Wonders of the Kimberley: Self-Launched 10-Day Adventure from Broome to Darwin

Fly into Broome Airport (served by Qantas and Virgin Australia from Perth, typically £150–£250 return from Perth). Check into your accommodation near Cable Beach and spend the evening exploring the town's iconic red-dirt streets and pearl heritage. Head down to the Indian Ocean waterfront for a memorable first sunset over the water. Grab dinner at one of Broome's casual restaurants or food trucks on Carnarvon Street.

🚌Fly into Broome from Perth (Qantas/Virgin Australia, ~£150–£250 one-way). Collect pre-booked 4WD hire car — essential for the Kimberley leg of the trip.

🛏Cable Beach Backpackers or The Bungalow (budget guesthouse near Cable Beach, ~£30–£50/night per person sharing)

• →Arrive at Broome Airport and collect hire vehicle (book a 4WD well in advance — essential for Kimberley roads; ~£60–£80/day from Broome operators like Broome Car Rentals or Thrifty)
• →Walk along Cable Beach and watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean
• →Explore Chinatown and Broome's historic pearl district
• →Dinner at Matso's Broome Brewery or Town Beach Café

Spend a full day exploring Broome's natural and cultural highlights. Start early at Gantheaume Point to catch the dinosaur footprints at low tide (check tide times the night before — they're only visible at very low tide). Head to Cable Beach for a camel ride at sunset, one of Broome's most iconic experiences. Optionally, book a scenic flight over the famous Horizontal Falls via Seaplanes Australia or similar operators — a jaw-dropping natural wonder bookable directly online (£250–£350pp). If budget is tight, a visit to a pearl farm (Willie Creek Pearl Farm, ~£30–£40pp) offers an equally memorable and very Broome experience.

🚌Self-drive 4WD around Broome (all locations within 30 minutes of town centre)

🛏Cable Beach Backpackers or The Bungalow (~£30–£50/night per person sharing)

• →Visit Gantheaume Point at low tide to see 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints (free)
• →Swim or relax at Cable Beach (free)
• →Optional: Scenic flight over Horizontal Falls with Seaplanes Australia (~£280–£350pp, book direct)
• →Optional: Willie Creek Pearl Farm tour (~£35–£45pp, book via their website)
• →Sunset camel ride on Cable Beach (~£45–£60pp, book via Red Sun Camels or Ships of the Desert)

Hit the Great Northern Highway early for the 400km drive east to Fitzroy Crossing (~4.5 hours). Stop at Gantheaume Point if you missed it yesterday. The drive itself is a spectacular introduction to the Kimberley's vast red landscape. On arrival, check into your accommodation and take an afternoon walk along the Fitzroy River to spot freshwater crocodiles. In the evening, pick up supplies at the local store for an easy dinner — options in Fitzroy Crossing are limited.

🚌Self-drive 4WD on the Great Northern Highway from Broome to Fitzroy Crossing (~400km, ~4.5 hours). Road is sealed and suitable for conventional vehicles on this stretch.

🛏Fitzroy River Lodge camping or basic cabin (~£25–£40/night per person), or Tarunda Caravan Park

• →Self-drive 400km east along the Great Northern Highway to Fitzroy Crossing (~4.5 hours)
• →Stop at rest areas and roadside lookouts along the way
• →Walk along the Fitzroy River to spot freshwater crocodiles (free)
• →Visit the Fitzroy Crossing town and Crossing Inn, the oldest continuously operating pub in the Kimberley

Today is one of the trip's cultural highlights. Drive southeast to Mimbi Caves, a stunning limestone cave system on Gooniyandi Country, accessible only via Indigenous-guided tours run by the local community (book in advance via Mimbi Caves directly, ~£50–£70pp). Your guide will share Dreamtime stories, point out ancient rock art, and introduce you to the crystal-clear freshwater pools within the caves. Afterwards, continue driving to El Questro Wilderness Park along the Gibb River Road (4WD required). Check into Emma Gorge Resort — the tented cabins here are genuinely iconic and reasonably priced for the area.

