Camping in The Kimberley: Highlights of a 16-day trip

The Kimberley has been on my ‘list’ for years. In June 2025, I got there. Instead of joining one of the fancier tours, where you’re pampered and stay in lodges and air-conditioned cabins, we chose a small group camping trip. There were 18 of us, all similarly aged in our 60s and 70s.

 A camping tour of The Kimberley is a more affordable and easier option than the self-drive option. Someone else does all the planning and driving. And when you’re driving on rough roads through an area which is roughly three times the size of England and slightly larger than Japan, it’s comforting to be in the hands of an experienced driver.

As our plane descends into Broome, I am struck by the depth of colour in the sea and on the land. The clear blue water. The rich red sand. Experiencing that crisp cool water and sifting the powdery red dust through my fingers are only two of the highlights of a memorable camping trip to The Kimberley.  

An Overview

In sixteen days, we cover a lot of ground. We drive long distances, stopping for fuel and refreshment in towns whose names I know and at roadhouses in places I’ve never heard of.

When there’s time, I wander the streets, trying to get a feel for a place, photographing street art and chatting to backpackers working in remote locations so different from their hometowns. A French girl, who has been working in a store in Halls Creek for a year, “may stay for another year.”

At one stop, I run my hand over the surface of a massive boab tree. Its smooth bark is covered in carved initials and dates. I wonder at the stories this tree could tell.

An EV charging station at the remote Ngumban Cliffs lookout seems strangely out of place. Grey termite mounds like rough tombstones dot the plains of low grass which stretch to the horizon. The occasional rusty gate breaks the monotonous scenery.  Cattle graze under sparse trees. I wonder, are there more cattle than people populating this barren land?  

We set up camp in the late afternoon, and leave early the following morning. It becomes routine.

Driving in The Kimberley

The roads are long and rough. So rough that someone describes the bumpy ride as the “Kimberley Massage.”

Vehicles do run into trouble. We meet a couple who had been waiting for in Kununurra for two weeks for parts to arrive from Perth. Another couple, at Ellenbrae Station, was waiting to travel with the Station Manager to Kununurra (he only goes once a week) to purchase a new tyre. They weren’t going to chance driving on their spare without one in reserve.

Our guide tells us that one of fancy tour vehicles rolled a trailer, and theirs was the only vehicle to get bogged in the recent rains. The unseasonal rains caused the previous group on our tour to stay put at El Questro for four days.

Camping in The Kimberley

We’re lucky. Nothing affects our itinerary, although a fire near Mitchell Falls meant that travellers following a day or two behind us missed seeing the falls.

Our home over fifteen star filled nights is a four-man dome tent. We sleep on 4inch foam mattresses with our small sports-type bags filling the aisle between the beds. We are definitely camping, not glamping.

On day two I overhear our neighbour saying, “we’re getting good at this,” as she lays out their tent, inserts the poles and knocks in the tent pegs. Within days all eighteen of us have setting up camp down pat.

The same goes for striking camp. The tents are down, packed away and with our bags and mattresses lugged to the truck to be loaded for an early – usually 7am – departure. Fortunately for us “Kimberley Midnight” is 8:30pm.

Camp facilities vary. Wolfe Creek has no showers, so we go without.  At Purnululu (formerly the Bungle Bungles), our guide erects a bush shower. After a long hot dusty day, it’s a godsend.  Munurra has no showers, but there’s a river. We eagerly plunge into the refreshingly cool river to ‘wash’ without soap – to avoid polluting the water. Hot showers at ‘proper’ campsites make a welcome change.

Indigenous experiences while camping in the Kimberley

The Indigenous people of West Australia’s Kimberley region have inhabited the land for around 40000 years. We’re fortunate to join a tour of Mimbi Caves in Gooniyandi country.

An Aboriginal Elder leads us through the narrow rocky passage pointing to an image of a black rainbow serpent winding its way along the roof as we pick our way along the rocky track, our shoulders brushing the walls on either side. Bats chirrup overhead. My hands feel chalky after running them across the smooth cool rock.

At a Kununurra Gallery, the curator wraps up my purchase of two paintings by Mark Nodea of Turkey Creek.A tall dark-skinned man walks in wearing jeans and a dark hoody. He has toothache and is in town to see the dentist. He is the artist who created my paintings.

The quiet energy of the first Munurru Rock Art site fills my soul.  I wish I could spend all day here sitting, thinking and embracing my surroundings. The tiny white flowers and smooth tree trunks, the weathered sandstone with tree roots climbing over the rugged rock faces. Rock art under overhangs depicts Gwion Gwions (also known by non-Aboriginal people as Bradshaws) and Wandjina, spirit beings.

