Full Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Darwin - Katherine (315 kms)
Pick up your TERRITORY THRIFTY RENTAL 4WD vehicle either at Darwin Airport or Darwin Depot and begin your journey to Katherine. Depart on the Stuart Highway and travel via Adelaide River, Hayes Creek and Pine Creek to Katherine. This drive is approximately 315km.
Adelaide River township played an important role during World War II; after the bombing raid on Darwin in February 1942, Adelaide River became the centre of military activity as the Australian and American headquarters were relocated there, along with camps, hospitals, airfields and army supply depots. There are a number of World War II sites, including the War Cemetery and the large ammunition depot at Snake Gully.
Pine Creek was the scene of extensive mining in the 1880's and is now experiencing a renewal of interest with the reopening of mining activities. There are numerous historic buildings still standing, including the Old Playford Club Hotel, the Repeater Station, the Bakery and the Railway Siding Complex.
Katherine is the heart of the real Outback. Attractions in the area include places of historic interest, birds and wildlife in their natural surroundings, caves, gorges, Aboriginal lore and art, and for the adventurers, magnificent waterfalls, canyons and billabongs that are still unspoiled.
Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park - The highlight here is undoubtedly Katherine Gorge, located in the Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park. The main entrance to the National Park is 32 kilometres from Katherine. Over millions of years, torrential summer rains in Arnhem Land during the wet season have caused the waters of the Katherine River to cut thirteen spectacular serpentine gorges. Cut into ancient rock, the canyon walls climb steeply above cool blue water, and there is abundant bird, fish and animal life, including the fresh water crocodile.
Stay 1 night: All Seasons Katherine
Day 2: Katherine - Timber Creek (285 kms)
This morning you may wish to take a cruise on Katherine Gorge.Another highlight of the area, are the Cutta Cutta Caves, which are situated 28 km south of the town. They are weirdly shaped rock formations and underground caves. Guided tours of the caves are conducted every day and a short walking trail takes people through a typical tropical woodland.
Depart Katherine today and join the Victoria Highway to travel towards Timber Creek via Tindal and Victoria River Crossing. This drive is approximately 285kms.
TIMBER CREEK is the gateway to Gregory National Park. There is not a lot actually in Timber Creek however, the points of interest surrounding Timber Creek are: Parks and Wildlife Commission Headquarters, Timber Creek, Gregory National Park, Limestone Gorge, scenic walks, Telecom Lookout, Heritage walk, Victoria River Crossing and Gregory's Tree.
Stay 1 night: Timber Creek Hotel
Day 3: Timber Creek - Kununurra (240 kms)
Depart Timber Creek this morning and travel to Kununurra via the Victoria Highway. There are not a lot of towns along this section, however, you may be interested in visiting Keep River National Park and Hidden Valley National Park. The drive from Timber Creek to Kununurra is approximately 240km.
Kununurra
A rich green oasis amid the rugged land of the Kimberley, Kununurra is in the centre of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme, about 1057km east of Broome. As a result of the Ord River Scheme, a wide variety of crops are now grown. Lake Argyle, which was formed as a result of damming the Ord River in the Carr Boyd Ranges, has many tranquil bays, inlets and islands, and the irrigation canals are a fascinating feature of the district. A panoramic view of the Ord Valley can be obtained from Kelly's Knob, 2.5km from town. Hidden Valley, 3km away, has some interesting rock formations and birdlife. The CSIRO's Kimberley Research Station invites visitors to look around, but has no guided tours. Among rock formations on the way to the station are some Aboriginal Rock paintings. South of Kununurra 100km is the Argyle Diamond Mine with a visitor's centre at the site.
Stay 1 night: All Seasons Kununurra
Day 4: Kununurra - El Qustro (100 kms)
A suggestion for this morning is to rise early and take a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. There are several tour operators in Kununurra who offer these flights. One of our preferred tour operators - Slingair Heliworks, operates a two hour scenic flight to the mystic Bungle.
A full in-flight commentary is provided.
Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park -
thousands of huge beehive shaped mounds striped in orange and black make an astounding sight from the ground or the air.
The stripes are a thin layer of Silica and Cyanobacteria protecting the soft white sandstone formations of the domes.The Park is home to many species of plant and wildlife such as wallaby an green tree frog.
There is plenty to explore in the Park including Cathedral Gorge, Piccaninny Gorge, Echidna Chasm and much more.
Depart Kununurra and travel to El Questro, which is situated in the East Kimberley 100km west of Kununurra by road (58km on the sealed Great Northern Highway towards Wyndham with the remainder on the graded gravel Gibb River Road).
