Amazing locations for water-seeking adventurers

Wet ' n ' Wild

in the Kimberley

When the Kimberley’s wet season rainfall can easily top 900mm yearly, it’s the time when dry sandy creek and riverbeds are refilled and picture-perfect waterholes are brought back to life. For any water-seeking adventurer looking to dip their toes and cool off under cascading waterfalls, or perhaps drop in a line or check out the surroundings from the water, this will be music to one’s ears.

But when it comes to planning a Kimberley visit, you need to factor in its size. Just to put things in perspective, the region is as big as Tasmania six times over. That’s pretty big! But that’s also a good thing as it’s an adventurers’ playground with plenty of places to get wet, fish or simply soak up the ambience. As die-hard Kimberley visitors, we’ve now got three decades of trips under our belts, and are often asked for some places to visit. But rather than simply put a list together of our Kimberley favourites (there’s far too many to do that!), we’ve chosen some great places that have loads of water, but differ in their experiences.

Mother Nature warming up for the upcoming wet season.

Photo: Geoff Green

Lake Argyle

When travelling from the eastern side of the country, Lake Argyle is the first top spot to hit the water. We don’t have to think twice about saying a cruise on the lake would be well up the list as one of our Kimberley highlights. From our past experiences, we’ve been on the lunch and sunset cruises and can highly recommend both. Even on our most recent trip, we hopped on a cruise again – this time joining a sunset cruise which had us out on the water for several hours. But these cruises aren’t an average boat ride. While good family fun of wildlife spotting and fish feeding form part of the tour, the swimming on the lake also makes this cruise such a drawcard. There can’t be too many places in Oz where you swim in the middle of nowhere in fresh water, and where depths top 30+ metres with no land within cooee. On our tour, the water in Lake Argyle hovered close to a toasty 30°C as we took to the water with a pool noodle in hand. And how’s this for something different … a floating drinks and nibbles tube joins cruise guests in the water to complete this one-off experience nicely. Very civilised. Naturally, there were smiles from all as we watched the sun dip behind the range in the distance with a cold drink in hand. The cruises depart from Lake Argyle Resort and you can also take a break in their large campground that has powered and unpowered sites. A restaurant is available to serve all meals and refreshments as well. And while you’re at the resort you must take a dip in the infinity pool as the pics taken from here are very Insta-worthy. It’s an absolutely cracking view!

Magical Lake Argyle sunset.

Photo: Karen Morton

Kununurra

We always feel right at home in Kununurra and find it’s a good spot to restock supplies and fuel, plus hang out at a couple of our favourite spots. A waterside camp is also really relaxing, and Lake Kununurra sits on Kimberleyland Caravan Park’s doorstep, so we can’t get much closer to the water when staying on one of their waterfront sites. The views of the lake towards Elephant Rock are spectacular at any time of day which always makes leaving here a difficult decision. While in Kununurra, we find it a good base to explore numerous waterfalls and springs out of town towards Wyndham.

Middle Springs, Valentine Springs, the Grotto and Black Rock Falls are all easily accessible and less than an hour’s drive from Kununurra. Our tip for these places is to visit early in the season if you want to swim while water still flows. For something a little different while staying in town, a Triple J cruise of the upper Ord is another Kimberley highlight. This tour is a beauty! It’s a bus/ boat combo that starts with a bus trip to Lake Argyle and includes a stop along the way at the historic Durack Homestead. The bus then makes another brief stop at the Lake Argyle Resort for refreshments before continuing down to the dam wall to meet the boat on the lower side. Then it’s a 'hold on to your hats' type of trip for a thrilling 55km fastboat ride back to Kununurra. There’s plenty

Valentine Springs is not far from Kununurra.

of nature and wildlife spotting to be done along the way plus stopping for afternoon tea along the riverbank. The tour finally has you disembarking in Kununurra just after sunset. Triple J are long-time tour operators in Kununurra and offer other water-based tours as well.

All strapped in for the fastboat ride to Kununurra.

Gibb River Road

Although the Gibb River Road is just a small section of the Kimberley, it’s the kind of place many visitors aspire to visit at least once. That comes as no surprise when this region well and truly overflows with places to dip your toes, dangle a line or camp waterside. In fact, there are so many amazing places to visit along here and further towards Kalumburu, we could write and fill this magazine in its entirety! So to keep this section succinct, we’ve chosen to cover some destinations and attractions around the Gibb that have plenty of water yet are different in their offerings.

Our private access day at Mornington’s Sir John Gorge.

Sir John Gorge

The mighty Fitzroy River is the longest river in the Kimberley (620+km) and runs through this spectacular gorge at Mornington Wilderness Camp. The sheer volume of water that flows through here has created this amazing gorge that has 50+ metre high rich-red sandstone walls in places. So for the best way to experience this grand gorge, you need to be at water level. Fortunately for visitors, canoes can be hired to visit Sir John Gorge and Dimond Gorge from Mornington’s reception. Having canoed at both gorges and loved both experiences, the canoeing at Sir John Gorge is a little special when only one canoe is hired out per day. That means you get the whole gorge to yourself. Spots fill up quickly, so naturally you’ll need to get in quick to book this canoe. Mornington’s reception has you covered with paddles and lifejackets as part of

the hire cost, plus a packed lunch is thrown in. Once at the gorge, it’s a case of paddling the first canoe for a few hundred metres until reaching the end of the pool. Then it’s a short walk upstream to find the next canoe to continue. This process repeats a third time until reaching a small pool which makes a top spot for swimming and lunch. This is one activity we don’t think any visitor will forget in a hurry. We find the day goes really quickly and it’s late in the afternoon by the time we paddle back and reach the car park. From here, it’s about a 30 minute drive to the reception and campground.

