If you’re planning a road trip to the East Kimberleys, Australia, you have come to the right place to find out some of the best places you need to explore when you visit there. We travelled the bitumen road from Kununurra to Derby and although, we didn’t tick off everything on our Kimberley bucket list, including the Gibb River Road but we did give it a good crack!
During the spring season in 2017 we based ourselves at Kununurra for 4 days and did day trips to explore the surrounding areas. We also visited Lake Argyle and stayed there for 2 nights. The first thing we do when we arrive to new town is take a visit to the Visitors Centres to grab a map to explore the region. The staff at Kununurra Visitors Centre were fantastic and we got some great recommendations from them!
The 8 ‘Must Visit’ Places to Explore in the East Kimberleys are;
The Grotto
The Grotto in the East Kimberleys is one of the many small canyons located close to Kununurra. There are 149 man-made steps you need to walk down to reach the water hole. It’s a small natural amphitheatre and you can capture some great pictures here. If visiting during the wet season, you should be able to witness a stunning water fall however be careful as the rocks can become slippery on your walk down.
Wyndham & 5 Rivers Lookout
The drive up to the 5 Rivers Lookout is a very steep and winding one. It’s advised not to take a Caravan/Camper Trailer up to this lookout. It stands 335 meters above sea level, giving you an incredible panoramic view. From the top of the Bastion, you can marvel at the point where the five rivers- Durack, Kink, Pentecost, Forrest and Ord.
We imagined Wyndham to be bustling just like Kununurra; however it was quite the opposite! A key attraction although is the big croc statue as you enter into Wyndham. Be sure to take a pic with it! The Wyndham Jetty is a nice spot to take a short walk and to capture some views; you might even see an odd croc while you are there.
Kununurra Diversion Dam
How amazing is the picture below? One of Kununurra’s most iconic landmarks is the Diversion Dam. The dam wall was built to contain the flow of water from Lake Argyle. It consists of 20 radial gates and it’s incredible to drive across. Just look at the brilliant landscape and mountain ranges in the back of the photo!
Ivanhoe Crossing
The biggest highlight of our trip was driving across the Ivanhoe River Crossing. The crossing is only open when water levels are deemed appropriate, and at one’s own risk. Saltwater Crocodiles inhabit the area which adds to the danger and thrill. Read about our experience and watch our You Tube video with drone footage to see how much we loved it!
Hoochery Distillery
A short drive out from Kununurra, the Hoochery Distillery makes award winning rum and their famous Ord River rum cake is delectable. Stacey’s parents sampled 3 of the rums available!
Lake Argyle
This is definitely one of the best places to explore in the East Kimberley, Australia region. They call it the jewel of the Kimberley’s and it certainly is! The infinity pool at Lake Argyle Resort is the most photographed place in Western Australia. With the background of the Carr Boyd Ranges and Lake Argyle its one of the most magical places we have been to. Read about our stay at Lake Argyle Resort and watch our YouTube video with drone footage to see this incredible place.
Boab Trees
The boab trees found in the Kimberleys’ are known as a ‘Kimberley Icon.” There is a vast variety you will find in the East Kimberleys, Australia and some individual trees are known to be over 1500 years old! You must visit the hollow boab tree that you can stand inside with the family, its located at Paddlesack Road, out of Kununurra. The picture below is of the Prison Boab Tree outside of Wyndham. The tree has a circumference of 14.7 meters and its estimated to be between 2000 and 4000 years old!
4WD Action at Moochalabra Dam, Spillway
The Kimberley Region is known for its rough and rugged region and to access some places you need a 4WD. We took a day trip to visit Moochalabra Dam which can be accessed via King River Road. The water supply of Moochalabra Dam supplies the town of Wyndham. Whilst the spillway to the dam was dry when we visited, it was still a wonderful sight and you could imagine the massive water flow during the wet season.
Did you notice we haven’t mentioned El Questro & Home Valley Station? These are another 2 Kimberley Icons located on the Gibb River Road. Unfortunately we never had the time to visit either of the places however we want to highlight it was strongly recommended to us to check them out.
After seeing all these beautiful places, we are even more excited to plan another trip to the explore the Kimberley’s, Australia. But like they say, always leave something, to come back to!
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This looks like a fairytale! so gorgeous! Australia is still on my bucket list, so many beautiful places there.
Hi Daria,
There are so many amazing places in Australia. Im so proud to live here, there is so much available to people and a lot of it is free as well 🙂