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9 Day Darwin to Broome Tour |
9 Day 4WD Kimberley Tour
Small Groups
Lake Argyle Cruise
This Rugged 9 day 4WD Kimberley Tour explores the Kimberley region in North Western Australia between Broome and Darwin. It is an expedition style departing Broome twice a month from May to October.
This product is one of the most adventurous on the market, expect to be spending long days hiking and swimming further than the others, expect to go on rougher roads, expect to sleep under the stars, expect to camp in seriously remote wilderness areas, expect to go without a shower, expect to swim in waterfalls every day, expect an experience you will never forget!
Daily activities on tour include hiking and swimming, when visiting waterfalls it is normally possible to both swim in the plunge pools and hike to the top of the falls and beyond to further explore the region.
Passengers on this tour should be prepared to endure a few hardships and can sometimes expect to spend 4 - 5 hours traveling between destinations due to poor road conditions. Most campsite are located in remote areas with few of no facilities.
The vehicle carries a maximum of only 9 passengers in a Toyota Landcruiser Troop carrier with side facing bench seats in the rear. Unlike a bus, these vehicles are chosen not for their comfort, but for their ability to go just about anywhere, the side facing seat configuration creates a very social vehicles as the group all face each other. This means that driving time can be spent enjoyably socializing, playing games and having fun (instead of sleeping).
National parks visited on this Kimberley 4WD Tour include Keep River National Park, Bungle Bungles National Park, Hidden Valley National Park, Tunnel Creek National Park and Windjana Gorge National Park. Other places of interest include El Questro Station, Emma Gorge, Zebedee Springs, El Questro Gorge, Pentecost River, Gibb River Road, Mertens Falls, Barnett River gorge, Manning Gorge, Galvans Gorge, Bell Gorge, King Leopold Ranges, Lennard River Gorge & Broome.
Kimberley Tour Itinerary.
Please note, the following itinerary has deliberately been left vague to give the guides the opportunity to tailor the trip to the needs of the group and the time of year etc, this not only promotes exploration, but also means that the trip becomes more like a group of friends exploring the Kimberley than a regimented tour.
Days 1 to 4, The Gibb River Road.
Day 1, Tunnel Creek
Day 2, Windjana Gorge
Day 3, Manning Gorge
The first 4 days of the 9 Rugged Day Kimberley tour from Broome to Darwin are spent traveling along the famous Gibb River Road visiting the many amazing gorges on route, including Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Emma Gorge, Barnett Gorge, Manning Gorge, Galvans Gorge, Bell Gorge and Lennard Gorges.
You will swim, hike and climb through these pristine gorges exploring, jumping into pools and viewing ancient Aboriginal art sites.
Tunnel Creek is just one of the Kimberley’s amazing geological sites, a natural tunnel which passes under the Napier Mountain Range, Tunnel Creek is part of an ancient barrier reef and travels underground for 750 metres.
The Tunnel is very large, about 15 metres wide and up to 12 metres high and a creek runs the full length of the tunnel and walking the full length of the tunnel in deep cool water is an unforgettable experience.
Windjana Gorge, located within the Windjana Gorge National Park, is a spectacular 3.5 kilometre long gorge also formed by an ancient coral reef. Walls either side of the gorge are up to 100 metres high and the gorge is about 100 metres wide.
A highlight of the Gorge Visit is a usually a large population of freshwater crocodiles which can be seen swimming in the waterholes and basking on the river banks. In the beginning of the dry season the pools are quite large and the crocodiles are dispersed, however the waterholes quickly recede over the season and the crocs become more concentrated.
Freshwater Crocodiles are small and considered harmless to humans (unlike the Saltwater Crocodile) and it is theoretically possible to swim in Windjana Gorge, however this option is normally reserved for the fearless!
As the Gibb River Road winds it’s way through the Kimberley, so too does the Pentecost river, and at the point at which they intersect the river is almost 100 metres wide and appears to stop the Road in it’s tracks! In fact the road simple continues on through the river and out the other side, and a highlight of the 9 Day Kimberley Tours is crossing the wide river in the 4WD.
- Gibb River Road
- Windjana Gorge
- Tunnel Creek
- Emma Gorge
- Barnett Gorge
- Manning Gorge
- Bell Gorge
- Camping: Remote Bush Camps
- Hiking: Around 3 to 5km per day
Days 5 and 6, The Bungle Bungle.
Day 5, The Bungle Bungle
Day 6, Echidna Chasm
Day 6, Helicopter Flight (Optional)
Destination Bungle Bungle, or Purnululu as it is known to the local Aboriginal people, what a sensational place! The long drive to the Bungles passes through the Carr Boyd and Durack Ranges and ends with a challenging 4WD track to the campsite.
The Bungle Bungle is a maze of curious orange and black striped beehive shaped domes, and is without a doubt one of Australia's most unusual and fascinating landscapes. Throughout the Bungles lie hidden Hiking trails, and Gorges and Chasms containing not only precious water, but in some cases rare palm trees as well!
The tour spends a full 2 day exploring and hiking in the Bungles seeing the Beehive Domes, Piccaninny Creek, Echidna Chasm, Mini Palms Gorge, Cathedral Gorge and Frog Hole.
There is also time for a helicopter flight over the Bungles which is a seriously fantastic experience (at own cost).
- The Bungle Bungle (Purnululu)
- Piccaninny Creek
- Echidna Chasm
- Cathedral Gorge
- Frog Hole
- Hiking: At least 5km per day
Days 7 to 9, Lake Argyle to Darwin.
Day 8, Lake Argyle Camp
Day 8, Lake Argyle Midnight Swim
Day 9, Edith Falls
From to rugged and dry landscape of the Bungles, next stop is massive Lake Argyle.
Lake Argyle, north of Kununurra is a spectacular man made lake 18 times the size of Sydney harbour! It contains more fresh water than you can poke a stick it and has numerous small islands. Today’s activity is jump on a boat, do a tour of the lake and then camp on one of the remote island in the lake! Absolutely sensational, there is time to fish, relax and swim into the night on what is an exclusive island we no other people on it. This camp is often voted as the best of the tour.
From Lake Argyle the tour is unfortunately coming to an end, the drive into the NT and Darwin is broken by visits to the Katherine Hot Springs, and Edith Falls, located in Katherine Gorge National Park.
Kimberley Tours
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Form:
Hiking the Kimberley
4WDing the Kimberley
Gibb River Road
9 Day Broome to Darwin Tour Summary |
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Departure Dates 2010: | 30/04, 12/05, 24/05, 5/06, 17/06, 29/06, 11/07, 23/07, 4/08, 16/08, 28/08, 9/09, 21/09, 3/10, 15/10, 27/10, 8/11 |
Departs From: | Broome 6.30am |
Finishes at: | Darwin 6pm |
Group Size: | 9 plus Guide |
Vehicle: | 4WD Toyota Landcruiser Troop Carrier |
Accommodation: | Mostly bush camps, some campgrounds |
Price: | $1730 AUD (Stud/YHA $1705 AUD) Fully Inclusive |
Highlights: |
• Small Group |