Galvans Gorge

It’s hard to drive past Galvans Gorge without stopping when the gorge is just so accessible. It’s really one of the most (if not the most) accessible along the Gibb. Galvans has so much going for it … it’s easy to get to, it’s situated in an idyllic shady picture-perfect setting, and it’s an all-round excellent place to cool off. When water generally flows well into the dry season here and because the gorge has plenty of welcoming shade, it’s one of those places we look forward to visiting every trip. As appealing as it is, the gorge is one attraction along the Gibb that’s for day-use only. Camping is available further along the Gibb at Imintji when heading west, or Mt Barnett Roadhouse (Manning Gorge) to the east.

The tranquil waters at Zebedee Springs.

El Questro Wilderness Park

As far as the Kimberley goes, El Questro is unique as it’s a destination in itself. Whether you’re into swimming, fishing, 4W driving and cruising, or simply looking to immerse yourself in nature, El Questro delivers the lot. Getting to the park is an easy 90 minute drive from Kununnura along the bitumen, with the last 20km or thereabouts being dirt. From our experience, you really need to allow a few days at El Questro to make it cost effective. But once your park pass and camp fees have been paid, the park attractions are all included. While there’s many things to keep you busy during your stay, we’ve added Zebedee Springs to this list. It’s the kind of attraction that’s quite different to those generally found in the Kimberley. These springs are both permanent and natural thermal springs which are located a casual 15 minute walk from the springs’ car park. The walk has a tropical oasis feel as you wander through shady livistona palms before reaching the pools where warm water bubbles from far underground 24 hours a day. An early morning visit is our tip here as we think there’s nothing better than a having a good and relaxing soak to kickstart your day. Having a helicopter on site is another unique feature of staying at El Questro. It’s one of the few stations along the Gibb that

offers this Helispirit service during the dry season. The great benefit with the chopper is that it can get you into places that can otherwise be inaccessible. With so much spectacular landscape to explore on the property, Helispirit has things covered well. If visiting secluded spring-fed waterfalls for a picnic and swim piques your interest, then the tour to Miri Miri Falls or Amaroo Falls could be just what you’re looking for. These tours include flights, swimming and a private picnic. They’re a real treat and something unique to experience.

National Parks

When it comes to Kimberley national parks, you only need to pull out a map to see how many national and conservation parks there are. Let’s just say there’s plenty! But that’s a good thing when you’re planning a trip here because a park pass could be the way to go if you end up visiting more than one. To help stretch your dollar further, WA’s National Parks offers a range of holiday passes that last between 5 and 30 days. So these passes can work out more cost effective depending on how many parks you plan to visit. Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) is located off the Gibb River Road and is a park where the pass can be used. It’s also another unique Kimberley destination for a couple of reasons. The gorge has been found to be rich with fossil remains including those of reef-building organisms, ancient crocodiles and turtles. Some of these are evident when you first enter the gorge. Windjana Gorge is also home to a large concentration of freshwater crocodiles. Aim to take an early morning or late afternoon walk, as they’re good times to spot crocs sunning themselves on the sand. This time of day is also perfect for bird spotting. The gorge is a favourite hangout as it contains spinifex, rock figs and wild passionfruit which they love to feed on. Alongside the gorge, the campground is a top spot to spend a night or two. Keep in mind that camping fees

Freshwater crocs can be found in a range of spots in the Kimberley.

are payable separately to your park pass. Toilets and showers are provided in the campground and campfires are permitted in designated spots. Not far from Windjana Gorge is Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek). This is a small national park in the Napier Range that covers just over 200 acres. Similar to Windjana Gorge, the range here formed part of an ancient reef system and includes an incredible 750 metre tunnel to walk through. The tunnel walk is something quite unique in the Kimberley, but you’ll need a good torch and some shoes that can get wet because there’s bound to be some water. We’ve visited on numerous occasions over the years and experienced water heights of anywhere from below knee level to well above head height. You just never know what you’re going to get! Besides the tunnel walk being a fantastic experience, there’s more to find in the tunnel as well. We’ve come across the odd freshwater croc or two, plus we’ve even seen an eel. Various species of bats also live in the tunnel including the special yellow-lipped bat which is only found in the Kimberley. So remember to shine your torch around the walls as well. Besides these National Parks, there’s also those at Bell Gorge and Mitchell Falls if you’re doing the Gibb. Then there’s Mirima in Kununurra as well as Purnululu and Danggu (Geike Gorge) if you’re sticking to the blacktop on the way to Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. Keep these national parks in mind when planning your Kimberley trip and arranging a park pass.

While we think there’s never a bad time to visit the Kimberley, the region certainly is full of life when a bit of water is about, in more ways than one. We love what nature does each wet season within this spectacular part of Australia and we think you will too. So don’t wait! Pull out the maps to start planning your Kimberley trip now ... we might just see you there!

Tunnel Creek.