The Kimberley region in the far north of Western Australia is rugged, beautiful, and stunningly remote. The population is sparse and the distances are vast, but there is an option to explore the East Kimberley region from a gorgeous little base, and that is the town of Kununurra. For most of my adult life I have been intrigued by this remote town close to the border of Northern Territory, and its great to have the chance to revisit after a long absence of 20 years. Travellers in Katherine are able to reach the town of 5,000 residents by jumping on the greyhound west across the border on the Savannah Highway, a three thousand kilometrre adventure journey across the top of Australia from Cairns in North Queensland to Broome in Northwest WA. The bus trip is under 8 hours, and after passing through the (very strict) border police checkpoint, I was declared Covid safe and able to enjoy a visit to the great state of WA, the birthplace of my dear departed mother.
Kununurra hotel is lovely, and on the main strip just 100 metres from the roadhouse point for the bus passengers. I accessed my key from the drop
box, and was pleased to find I had been upgraded at no extra cost. After rising from the bed the next morning I headed to reception to introduce myself and extend my stay, then it was straight to the information centre. I booked a boat tour for Lake Argyle, and the plan was to also get a hire car for a serious explore of the region. All the were booked out, some for months in advance apparently, but one friendly fellow referred me on to a business in town, and before you know it I had an almost new Camry for 48 hours. There was a mark up, but I was pleased to snaffle a set of wheels as I headed north to explore. i stopped off at Emma Gorge, a stunningly beautiful waterhole to enjoy a cooling dip from the baking temperatures. Then it was back on the highway to Wyndham, the northernmost town in WA. I followed the signs to the Five Rivers Lookout for stunning views, and explored the town including the port. Visitors are greeted by an enormous croc sculpture on arrival, its a uniquely aussie experience.
headed just out of town to revisit Mirima National Park, known as the mini Bungle Bungles. For visitors to the far north of WA who dont have the time (or money) to visit the spectacular and remote Bungle Bungle ranges, check out Mirima to see the same extraordinary rock formations on a miniaturised scale. The scenery is spectacular and its well worth a visit. I then headed to Kununurra river in town, for spectacular views and some lovely photos. It was then time to drive out to Lake Argyle in the Camry to link up with the boat trip team, and what a wonderful tour we had. Lake Argyle can hold up to 42 times the volume of Sydney Harbour and stretches for over 50 kilometres. The colours on the water are stunning, and as sunset approaches the sheer beauty of the place is off the charts. We all jumped in on floating devices for sunset, as the boat crew tossed beers or poured bubblies for us to enjoy while on the water.
The next day I booked another boat trip, this time on the Ord river, downstream from the dam wall. Its the longest continuous boat trip in
Australia, and the scenery and wildlife are just spectacular, including freshwater crocodiles in abundance. The bus ride to the dam wall to kick off the tour included a stop at the museum of the pioneers who drove cattle from North Queensland all the way to the Ord river in an extraordinary years long journey. The boat trip finished back in Kununurra just in time for spectacular sunset views over the water. I loved my visit to Kununurra, its a remarkable part of the world. The following afternoon it was time to head out to the airport to board a flight back to Darwin. I checked back in to the party hostel for a night, heading out for a meal and a beer before retiring in anticipation of an early morning flight.