🚌Self-drive 4WD from Fitzroy Crossing to Mimbi Caves (~75km south on unsealed road, 4WD required), then northeast to El Questro/Emma Gorge via Gibb River Road (~280km, 4WD essential). Allow a full day including the cave visit.

🛏Emma Gorge Resort tented cabin with private facilities (~£80–£110/night per person sharing — book well in advance, these sell out)

• →Mimbi Caves Indigenous-guided tour including Dreamtime stories, rock art, and freshwater pools (~£50–£70pp, book direct with Mimbi Caves community tourism)
• →Drive the Gibb River Road to El Questro Wilderness Park (4WD essential)
• →Check in at Emma Gorge Resort and explore the surrounding area at dusk

Start early with the hike to Emma Gorge — a 3.6km return trail through a dramatic canyon leading to a stunning waterfall and rock pool (entry included with El Questro park pass, ~£10pp/day). The gorge is best visited before 10am before the heat peaks. In the afternoon, drive north to Wyndham township (~100km), the most northerly port in Western Australia. Visit the Five Rivers Lookout for panoramic views over the floodplains and wetlands where five rivers meet the Cambridge Gulf. Return to Emma Gorge for a swim at the resort pool and a relaxed dinner at the resort restaurant.

🚌Self-drive 4WD from Emma Gorge to Wyndham and back (~100km each way on sealed road once you reach the highway)

🛏Emma Gorge Resort tented cabin (~£80–£110/night per person sharing)

• →Hike to Emma Gorge waterfall and swimming hole (3.6km return, El Questro park pass required ~£10pp/day)
• →Drive to Wyndham and visit the Five Rivers Lookout (free)
• →Spot saltwater crocodiles in the wetlands around Wyndham (free)
• →Visit the Wyndham Crocodile Park (~£10pp)
• →Evening swim at Emma Gorge resort pool

Drive west to Kununurra (~100km), stopping at the Hoochery Distillery — Australia's oldest operating distillery — for a self-guided or guided tasting session (book tours directly on their website, ~£15–£20pp). Continue to the Durack Homestead Museum to learn about the pioneering pastoral families of the Kimberley (~£8–£12pp entry). In the afternoon, don't miss the spectacular sunset cruise on Lake Argyle, Australia's largest reservoir — book directly with Lake Argyle Cruises (~£55–£75pp). Check into Kununurra accommodation and grab dinner in town.

🚌Self-drive 4WD from Emma Gorge/El Questro to Kununurra (~100km, ~1.5 hours on sealed road). Lake Argyle is a further 70km south of Kununurra — allow a half-day round trip.

🛏Kununurra Backpackers or Hidden Valley Tourist Park cabin (~£30–£50/night per person sharing)

• →Behind-the-scenes tour and tasting at Hoochery Distillery (~£15–£20pp, book direct)
• →Visit Durack Homestead Museum (~£8–£12pp entry)
• →Sunset cruise on Lake Argyle with Lake Argyle Cruises (~£55–£75pp, book direct or via GetYourGuide)

Today is your chance to experience the unmissable Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park). The self-drive option requires a high-clearance 4WD on a 53km unsealed road from the highway — allow 2 hours each way plus 4–6 hours exploring on foot. Key walks include Cathedral Gorge (2km return) and Echidna Chasm (2km return) — both are free once you pay the national park entry fee (~£8pp). Alternatively, book a scenic helicopter flight over the beehive-shaped sandstone domes with HeliSpirit or Slingair directly (~£180–£250pp for 30–45 mins) — a truly breathtaking aerial perspective. End the day with a walk through Mirima National Park ('mini Bungle Bungles') on the edge of Kununurra town — free to enter and beautiful at sunset.

🚌Self-drive 4WD from Kununurra to Purnululu NP turnoff (~250km south on the Great Northern Highway, then 53km unsealed). Full day required. Or join a day-tour departing Kununurra.