El Questro is now considered to be one of the world's most unique holiday destinations. El Questro is on the eastern perimeter of the Kimberley and runs for approximately 80 km into the heart of the region, most of which has never been explored and certainly never settled. Animal, bird and fish life congregates on the rivers and waterholes.
Your accommodation this evening is in the El Questro Bungalows. Bungalows are at the heart of the operating cattle station on the banks of the ever flowing Pentecost River. The bungalows provide air-conditioned comfort and overlook the Pentecost River with a spacious verandah and communal kitchen for the exclusive use of guests in the bungalows, or station-style meals are available by joining the cowboys and rangers during their meal times.
Stay 2 nights: El Questro Bungalows
Day 5: El Questro
Enjoy a full day at your leisure to explore this pocket of the Kimberley.
Perhaps take a short walk from the base of the Emma Gorge past butterfly filled trees and vines to a huge turquoise waterhole, perfect for swimming and even a gentle massage under the permanent droplet waterfalls. You may wish to take an afternoon cruise on the Chamberlain Gorge, a 3km fresh waterhole bounded by tropical vegetation belittled by towering 200 ft escarpments. The Gorge can only be travelled by boat, and guests are rewarded by excellent examples of Wandjina Rock Art at the far end. Another alternative for a unique experience is the Zebedee Springs - a short walk off the graded road through dense Livingstonia palms to a series of thermal pools, a fabulous place to soak and relax.
Day 6: EL Questro - Halls Creek (400 kms)
Depart El Questro this morning and drive back out along the Gibb River Road to the Great Northern Highway and travel to Halls Creek via Turkey Creek. This drive is approximately 400km.
1 night stay: Comfort Inn Kimberley
Halls Creek
- Often referred to as the oasis of the Kimberley, Halls Creek sits on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. In all directions the landscape is vast and harsh. Halls Creek is a service centre for pastoralists, mineral exploration, Aboriginal communities and booming tourism surrounding the Purnululu and Wolfe Creek Crater National Parks.
Day 7: Halls Creek - Fitzroy Crossing (295 kms)
Depart Halls Creek and travel along the Great Northern Highway to Fitzroy Crossing. This drive is approximately 295km.
Fitzroy Crossing is not a big town, but it has a big past. It is surrounded by some of Australia's biggest and best pastoral properties. No visit to Fitzroy Crossing is complete without a drive out to the original town site. There you will find the legendary Crossing Inn, built in 1897 as a shanty inn and trade store for long distance travellers about to ford the mighty Fitzroy River. Here you can hear yarns about the awesome power of the Fitzroy in flood. Fitzroy Crossing is an ideal base to explore the national parks and gorges.
Geike Gorge National Park - Boat tours, during the dry season only, show off the sheer yellow, orange and grey gorge walls. This is one of the Kimberley's most prominent and popular attractions. Crocodiles abound and you may even spot sharks, sawfish and stingrays far from the ocean they inhabited millions of years ago. There is also a fascinating tour run by local Aboriginal people whose connection to the land goes back to the Dreamtime.
1 night stay: Fitzroy River Lodge.
Day 8: Fitzroy Crossing - Derby (262 kms)
Depart El Questro this morning and drive back out along the Gibb River Road to the Great Northern Highway and travel to Halls Creek via Turkey Creek. This drive is approximately 400km.
1 night stay: Comfort Inn Kimberley
HALLS CREEK - Often referred to as the oasis of the Kimberley, Halls Creek sits on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. In all directions the landscape is vast and harsh. Halls Creek is a service centre for pastoralists, mineral exploration, Aboriginal communities and booming tourism surrounding the Purnululu and Wolfe Creek Crater National Parks.
Day 9: Derby - Broome (222 kms)
Depart Derby and south back onto the Great Northern Highway at Willare Bridge Roadhouse. This route is approximately 222km.
BROOME, a unique, exotic town and the southern gateway to the raw wilderness area called the Kimberley. Established as a pearling port in the 1880's, Broome boasts a multi-cultural population made up of many nationalities that flocked to the shores of Roebuck Bay in the hope of making their fortune from the pearling industry. Broome's unique beauty needs time to explore. Pristine beaches and bays fringed with glistening white sands, red cliffs and the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean are some of the wonders of this coastal delight. The climate is also something to boast about with the warm sunny days, balmy nights and summer tropical storms during the monsoon season.
1 night stay: Quality Suites Moonlight Bay
Day 10: Broome
Today is free for your leisure. Please return your rental vehicle prior to your departure.
Places of interest to visit during your stay are the dinosaur's footprint at Gantheaume Point, estimated to be 130 million years old, Cable Beach, with its 24 km of clean, white sand, the nearby Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens and the Broome Crocodile Farm.
