10 day Broome to Darwin 4WD Kimberley camping safari

Tour Details

Operator

Sacred Earth Safaris

Destinations

Broome, Kimberley Region, Kununurra, Bungle Bungles, Gibb River Road, Wyndham, Geikie Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Windjana Gorge, Mitchell Falls, Fitzroy Crossing, El Questro Station, King Leopold Ranges, Lake Argyle and Turkey Creek

Departs From

Broome

Tour Description

This is a comprehensive small group Kimberley camping tour, including the Bungle Bungles, the gorges of the Gibb River road, Lake Argyle,El Questro and a spectacular 2 hour scenic flight over Mitchell Falls and the Kimberley Coast.

Day 1 (L,D)

You will be collected from your hotel at 7am this morning to begin your 10 day 4WD safari through the Kimberley region.

We head north towards Derby and stop to look at the boab prison tree, before heading onto the Gibb River Road. Our destination today is Windjana Gorge, where we’ll have a picnic lunch.

The afternoon is spent exploring Tunnel Creek, a 750m long limestone tunnel in the Napier Range, carved into the rock over thousands of years. View stalactites and stalacmites and hear the story of Jandamarra, who used the tunnel as a hideout in the late 1800’s.

Back to Windjana Gorge for sunset and dinner.

Overnight mobile camp- Windjana Gorge campground, with toilets and showers

Day 2 (B,L,D)

After breakfast, we take a walk into Windjana gorge, part of an ancient Devonian reef system where the Lennard River has cut through the Napier range. We view the fossilised reef system and freshwater crocodiles can often be seen lazing around on the river banks.

There is also the option of taking the longer hike to the end of the gorge.

Then we’ll make our way through the Napier and King Leopold Ranges to Bell Gorge, believed to be the most picturesque in the Kimberley. En-route we stop to look at the King Leopold Range lookout, which offers great photo opportunities.

We have lunch here and spend the rest of the afternoon swimming and relaxing at the waterfall.

Overnight mobile camp – Silent Grove campground at Bell Gorge, with toilets and showers

Day 3 (B,L,D)

This morning we travel to Galvans gorge, a small picturesque gorge, surrounded by boab trees. It has some interesting rock art and is a great place for a relaxing swim.

We continue to Mt. Barnett Station and Manning Gorge, where we set up camp and spend the afternoon at the gorge, swimming and relaxing or you can take the longer hike to Upper Manning Waterfall.

Overnight mobile camp - Manning Gorge campground, with toilets and showers

Day 4 (B,L,D)

We head north today, turning onto the Kalumburu road and stopping on the banks of the Gibb River, where we view a rock art site.

After a lunch stop at Drysdale River Station, we take a spectacular 2 hour flight over Mitchell Falls and the Kimberley coast !

Your flight takes you past Mt Hann, Deep Gorge and the Rift, then over the magnificent Prince Regent Nature Reserve. Follow the Prince Regent River, fly over several waterfalls including King Cascades, St George Basin, Mt Trafalgar, Prince Frederick Harbour, the Hunter River, Donkins Hill Falls and the spectacular Mitchell Falls. You may even be lucky enough see crocodiles, dugong and whales. The vast, beautiful, unspoilt coastline of this wilderness area is truly stunning and something you can only see and appreciate from the air. It really will be a highlight of your Kimberley experience.

Overnight mobile camp – Drysdale Station campground, with toilets and showers

Day 5 (B,L,D)

Our destination today is El Questro Wilderness Park, which is a million acres in size.

En-route we visit an art site, with cuples, Wandjana figures and Petroglyphs (rock carvings). This is also where the local Aboriginal people used to shelter and sharpen their spears.

We’ll stop at a lookout, for fantastic views of the Pentecost River and the mighty Cockburn Range, before driving through the river.

After setting up camp, there’s the opportunity for a swim in the rockpools close to camp.

Overnight mobile camp - El Questro campground, with toilets and showers (2 night stay)

Day 6 (B,L,D)

We start today with a relaxing dip at the Zebedee Springs thermal pools, set amongst palm trees.

Then we take a walk into El Questro Gorge, which is a trail through a deep, narrow gorge, flanked by sheer cliffs. The walk features clear pools and lush tropical vegetation and the rainforest canopy has a diverse ecosystem, while keeping us shaded and cool through most of the walk. There are a couple of places to stop for a swim along the way and you can choose to take the longer or shorter walk.

We have free time this afternoon for swimming, birdwatching or relaxing at camp.

Overnight mobile camp - El Questro campground, with toilets and showers

Day 7 (B,L,D)

This morning we take a walk into the beautiful Emma Gorge. A cool reward awaits you at the end of the walk, where you can swim at Emma Gorge pool and the 200ft waterfall that is fed from a series of natural springs high above the plateau of the Cockburn Range.

We then leave El Questro to head south and into the Bungle Bungles. On the way, we stop to view an Aboriginal art site, which consists of East Kimberley peg figures, Wandjana figures and contemporary styles.

Purnululu National park (the Bungle Bungles) is famous for the ancient range of unusual beehive-shaped domes, gorges and chasms over 350 million years old.

Overnight mobile camp - Bungle Bungles campground, with toilets and showers (2 night stay)

Day 8 (B,L,D)

We spend today in the Bungle Bungles. The section of road into the park is quite challenging and will give you a real sense of off-road adventure !

Our first stop in the park is Cathedral Gorge, a huge natural amphitheatre, with fantastic acoustics. We then take the walk to the Piccininny Lookout, followed by the “Domes trail walk”.

There’s also time today for optional helicopter flights (additional cost).

This afternoon we take a walk into Echidna Chasm, which is a narrow gorge of conglomerate rock. The walk in is beautiful, passing endemnic livistonia palms.

Overnight mobile camp - Bungle Bungles campground, with toilets and showers

Day 9 (B,L,D)

After breakfast, we leave the Bungle Bungles and head towards Kununurra and onto Lake Argyle.

Lake Argyle is Australia’s largest man- made lake, covering 1000sq km and built as part of the Ord River scheme. It offers a great expanse of water from which steep red rocky slopes reach up approximately 150m, in awe-inspiring grandeur.

This afternoon we take the sunset cruise on the lake, where you will cruise through some of the 90 islands and inlets and take in the magnificent scenery of the Carr Boyd Ranges. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and nibblies as the sun sets over the rugged red cliffs and azure blue water.

For our final evening together as a group, we have dinner in the restaurant at Lake Argyle, followed by a night in permanent tents.

Overnight permanent camp - Lake Argyle Resort (in fixed tents with proper beds & shared bathrooms)

Day 10 (B,L)

This morning we’ll pass through the border into the Northern Territory and travel through Timber Creek and Gregory National Park.

We stop to view the Victoria River, one of the largest tidal influenced rivers in the Territory with an abundance of saltwater crocodiles.

Continuing east to Katherine, we make our way to the Katherine Hot Springs. We have lunch here and you can enjoy a soothing dip in the thermal pools or sit and relax under the small waterfall.

After a short break in Katherine, we head north towards Darwin, arriving at approximately 5.30pm and you will be dropped off at your accommodation.

END ITINERARY

B= Breakfast L= Lunch D= Dinner