The Kimberley is a massive area encompassing the northern part of Western Australia. It includes the towns of Kununurra, Broome, Derby, Wyndham, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and some other smaller places. The most visited town in this region would be the touristy Broome but there are interesting sights in Kununurra that warrants a look. This region is marked by spectacular red rock formations that rise up from the Earth, long stretches of remote, dusty outback and boab trees. To orient yourself in Kununurra, hike up Kelly’s Knob to the lookout.

The best way to see the countryside and to get an understanding of the scale of how humans have changed it, a scenic flight is recommended. These are however very expensive. On this lucky occasion, the cost was offset by some vouchers offered by WA Tourism to stimulate this part of the country. We flew in a 14 person Cessna over the agricultural lands opened up by the building of dams, Lake Argyle, the Bungle Bungles and the now closed Argyle Diamond Mines. Due to the small size of the aircraft and the pilot flying quite low to give the best vantage of the sights, the flight was quite bumpy and jerky at times. Best to take some motion sickness pills if you are prone to it.

After flying over the Bungle Bungles, it’s worth the short trip to Mirima National Park. This is in the outskirts of Kununurra and allows a close-up view of similar rock formations as the Bungle Bungles.

Venturing out from Kununurra, it is worth making a day trip to Emma Gorge. This is the only site in the El Questro area readily accessible to 2WD. The hike to the waterhole takes about an hour and is quite rugged in parts. It’s worth it for the spectacular landscape on the way as well as the magical, cool, waterhole. Coming upon this beautiful waterhole at Emma Gorge makes the sweaty hike worthwhile. Swimming is OK in the cool, refreshing waters of the waterhole but beware a resident freshwater crocodile! To the right most side of the waterhole is a small thermal spring which is lovely if the water is getting too cold for you.

For a closer look at Lake Argyle and the dam, head to Lake Argyle Resort. Bear in mind, despite the vastness of the lake from the various vantage points in this area, the actual lake is much, much bigger and cannot be seen in it’s totality from the ground.

On the way to Wyndham, a “must see” stop is The Grotto. There is a hike down of 144 steps to get to a gorgeous, refreshing swimming hole. This is really a special place!

When in Wyndham, after passing the big croc (because every Australian town must have a big statue as it’s claim to fame!), head up to the Five Rivers Lookout. This is where 5 Kimberley rivers meet and flow out to the ocean.

It’s a long drive from Wyndham to Derby, passing the towns of Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing on the way. Stop for a quick walk at Geikie Gorge about 20km from Fitzroy Crossing. This is pretty but probably not worth the detour.

Just before you get to Derby, pull off to see the Prison Boab Tree. Head through town to the original old Derby where the jetty is. Derby has massive 12m tide ranges hence the massive pylons at the jetty.

After days of adventuring in the Kimberley outback, we headed to Broome for some civilization. Broome is a lovely touristy town with great restaurants, shops and a pearling history. Re-group for onward adventures at the Matso’s Brewery, a Broome institution. Their mango beer has a beautiful fruity fragrance and their chilli beer packs a spicy punch! Swim at the famous Cable Beach! Whilst there could be saltwater crocodiles at this beach, it is considered relatively low risk as the lifeguard is watching for them and numerous scenic flights go up and down the beach daily. As the aqua ocean waters are clear, crocs are easy to spot from the air. Any croc sightings are reported and the beach gets closed.

When driving between the Northern Territory and Western Australia along the Victoria Highway, it’s worth making a stop at Judbarra National Park. This was previously known as Gregory National Park. We stopped for a stretch break and was pleasantly surprised by the magnificence of this area. There is something spectacular about these ancient rock formations rising up, set against the green landscape and vast blue skies. Boab trees and livistona palms dot the landscape in these parts.

If you want to see a terrifying number of crocodiles lurking at a barramundi buffet, you need to see Cahill’s crossing at high tide! This is a water crossing for cars which crosses over the East Alligator River. It allows vehicles to go into Arnhem land. Cahill’s Crossing is located in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia. Before heading to this remote location, check the tide times to ensure you will arrive there just before high tide. You will be able to see the water change direction on the river, vehicles doing the water crossing despite the water being at a scarily high level, birds of prey swooping down for fish, large fish leaping out of the water and of course, lots of crocs!

