Kimberley

Understand

A craton is a raft of the earth's crust that has somehow remained intact over millennia, without being subducted or broken up - they're typically very hard rocks rich in minerals. From 2.5 billion years ago the Kimberley craton crunched into a larger one to the south, so slowly that this took a billion years, but with enough force to heave up mountains. Later the ground sank to be covered by sea, so there was a build-up of sandstone and limestone subsequently lifted into a plateau. There were later phases of mountain-building, not very high, but steep especially once rainfall eroded them. And there you have the landscape of The Kimberley, with vast dusty savannah plains and abrupt lines of hills with fantastically weathered gorges and rock formations. It nowadays symbolises remoteness, wilderness, yet this region was the first part of Australia settled by humans, some 65,000 years ago. These Aboriginal people evolved 50-60 languages in four linguistic families, invented the boomerang, grew yams, and established a tradition of rock art. There are thousands of rock paintings and etchings, in a variety of styles and techniques. The Dutch probed the coast in the 18th century but didn't stay. British explorers in the 19th century had a miserable time of it but saw the land's potential for farming, if only they could work around the monsoon climate and lack of natural harbours. Sheep farms were set up, there were heroic long cattle drives, and fresh fruit & veg was grown. The British named the region for the Earl of Kimberley (1826-1902), Secretary of State for the Colonies, and Kimberley in South Africa was named at the same time. He'd earned his title by facing down the Fenians in Ireland, but it was on his watch that gold and diamonds were discovered in both namesake regions. The coast also developed pearl-fishing, and harbours were built to ship out livestock. In the 20th century the fertile area expanded when irrigation schemes modified the monsoon cycle of droug

Getting there

Most arrivals are from Perth to the west. Those coming from the Northern Territory to the east, please be aware that i) there's a one-and-a-half-hour time switch and ii) there's an agriculture inspection, with rules on food and plant material. They're trying to keep pests at bay, especially cane toads, with stiff fines for failing to declare or dump (say) a stash of apples.

By plane

The principal airport is Broome, but its only international flights are in the dry season by Jetstar from Singapore. Qantas and Virgin Australia fly from Perth to Broome, and AirNorth fly from Darwin via Kununurra (which also has flights from Perth). Nexus hops along the west coast from Geraldton via Karratha and Port Hedland to Broome. Derby airport only has flights from Broome.

By road Distances are formidable. From Perth to Broome by road is 2360 km by the North West Coastal Highway via Carnarvon, or 2050 km by the Great Northern Highway inland via Newman. The highways join at Port Hedland. From Broome at the west end of the region the only safe, all-weather onward route is the Great Northern Highway. This courses via Camballin, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Ord River to Wyndham and Kununurra at the east end of the region, just over 1000 km. This is close to the NT border but still 900 km from Darwin, the nearest sizeable city. Gibb River Road is a mostly unsealed track from Derby to Wyndham that looks like a short cut on the map but that takes most of a week in the dry season. In the wet it might take the rest of your prematurely-terminated life. Tanami Road is a mostly unsealed track from Alice Springs via Wolfe Creek Crater to Halls Creek, 1150 km and passable only in the dry season. Work is under way to seal it but this is years from completion.

By bus

From Perth, Integrity Coaches run two days a week to Broome, taking 36 hours along the coast via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Exmouth and Port Hedland. A third bus goes inland via Mount Magnet and Newman to Port Hedland to

Getting around

By plane Regular flights link Broome, Derby and Kununurra as above. Private air charters may be possible, their limitation is in finding somewhere to land that won't send cobbles through the prop and windscreen. Scenic tourist flights visit several sites that are difficult to access overground, but they're non-landing. See Kununurra for flights over Purnululu / the Bungle Bungles, and Broome for those over Horizontal Falls.

By road

You need your own vehicle, and a car affords shelter from the sun, dust and flies. This is simplest arranged from your arrival airport, but never mention the word "Outback" or the rental clerk will have a conniption fit. The Kimberley is remote but only its arid southern fringes are truly Outback, though Mitchell Plateau is getting close. WA rental clerks are fine judges of the distinction: the Wild is somewhere a busted car might eventually be towed out of, while the Outback is where car and occupants will just have to be left for the crows to pick bare, serve them right for breaching the rental conditions. One-way car hire is expensive so plan a round-trip itinerary, allowing a minimum of a week. The Great Northern Highway (Broome to Wyndham / Kununurra) is sealed, and suitable in all seasons for all vehicles including 2WD, motorbikes and motorhomes. This includes the branch to Derby, and the continuation east into NT which is called Victoria Highway. In the Wet, the problem is not the highway but your destination: that last 500 m from the turn-off to the door might be a morass. Filling stations and other supplies are far apart but at least they exist. Gibb River Road (Derby to Wyndham) has been sealed at its west and east ends, so these limited sections are nowadays just like the GNH. But most of it is unsealed, passable only in the Dry by high-clearance 4WD: visitors should aim for June-Aug when that dry is assured. It's not suitable for motorhomes, and bear in mind that many sights are up lumpy side-tracks. Filling station

See

Museums: most towns have a local history museum. Beaches: Cable Beach in Broome is the standout, named for the telegraph cable that linked Australia to the rest of the world. It's long and sandy, and you get to ride camels. Most other sea beaches are muddy (eg Derby) or difficult to access (eg Dampier Peninsula), with huge tides and currents. Don't swim if Box Jellyfish or Irukandji are around. But there are river or lake beaches, for instance at Kununurra and Lake Argyle. Staircase to the moon is an optical effect where the rising full moon coincides with low tide, so its beams reflect in water trapped in the beach ripples. It can be seen during the unclouded dry season from any sandy beach with an unobstructed view to the east horizon, for instance in Broome. Local visitor centres post the viewing dates and times. The Wild is the uninhabited, unfarmed interior of the Kimberley. Just a few km drive off the sealed highway plunges you into the immensity of this region. Thousands of bird