🛏Kununurra Backpackers or Hidden Valley Tourist Park cabin (~£30–£50/night per person sharing)

• →Self-drive 4WD to Purnululu National Park (53km unsealed road, park entry ~£8pp) and hike Cathedral Gorge and Echidna Chasm
• →Optional: Scenic helicopter flight over Bungle Bungles with HeliSpirit or Slingair (~£200–£250pp, book direct)
• →Optional: Full-day 4WD tour of Bungle Bungles from Kununurra via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£120–£180pp)
• →Sunset walk through Mirima National Park, Kununurra (free entry)

Cross the border from Western Australia into the Northern Territory — don't forget to declare any fresh fruit and vegetables at the quarantine checkpoint. The drive to Katherine is around 510km (~5 hours) along the Victoria Highway, passing through dramatic escarpment country. On arrival, catch the Katherine Outback Experience — a genuinely engaging live show featuring bush poetry, stockman skills, and stories of NT pastoral history performed by local performers (book direct or via their website, ~£25–£35pp). Check into your Katherine accommodation and enjoy a quiet evening.

🚌Self-drive 4WD from Kununurra to Katherine (~510km, ~5 hours) on the sealed Victoria Highway. Road is suitable for 2WD on this stretch.

🛏Palm Court Budget Motel or Coco's Backpackers Katherine (~£25–£40/night per person sharing)

• →Self-drive 510km from Kununurra to Katherine via the Victoria Highway (~5 hours)
• →Stop at the WA/NT border quarantine checkpoint (mandatory)
• →Attend the Katherine Outback Experience — live bush songs, stockman demonstrations, and outback stories (~£25–£35pp, book direct)

Begin with an early morning cruise through the spectacular Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge — book directly with Nitmiluk Tours (the Traditional Owners), from £30–£50pp for a 2-hour cruise. The sandstone walls towering above the Katherine River are breathtaking at dawn. Afterwards, drive north towards Darwin (~320km, ~3 hours), stopping at the Adelaide River War Cemetery — a moving tribute to those who died defending Australia during WWII (free entry). Arrive in Darwin in the late afternoon for a self-guided city tour: the waterfront precinct, Wave Lagoon, and the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Market (Thursday and Sunday evenings during the dry season — free entry, food stalls from ~£6–£12). Dinner at the Darwin Waterfront.

🚌Self-drive from Katherine to Darwin via the Stuart Highway (~320km, ~3 hours on sealed road). Drop hire car at Darwin Airport or city depot on Day 10.

🛏Darwin YHA or Melaleuca on Mitchell boutique hostel (~£30–£50/night per person sharing)

• →Morning gorge cruise through Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge with Nitmiluk Tours (~£30–£50pp for 2 hours, book direct)
• →Drive north to Darwin via the Stuart Highway (~320km, ~3 hours)
• →Visit the Adelaide River War Cemetery (free)
• →Self-guided Darwin city walk: waterfront precinct, Stokes Hill Wharf, and wave lagoon (free)
• →Evening at Mindil Beach Sunset Market — food, crafts, and sunset over the Timor Sea (free entry, Thu/Sun dry season only)

Your final morning in Darwin. Check out of your accommodation and spend the morning exploring any last highlights — the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (free entry) is highly recommended for its Aboriginal art collection and Cyclone Tracy exhibit. The Indo-Pacific Marine Exhibition near the waterfront is worth a visit (~£12pp). Return your hire car to Darwin Airport and catch your onward flight. Consider flying back to the east coast, or continue your adventure further into the Northern Territory.

🚌Return hire 4WD to Darwin Airport. Fly onward from Darwin to Sydney, Melbourne, or your next destination (book in advance for best prices ~£80–£150 domestically).

🛏Check out — no accommodation needed

• →Visit the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory — Aboriginal art and Cyclone Tracy exhibit (free entry)
• →Explore Darwin's historic Chinatown and Smith Street Mall
• →Optional: Indo-Pacific Marine Exhibition (~£12pp)
• →Return hire car at Darwin Airport and depart