As the water changes direction, fish are swept towards the crowd of waiting crocodiles. On the day we were there, there were about 30 crocodiles in the small stretch of river. Many of these managed to snare a large fish to eat. To be able to watch a large croc, maneuver a fish in its mouth to orient it for easier swallowing is a real privilege. There is a lookout over Cahill’s crossing that allow visitors to view the natural spectacle! It gets quite crowded and there were a number of people including children and fishermen down on the road by the water’s edge. Considering that crocodiles can both move and jump with deadly accuracy and speed, this seems extremely foolish.

When visiting Cahill’s Crossing, it is worth doing the walk from the crossing to Merl Campground. There are so many interesting rock formations to see on this walk.

When visiting Kakadu National Park, doing the Yellow Water Cruise is essential. There is a so much animal and bird life that live on or close to the water. There is a cruise both at sunrise and sunset. Both are excellent. This time, we did the sunset cruise. The start of this cruise is at 4:30pm and it is searingly hot. Bring cool water and a hat and be prepared to be very hot!

During the cruise, we saw a lot of crocodiles, including a very large male croc, called Boofhead. We also witnessed a large herd of feral buffalo damaging the soft riverbank. They are both dangerous to humans in the park as well as extremely destructive to the park ecosystem. They were not easy to photograph as they stayed back from the river bank. Culling these feral buffaloes is not an easy task as the large carcasses will need to be disposed off. There are actually a lot of feral animals in Kakadu National Park. These pigs, horses, buffalo, etc are not native and alter the ecosystem by living there. There may even be some feral chickens in the park as I awoke in the morning by the crowing of a rooster!

There were birds aplenty to see during the Yellow Water Cruise. We saw elegant, white, egrets, Nankeen Night Herons hunting at the waters edge, Australasian Darters and Whistling Kites. There were large groups of Plumed Whistling Ducks squawking noisily at each other. The most memorable is the stunning tiny Azure Kingfisher darting from a riverbank tree to the water’s surface to hunt. The kingfisher is a deep blue and orange colour and it was so tiny and fast!

As the light changed and the searing heat eased, the tour guide ensured that we got to experience the sunset at a magical floodplain location. Those with expensive camera lenses could take lowlight sunset photos with a saltwater crocodile, native Jabiru bird and gorgeous sunset in the frame!

A 45 minute drive, 65km north-east from Hughenden is the enchanting Porcupine Gorge National Park. Overnight camping available at Pyramid Campground. An easily accessible lookout provides a view from the top of the gorge but the hike down to the bottom of the gorge is worth doing. The landscape at the bottom is varied and geologically interesting. Cool off with a swim at the waterhole at the bottom or just relax. Then walk around the bottom of the gorge to look at the bizarre rock formations and the many colours in the rock.

When passing through Hughenden, either to or from Porcupine Gorge, stop for a break at the historic Coolabah tree. This tree is part of the Burke and Wills story. These explorers were the first to traverse from the bottom of Australia to the top but died trying to head south for home. This tree was “blazed” i.e. marked by a couple of the rescue expeditions sent to find Burke and Wills. Their deaths were not in vain because the detailed notes Wills took along the journey which contributed to an understanding of what grazing land was available and assisted in opening up the country.

Around 100 to 115 million years ago, current day outback Queenland, was dominated by a vast inland sea teeming with life. It seems quite improbable when looking at the sparse, dusty landscape in the area today. In Richmond, a tiny town of only 650 residents, there is a fabulous museum called Kronosaurus Korner. Despite being only a small town museum, most of the fossils are world class! Upon entering the museum, you are introduced to the world as it was 100 million years ago with an animated video showing the strange and wonderful creatures that lived in the water at the time. This video really helped contextualise the fossil displays and brought these amazing animals to life!

