My trip to Broome and the Kimberley region in North-West Australia in May 2023, was booked during the COVID-19 pandemic, during one of the days when I was desperate to travel and looking through my wish list!
The Kimberley region had devastating floods a few months before my tour dates, and some tours were put on hold a few weeks after we finished due to extreme weather. Fortunately the plans for my tour went smoothly including perfect weather, for which I am extremely grateful.
It was a fantastic feeling flying into Broome over the beach and catching a glimpse of that beautiful blue ocean.
Being my first trip to Broome we took a couple of days before the big tour to have a look around.
I knew I wanted to get out on the water at least once, so after some research I booked us on the Dinosaur Adventure Tour with Broome Dinosaur Adventures. It was a fabulous day out, the staff couldn't have been more informative and helpful, it is genuinely remarkable to be standing somewhere where you can see dinosaurs have stood before you, and the scenery is simply beautiful.
The next day we went to Cable Beach in the late afternoon for an early dinner, and an extraordinary opportunity to watch the sun set over the water.
I was excited but somewhat nervous to start our 2 week tour the next day. I knew we wanted to do a tour as a 4WD vehicle is essential, and we wanted to cover all the key sights possible in two weeks, but I hadn't camped in decades, and it had been quite a while since I'd done any group based tours.
I chose the Outback Safari Tour with Kimberley Safari's and we had a full tour, 21 people including the 3 tour leaders, and we had a wonderful group. The staff and guests were all lovely.
We did the tour in the opposite direction to the itinerary. Darngku / Geikie Gorge was closed due to the floods, so the China Wall was one of our first stops. I was surprised to learn its a natural wall not man-made, a natural vein of white quarz.
Purnululu National Park was a favourite stop for me, as the Bungle Bungles were one of the first things I used to think about in relation to the Kimberley region.
I almost didn't do the optional paid helicopter flight but I'm so glad I did - as seeing this incredible place is amazing by foot, but you cannot get a sense of the true scope until you are in the air.
Across the tour I struggled with some of the walks, as there is an inherent time pressure when you're with a group on a schedule, and sadly my fitness wasn't where it should have been given I was one of the youngest on the tour!
You need to walk/climb over a range of terrain, including dry river beds, rough paths and boulders. If you can make it I strongly recommend seeing Echidna Chasm, and even more so Catherdral Gorge as it was one of the surprise highlights of the trip for me.
Lake Argyle was absolutely my favourite campground. After a range of different facilities, or lack of facilities (like flushing toilets and showers) in some locations, it was wonderful to have access to normal facilities, but I most loved the location because of their pool. I wasn't going to get in the pool because the water felt freezing, but after some encouragement from fellow travellers I did and it was fabulous.
The afternoon sunset cruise option on Lake Argle is also a must-do activity. The lake is about 18 times larger than Sydney Harbour and it's a great opportunity to see native wildlife, including rock-wallabies and freshwater crocodiles.
As we made our way down the Gibb River Road there was lots of different places to stay and special stops - the home-made scones at Ellebrae Station Homestead are highly recommended, as is a swim in Zebedee Hot Springs.
Another stand-out highlight for me was Mitchell Falls. I'd seen beautiful pictures of it many times over the years and selected this tour so that I'd have the opportunity to see it personally.
Everyone on our tour flew-in by helicopter, some chose to hike out, whereas I took the chopper both ways. I could get used to going places regularly by helicopter!
I was continually surprised by the pristine nature of the Kimberley and the vastness of the landscapes. This lookout was in Derby and it is another exceptional location for spectacular sunsets.
Coming towards the end of the trip we were happy and weary yet there is always room for more good surprises.
Not knowing what to expect, Bell Gorge ended up being one of the most beautiful surprises. Wonderful landscape, easy to access waterfall and options to swim.
The only thing I could probably have wished for was more time. At each of these locations I couldn't help but imagine how incredible it would be to be there with no other tourists - to be able to sit in silence and truly take in the natural beauty we were surrounded by.
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