I hadn’t been in the Kimberley for a few years when I picked up a rental 4WD in Broome for a trip up to Cape Leveque. Ten minutes later I was lost in Broome’s suburbs: few Australian towns have developed more in the past decade. But 10 minutes outside town, little has altered in 50,000 years. The new infrastructure means there are more ways to experience the Kimberley. You’ll be dealing with more vehicles on the Gibb River Road and on Mitchell Plateau, but less likely to be stranded after a breakdown – at least during the dry season.