Another marvelous aspect of this museum is that they allow ordinary people to purchase permits, at only $5, to dig for fossils at a couple of nearby sites. It is easy to assume that this is a tourism gimmick until you peruse the museum and see that a number of the most complete and interesting fossils have come in recent years from the free dig site and were found by ordinary people and tourists having a go!

The highlight of Richmond, Queensland is undoubtedly, Kronosaurus Korner. Despite that, do not leave without an easy stroll around the artifical Lake Fred Tritton. The path around the lake is well lit at night and wheelchair accessible. If you circumnavigate the lake clockwise, you will come across small brass plaques set into the walking path detailing the history of Richmond in chronological order. A lovely touch for visitors and a beautiful example of Richmond community pride. The lake is also stocked with fish for recreational fishing.

The commercial and population hub in outback, north Queensland is Mount Isa. The heart of this town is the Mount Isa Mines which mines for copper, lead, zinc and silver.

The town of Mount Isa is dominated by the imposing smoke stacks a short distance away in the mineral processing site now run by Glencore. There are three stacks, the largest of which is for the lead smelter. It was increased to it’s present tremendous height (270 m) in response to concerns about lead pollution of the town. This town is not unlike Karratha or Gladstone. Industry forms the beating heart of the town, it’s not traditionally pretty but plenty of people live and work here.

Around the back of the mines is a pretty, tidy and green suburban area. It seems more well off that other areas of Mount Isa. (Was that a gardener we spied as we cruised around for our quick tour?) In this area, there is also a heritage listed building called Casa Grande. This home was built in 1949 for the general manager of the mine. At the time, this was the largest house in outback Queensland and reflects a period when the mine finally became profitable after years of struggle which includes the depression and World War 2 years. The pretty suburb around Casa Grande is where the current managers and executives of the Mount Isa Mines have their homes.

Encourage those of you who are interested to read the Wikipedia article on the story of the Mount Isa Mine and the very significant adversities that were overcome as it developed into the very profitable and extensive operation it is today. Included, are some great stories of the world-class innovations that the miners pioneered at the plant. These innovations have since been employed elsewhere in the world under license.

Driving 17km north of Mount Isa, will bring you to Lake Moondarra. This serene, artificial lake was made to provide water for the town and the mine. It has recreational areas on it’s banks and is used by locals for canoeing, boating, fishing, BBQs and picnics.

Loitering at the recreational areas on the banks of the lakes are a number of peacocks. These birds are clearly used to being fed as they will approach any soft hearted candidates with enthusiasm and hope!

The annual highlight in Mount Isa is the Mount Isa Rodeo. This is the biggest rodeo event in the southern hemisphere and is a well run and highly entertaining few days. Surprisingly, the music being played by the resident DJ was a real highlight and was sufficiently up-beat and intense to add to the frenetic performances from the competitors. Thankfully, country music was kept to a minimum.

The rodeo is also a great opportunity for people-watching country style with ‘fashions on the field’ consisting of cowboy hats and jeans plus well heeled boots.

The various bucking animals are induced to perform so spectacularly by the use of a so-called ‘flank strap’. This drives them crazy and induces the crazy twisting and jumping motion. The rodeo guide explained that the flank strap is not actually in contact with the beast’s genitals as happened in the past or perhaps still goes on with less scrupulous operators. It was remarkable how the animal calmed in a matter of moments once the flank strap was removed.

The bare-back bronc event consists of the same process, but with the absence of a saddle, it makes for wild ride indeed. The unfortunate rider makes a convincing impersonation of a rag doll as the horse tries to remove him from it’s back. Suspicions are that the competitors brains will be adversely affected from all the impact.

Sideshow alley wasn’t drawing many customers when we were there, COVID no doubt wasn’t helping.

