The Pilbara and Kimberley

These are awe-inspiring areas with ancient riverbeds, chasms, waterfalls and subterranean pools. Discover the deep reds, vivid greens, clear pools and the bluest of skies of Karijini National Park. The Park features rugged mountain ranges whose erosion over millions of years has created dramatic gorges up to 100 metres deep and, in some places, only a metre wide.

The visitors centre for Park has won many awards. It featured on the cover of Australia's Architectural Review (spring, 2001) with photographer John Gollings saying the building, looming out of the spinifex, gave him the excited knot of tension in the pit of his stomach that is his personal hallmark of good architecture. Gollings said, "There is a delicious irony in erecting a building made of metal extracted from its very ground (and) using a local self-rusting steel - the material itself reflects the journey of its owners back to their homeland."

While ‘discover’ is a word bandied about freely in guidebooks, this is truly a place of discovery, and not just the natural beauty. If you take the time, you may just discover a bit about yourself as well, and how you fit into the scheme of things. Sit a while, look and think about how our dot of a lifetime is pretty much insignificant in the big picture. You may even find yourself asking some deep and meaningful questions relating to aspects of modern life, including: Weren’t computers meant to give us more leisure and time with the kids? Has the heady progress of civilisation really made the world a better place? And, did I remember to put petrol in the car?

In contrast, the tropical oasis of Millstream-Chichester National Park is a haven for wildlife where visitors can relax beside a 3-kilometre chain of spring-fed pools.

The vast Pilbara coastline is dotted with unspoilt offshore islands, sandy beaches, coral reefs and marine life.

The Dampier Archipelago’s crystal clear, warm waters are a boating, fishing and diving paradise.

The many mining towns scattered throughout the region provide a welcome break from travelling, and an opportunity to view the magnitude of the mining operations.

In the 1950s magnate Lang Hancock was flying low over the region and, as luck would have it, he noticed that everything below him was iron ore. This was the beginning of the massive mining operations evident today, as well as the massive Hancock fortune – still, all the money in the world cannot buy good taste or a great wife.

The Kimberley itself is the outback: Australia’s most rugged landscape full of huge cattle stations, stunning gorges, plateaus, waterfalls, inland lakes, national parks and Aboriginal culture. For drivers, it’s a bit like having an itch in the middle of your back – it’s not easy to get to but so good once you do. The Kimberley is also accessible by air.

Broome is the southern gateway to the Kimberley, and is a centre for Australia’s pearling industry. It is an interesting, multi-cultural town with beautiful beaches (Cable Beach, Eighty Mile Beach). Other attractions include Sun Pictures open-air cinema and a Japanese cemetery. For those interested in pearls, head to Willie Creek Pearl Farm. August has the Shinju Matsuri (Festival of the Pearl).

Kununurra is the base to explore the massive inland waterways of Lake Argyle. The lake was formed in the 1960s as part of the Ord River Scheme, and is so large it’s developed its own ecosystems.

You can fly to Kununurra or get there by car. If driving, you can get there from Broome, via Fitzroy Crossing, Geikie Gorge and Halls Creek; or from Darwin, via Katherine, on the Victoria Highway. An alternative route from Broome is to go to Derby and then rough it on the rugged Gibb River Road.

This is not a road for the faint-hearted or the faint-engined. The 650-kilometre road isn’t sealed and there are river crossings (only passable in the Dry), but the gorges, swimming holes and true outback surroundings make for a rewarding adventure. Do your homework on the state of the road and be prepared for outback travel before heading off.

Geikie Gorge has permanent waterways through limestone gorges that have been chiselled away by erosion for centuries, and the mysterious underground cavern of Tunnel Creek. The only way to see the gorge is in the Dry by boat.

The first gold found in Western Australia was at Halls Creek in 1885, which resulted in a population of 10 000 men on the goldfields. The population today is around 1200, some of them women. The Russian Jack Memorial is a tribute to a miner who pushed his sick mate in a wheelbarrow to Wyndham for medical attention (more than 360 kilometres!).

South of Lake Argyle is the famous Bungle Bungle massif of striped beehive domes in the Purnululu National Park, accessible by four-wheel drive only, or tours and flights from Kununurra. At the time of writing the Bungle Bungles were about to be World Heritage listed – and good thing, too.

The natural beauty of the Kimberley will leave you with unforgettable memories of one of the world’s premier outback adventure destinations.

But while there are many pristine spots to hop into the water, if there are signs that mention sharks or crocodiles, it’s best to obey them – the word ‘wild’ doesn’t sit in the word ‘wilderness’ for nothing.

More Information

For more information about Western Australia:

• Events And Festivals
• Accommodation
• To See And Do
• Perth
• South West
• Southern Region
• Goldfields
• Outback Coast

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