australia’s oldest pearl farm. Learn about this fascinating history from local guides descended from the very first pearlers. From here, you'll soon reach Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, where you may like to swim on the Eastern beach, take one of the lovely walks over the Cape itself or alternatively you might choose to go for a wander along the Western beach where famous red sandstone cliffs tower above the white sand providing some of the most famous images of this area. Driving back to Broome through the afternoon, keep an eye out for wildlife before arriving back in town at approximately 6.00 pm.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

It's an early start this morning, as you leave Broome when the sun begins to rise. While travelling through the remote Kimberley landscape, your guide shares stories of local history, people and the environment. Enjoy a morning tea break by the Fitzroy River and visit the Derby 'Boab Prison Tree' and Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Cultural Centre, before hitting the Gibb River Road.

The afternoon is devoted to exploring Tunnel Creek with your local Bunuba guide. In this 750-metre cave system carved through the Napier Range, discover stalactites, secret caves and a large variety of wildlife. It's here you'll also learn the legend of Jandamarra, an Aboriginal freedom fighter who used the tunnel as a hide-out in the late 1800s. From here you’ll travel to Windjana Gorge in time to set up camp and go for a walk down to the gorge itself where you’ll be able to spot a number of freshwater crocodiles and enjoy the sunset over the Napier Range. Tonight, settle into your first night under the Kimberley night sky.
Included Activities
  • Tunnel Creek National Park
  • Tunnel Creek exploration walk
  • Mowanjum Aboriginal Art & Cultural Centre
  • Boab Prison Tree
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

First thing this morning we head off for Bell Gorge, a hidden highlight of the West Kimberleys. This idyllic retreat, considered the most beautiful in the area, boasts cascading waterfalls and crystal clear pools formed over millions of years - an easy place to while away a few hours! We’ll then travel slowly along the Gibb River Road exploring the beautiful and ancient King Leopold Range on the way to our camp by the Manning River.
Included Activities
  • Windjana Gorge
  • Bell Gorge
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Spend today swimming in paradise. Cross the Manning River and hike through the rugged wilderness of the King Leopold Ranges to arrive at the stunning Manning Falls. Amid the rugged beauty of Manning Falls swim in the deep clear pool, discover Aboriginal rock art and look out for wildlife on the edges of the water. Overnight we camp on Mt Barnett Cattle Station.
Included Activities
  • Manning Falls
  • Adcock Gorge or Galvans Gorge
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

This morning we drive the back end of the Gibb River Road. An absolutely magical drive out of the King Leopold Ranges and into the Pentecost Range. We’ll stop at a stunning ookout over the high flat mesas of the Cockburn Range with the Pentecost River snaking its way past the mountains out to the sea. We’ll drive down to the Pentecost River for an iconic photograph before driving across the river. Shortly after our river crossing we’ll arrive in the scenic El Questro Wilderness Park where we’ll set up in our permanent camp for two nights.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Enjoy a full free day at El Questro today. Take the time for a refreshing dip in the Zebedee Springs and walk into Emma Gorge or join an optional cruise on Chamberlain Gorge. Maybe sample a local bush tucker walk or a bird watching tour. There are plenty of optional activities.  Otherwise kick back and choose to simply explore this beautiful wilderness park at your own leisure.
Included Activities
  • Zebedee Springs
  • Emma Gorge
Optional Activities
  • Bird Watching Tour, El Questro Station - AUD80
  • Bush Tucker Tour, El Questro Station - AUD99
  • Horse Riding, El Questro - AUD70
  • Chamberlain Gorge Cruise - AUD68
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

After a leisurely morning, head south down the Great Northern Highway to Purnululu National Park, home of the magnificent Bungle Bungle Range. Two nights here, staying overnight in the new private Bungle Bungle Safari Camp in the heart of the Park, the only camp in the national park to overlook the Bungle Bungle Range. This allows a full day to explore the highlights of this extraordinary National Park, the most famous of which, are the ‘beehive domes’.
Optional Activities
  • Lake Argyle Sunset Cruise - AUD100
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Emerge from the Gibb River Road for a few hours free time in Kununurra. In the afternoon, travel onto the shores of the expansive Lake Argyle, the heart of the Ord River Irrigation System which has transformed this dry region into a lush agricultural oasis. Visit the historic Durack Homestead Museum or take on one of the many bush trails to explore the area.
Optional Activities
  • Durack Homestead Museum - Free
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Unbelievably, nobody but the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people knew of the Bungle Bungles until the early 1980s; once discovered by outsiders, the area was made a national park in 1987. Explore Echidna Chasm (2 km), known for its towering Livistonia Palm trees, and take a short walk (2-3 km) into Cathedral Gorge, where towering rocks create a natural amphitheatre. There's time in the afternoon to take an optional scenic flight and enjoy an optional birds-eye view of the beehive domes (approximately AUD 379 per person) to put it all into perspective.
Included Activities
  • Echidna Chasm Walk
  • Cathedral Gorge Walk (Bungle Bungle)
Optional Activities
  • Bungle Bungle Scenic Flight - AUD375
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

En route to Fitzroy Crossing, break the long journey with a visit to the gold rush town of Halls Creek to see the remarkable China Wall. You'll also enjoy lunch at Mary Pool and visit the remote Laarri Aboriginal Art Gallery, before an evening by the Fitzroy River at Fitzroy Crossing.
Included Activities
  • Laarri Aboriginal Art Gallery
  • Fitzroy Crossing
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

A morning cruise through the majestic Geikie Gorge is a great start to your last day. Nature carved this wonder through the Napier Range during the Devonian geological period. Learn of the fascinating geology and discover the huge array of wildlife, including freshwater crocodiles, birds and fish. Explore Old Fitzroy Crossing and enjoy lunch by the river before returning to Broome.
Included Activities
  • Geikie Gorge Experience
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

As the adventure draws to an end, it is time to bid farewell to the Kimberley. If you are departing on a flight today, an airport transfer is included. Alternatively, you may have booked into one of Broome’s many resorts for a little luxury following your intrepid experience in the Kimberley wilderness – there is plenty more of Broome to explore and experience!
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Meals

12 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 10 dinners

Transport

4x4

Accommodation

Camping (with basic facilities) (3 nights), Camping (with facilities) (8 nights), Hostel (1 night)

Included activities

  • Beagle Bay Pearl Shell Church Visit
  • Islands of the Giant Tides Cruise
  • Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community
  • One Arm Point Aquaculture Hatchery Visit
  • Tunnel Creek National Park
  • Tunnel Creek exploration walk
  • Mowanjum Aboriginal Art & Cultural Centre
  • Boab Prison Tree
  • Windjana Gorge
  • Bell Gorge
  • Manning Falls
  • Adcock Gorge or Galvans Gorge
  • Zebedee Springs
  • Emma Gorge
  • Echidna Chasm Walk
  • Cathedral Gorge Walk (Bungle Bungle)
  • Laarri Aboriginal Art Gallery
  • Fitzroy Crossing
  • Geikie Gorge Experience

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Important notes

1. Tour commences in Broome on day 1 at 7am and finishes in Broome day 13 after breakfast. Onward travel can be booked at any time.
2. This trip is available in Basix and Original styles, see PKOL-O for Original camping.
3. This trip requires a sleeping bag
4. An upgrade to a room with ensuite bathroom in Broome is available upon request. Please speak to your booking agent if you are interested.
5. Single supplement is not available on this trip.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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