The Munurru Art sites are managed by the Wunambal Gaambera people who run guided tours. Leesharni, a young Indigenous guide, leads us around a second Munurru Art Site. She points out rock art depicting fishing nets, a red kangaroo, a scaly tail possum (or ringtail as I know them) and an echidna. She relates the stories of the rock art.

Other Kimberley experiences – in no particular order

There’s a saying that if you sleep under a boab tree, you’ll have weird dreams. We sleep under a boab tree at Manning Gorge. My partner had weird dreams.

Manning Gorge

In the early morning, Manning Creek reflects the tree trunks in its calm waters as we swim across pushing blue plastic half-drums filled with our towels, daypacks and hiking boots across the calm shoulder high waters. The hike to Manning Gorge is at times challenging.

I clamber over high rocks, and slither down rocky slopes using rocks and trees as handholds. My thighs will feel it tomorrow. We pass fields of pompom flowers and feathery grasses, silver in the morning light.  

And then there it is. Manning Gorge. White water cascades over shining wet black rocks. The large pool invites me in. Swimming towards the waterfall against the strong current, I stop to catch my breath and then climb up behind the wall of water. It’s exhilarating and worth every step of the early morning hike. We’re the only ones here.

Munurru

The river is a short walk from Munurru campsite with another waterfall further along. I sit on a flat expanse of warm rock, rhythmically running my hand across the smooth shiny surface, the texture of polished leather. The deep reds and rich browns blend together remind me of polished boot leather. Over thousands of years water has weathered the rock into the sensual surface it is today.

Ellenbrae Station

I learn that the airstrip at Ellenbrae Station is too short for the Flying Doctor to land. They have to drive into Kununurra which they do once a week to get the mail and supplies. We camped in the red dirt there, swam in the river watching children swing into the river from a rope, and bought the station’s famous scones for morning tea.

Parry Creek Farm

Ian threw a line into the creek at Parry Creek Farm (it closed in August 2025) and caught a good-sized barramundi. A saltwater crocodile snatched the catch when Ian released it back into the creek. The second barra didn’t make it to the bank. Two salties thrashed and fought over the feast, causing quite a ruckus. Ian had to cut the line.

Lake Argyle

The campground at Lake Argyle is large and crowded with caravans, camper vans and tents. Our site overlooked the valley to cliffs, which reflected rich and red when the sun set. I cruise Lake Argyle, which is nearly 1000km² or 18 times the size of Sydney Harbour. It feels like a sea, stretching all the way to the horizon.

I see rock wallabies and freshwater crocodiles basking on narrow rock ledges. Seven-spot Archer fish spray water at the food in my hand. It’s how they knock their prey into the water. Resting on ‘noodles’ after a swim in the lake, I lift a glass of bubbly off an esky lid as it floats past.

Emma Gorge

Picking my way along the rocky path to Emma Gorge, I’m grateful for the support of my walking poles. We climb over boulders, and step across streams. Water drips from the towering cliffs into the cool round pool. I pull on my reef shoes and gasping at the cold, swim to the waterfall. Crystal-like pearls of water plink plonk into the pond and across my back. Another “Kimberley Massage.”

Zebedee Hot Springs

We pack up camp and leave by 5:40am to avoid the crowds. Walking through a palm forest, en route to the thermal springs, I hope to spot an Olive Python or an Azure Kingfisher, but they are elusive this cool morning. Although a small group is already enjoying the warm waters – they are 28-32 degrees all year round – we easily find rocky pools to bathe in.

Memories of the Kimberley

There is so much to tell and not enough space.

The exhilarating helicopter flight over the bungle bungles and another over Mitchell Falls; walking on rocky paths between towering burnt orange cliffs; standing in Tunnel Creek, torches off listening to the drip of water as it trickles down the rock.

Waking to flocks of squawking corellas in the early morning and staring mesmerised into the flames of the nightly campfire. Scooping fine red dust into my hand, watching the powdery particles drizzle through my fingers and spill to the ground leaving a light red coating on my palm.

Camping in The Kimberley Region: A Summary

A camping tour of the Kimberley is an active trip. You pitch in with meals and washing up. You help collect firewood and help to load and unload the truck. Towards the end, we were all counting down the number of times we still had to set up and take down our tents. But it was worth it. Even the discomfort of no showers and hikes over rocky paths in the hot sun.

If you get a chance to discover West Australia’s Kimberley Region, grab it with both hands. You won’t regret it.