The 10 Best Ways to Experience the Kimberley

The Kimberley is a magical place and home to everything from world-famous beaches to some of the most remote locations on Earth. This hit-list of 10 Kimberley experiences is an ideal introduction to one of the world’s last great wildernesses. Bring a camera and your sense of adventure.
Take a “shower” at Twin George Falls
These iconic Kimberley waterfalls might photograph beautifully but they’re even more spectacular up close. The best way to experience them is on a luxury cruise ship with you on the bow and your skipper carefully nudging the craft beneath the water. Invigorating – and then some.
Catch a movie at the world’s oldest open-air cinema
Broome’s beloved outdoor cinema might be called Sun Pictures but it’s all about the stars, both on-screen and in the sky. Those deck chairs, meanwhile, are a charming throwback to yesteryear. Movies screen year-round (weather permitting) although morning tours of the cinema only run during peak periods.
Go jetboating on Horizontal Falls
Not all of the Kimberley’s great waterfalls fall vertically. On Talbot Bay, fast-moving tides rushing through rocks causes the illusion of water crashing across rather than onto the bay. A high-speed jet-boat is the best way to see (and feel) this phenomenon.
SEE ALSO: One Perfect Week in the Kimberley
Swim in a water hole
There are private pools and then there are private pools, Kimberley-style. Dotted through the region, secret freshwater pools are the perfect way to keep cool in Australia’s north-west. The only challenge? Convincing your skipper or helicopter pilot to divulge the location of his or her favourite spot.
Watch sunset at Cable Beach
With some 22 kilometres of white sand, Broome’s most famous beach offers sunset vantage points galore. While many visitors watch the sun go down from the back of a camel, hiring a 4WD and finding your own secluded stretch of sand makes for a more intimate experience.
Visit some of the world’s oldest art galleries
The rock paintings at places like Raft Point are estimated to be more than 50,000 years old and tell the story of the area’s Worrorra people. As well as taking guests to these sacred sites, guides also share Dreamtime stories and perform smoke purification and ochre painting ceremonies.
Camp at Kooljaman
These aren’t your regular tents, nor is Kooljaman your regular campsite. Located at Cape Leveque in the Dampier Peninsula, this wilderness camp is a stirring combination of ocean, bush and indigenous culture. Deluxe safari tents come with their own balcony and uninterrupted views of the water … and those pindan-stained Cape Leveque cliffs.
Take a helicopter ride over Montgomery Reef
Taking to the skies is one way to put the size and majesty of the Kimberley into perspective. While the entire Prince Regent River is awash with photo opportunities, the spectacle of Montgomery Reef rising and sinking with the tide is one of its more memorable sights.
Eat dinner at Zensai
Zensai, Cable Beach Club’s tranquil Japanese restaurant, is the town’s best place to dine and tables go fast. Joji Iwama takes real pleasure in sharing his homeland’s cuisine with diners, from the crunchy savour of fried chicken karaage to precision-cut sashimi. A snappy drinks list seals the deal.
Cruise through Geikie Gorge
Lunch at the historic Crossing Inn is one reason to head to Fitzroy River; a cruise through breathtaking Geikie Gorge is another. The wildlife is everywhere, the walls are stained white and grey and the site is some 350 million years old.
SEE ALSO: Cruising Through the Kimberley