Burke and his faithful Wills are a celebrated tragedy and perhaps an example of the courageous amateur biting off more than they can chew. This duo were the first to travel from Melbourne, in the bottom of Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria at the top but died not long after starting their journey back down. Nevertheless, hats off to these and others who opened up this vast, brown land. Whilst ruminating on the experience these men and their unfortunate followers went through as they suffered and died, we couldn’t help but wonder if the whole trip would have been easier with some participation from the Aborigines (even if not from the local area). It’s also not clear why the didn’t send through another party by ship to meet them at the Gulf of Carpentaria.

From lush tropical rainforests to the sparse, desolate, dusty outback, this journey took us through very contrasting landscapes. The buzzy tourist filled city of Cairns to the small fishing town of Karumba, and a number of interesting stops in between.

Cairns is one of the best cities in Australia in the cold months of the year (in my opinion). The weather in July is perfection! The roads around Cairns is flat with plenty of infrastructure to make cycling very safe. There are free Zumba classes around town paid for by the Cairns council. The lagoon(free beachside public swimming pool) is gorgeous and there are lots of restaurants reflecting the multicultural communities that call Cairns home. Around Cairns is the Great Barrier Reef and a whole bunch of waterfalls and other verdant natural sights.

Not far outside of Cairns is the Atherton tableland regions. This is considered tropical dairy country. The countryside is fertile and lush. There are plenty of waterfalls, waterholes and walks to visit. Only two waterfalls are mentioned here but there are plenty more! We camped beside Lake Tinnaroo and beside a pretty creek out the back of the Tall Timbers Caravan Park near Ravenshoe. Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland so the overnight temperature was much cooler than in Cairns!

From the Atherton tablelands, we headed to the Undara Volcanic National Park. A “must-do” on the way there is to stop at a town called Innot Hot Springs. You can either experience the hot springs at the natural creek outside the caravan park or you can pay $10 per person to enjoy the hot mineral waters inside the park where it is directed into 6 different temperature controlled pools. We found the natural creek to be very shallow, muddy and mossy. The water can be scalding in areas so be careful! People get their shovel and make pools which mix some hot and cooler water to get a place to soak at the right temperature.

We headed inside the caravan park and found a good facility with pools ranging in temperatures up to 45C. You can soak outdoors or indoors and it was incredibly relaxing. It’s also a good place for a chat with other travelers.

Feeling relaxed, we continued our journey to the Undara Experience Caravan Park. The scenery is now much more dusty and sandy. The lava tube tour at Undara Experience was interesting and there are some underwhelming walks nearby to do.

Driving to Croydon from Undara, feels like we are truly in the outback. There is not even a sniff of mobile signal and the major highway often annoying reduces to a single lane.

Croydon is an interesting tiny town of 250 with an interesting gold rush history. Gold was discovered in the later 1800s causing the town to boom as people rushed to mine the gold. There is an informative video at the information centre which details the history. Amongst the people who rushed to find wealth were Chinese people. Due to racism, the Chinese were unable to mine for gold till the lease had been mined for 3 years. Instead, many of the Chinese people started market gardens. Nurturing a profitable market garden in this inhospitable climate which is either desperately bone dry or much too wet is no easy feat. The Chinese supplied the town with their fresh fruit and vegetables but it was due to much hard work hand carrying water and hand watering their plants with just the most meagre ration of water required to survive.

Onwards to Karumba, the town on the Gulf of Carpentaria. This is a sleepy, fishing obsessed town. There were a lot of locusts about when we visited so correspondingly, there were a number of birds enjoying a feast! There is absolutely no Optus network signal in Karumba but in Normanton, an hour inland, there is a mobile tower and super strong Optus mobile signal!

Don’t forget to visit Krys the 8.6m crocodile replica in Normanton. This is supposed to be a replica of the largest crocodile shot in the area by a Polish lady named Krys in 1957. Unfortunately, the measurement was not verified. The largest officially verified crocodile (as per the Guinness Book of Records) is 6.17m.

The Norman River runs past the town of Normanton. There is a double lane vehicle bridge that spans the river. There is also a separate bridge specifically for fishing!! It comes with many useful things for an enjoyable fishing day like rod holders, shade structures, BBQs, picnic tables and running water!! What an amazing piece of infrastructure for this tiny town of 1200 people!