The hidden treasures of the outback town of Kununurra

A laid-back outback town with hidden treasures? In Western Australia, Fleur Bainger finds Kununurra’s far-flung retreats, magnificent rock formations and colossal waterfalls are the rewards for those who go in search of them.

A boat making its way on King George Falls — The spectacular King George Falls. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Lurking through the looming rock domes of the Bungle Bungles by moonlight is not something that happens on a regular basis. In fact, I’ve had to cajole my guide to take me under the night’s blanket of Kimberley stars. Still, his eyes did light up at the suggestion and now I see why. Totally alone, we follow a dirt path between rugged 350-million-year-old forms. Hundreds of them have been sculptured and horizontally banded in black and orange by the greatest artist of all, Mother Nature. Some rise 300 metres tall, throwing huge oval shadows emboldened by the full moon.

Boab Trees during sunset — Boab trees dot the horizon at sunset near Kununurra. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Purnululu National Park

Purnululu National Park, which holds the Bungle Bungle Range and thoroughly deserves its UNESCO World Heritage status, feels about as remote and raw as it gets. Yet it’s only about 300 kilometres from Kununurra, the eastern Kimberley’s civic hub. The outback town of 5000 people is lined with saffron-red dirt, facing a lake rippling with barramundi and surrounded by fields of chia, sandalwood and mango trees. It’s a place that isn’t fancy or posh; instead, it garners instant affection for being its true-blue self. Even the pink diamond boutiques (the world’s rarest diamond was mined nearby until 2020) are unpretentious.

Kununurra, Lake Argyle — Kununurra is a place that deserves more attention. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Despite its many wonders – from dramatic waterfalls to hideaway gorges and the largest island-studded lake in the southern hemisphere – Kununurra remains under the radar for most Australians. Hit by the COVID-19 yo-yo – forgotten in 2020, swamped in 2021, and now fearful of the impact WA’s unpredictable borders might have in 2022 – Kununurra is a place that deserves more attention. Even, if you ask me, equal billing with its dramatically different neighbour, beachy, buzzy Broome. So, let’s get acquainted.

Marvel at the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Marveling from above

While driving into the Bungle Bungles from Kununurra is a top-shelf adventure, flying comes with the bonus of understanding the scale of the rock forest from above. Most aerial tours take in Lake Argyle, the aforementioned lake so big it inundated more than 70 mountains when it was dammed, turning them into uninhabited islands. I’ve opted for a special chopper jaunt that includes a James Bond-style landing on one of the isles’ elevated sides. I emerge to wrap-around views of flat, velvety water, rubbly red islets and glimpses of the nearby resort’s famous infinity pool. The pilot is a local, sporting the regional uniform of cobalt workman’s shirt and subdermal tan, and he’s clearly at home touching down anywhere I point. He tells me pilots come from everywhere to supercharge their flying hours in Kununurra; the airport is a hive of light aircraft, float planes and helicopters.

An aerial view of the El Questro Homestead located on the Chamberlain River, near Kununurra. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

I take his word for it and join a scenic flight over the King George Falls, twin cascades that plummet 100 metres down, flanked by dramatic red cliffs. From above, I can trace the waterway winding inland through the vast, boab-dotted landscape, collecting the wet season’s abundant rains before dumping them over the edge. We land just beyond, at the bush hideaway, Faraway Bay. The solar-powered retreat, rebuilt after a wet-season cyclone in 2005, is relatively simple given its nightly price tag. But as I relax into the casual Kimberley vibe, I realise it’s an exact fit for this barely populated wilderness. Overlooking an empty beach (save for a resident croc or two), the handcrafted dipping pool and swinging hammock become coveted spots when I’m not hiking through scrub to rarely seen rock art or sitting around the campfire talking food with the chef.

View from the HeliSpirit — Chart the course of the Lower Ord River with HeliSpirit.

Marveling from the water

One day, we boat along the King George River, reaching the falls some 12 kilometres in. This time we’re at toe level, an entirely different and rather humbling perspective. The vessel nudges up to the splintering water and we allow ourselves to be saturated with heavy, gravity-bound droplets. It’s thrilling.

Take the iconic drive along the Gibb River Road to El Questro.

Before I move on, I have to share Faraway Bay’s other little secret: the spring-fed showers. Essentially a water tank with no roof and open to the front, each private outdoor ‘en suite’ spells out the freeing nature of the Kimberley’s secluded environment. Showering gleefully by night as I’m enveloped by black amplifies the Milky Way to a brightness I can’t tear my eyes from.

Meet the local wildlife at Lake Argyle. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Gibb River Road

Returning to Kununurra, I round off my epic exploration with a 4WD trip to El Questro Station, which lies 110 kilometres away, off the rough-and-ready Gibb River Road. The drive alone captivates: the Cockburn Ranges, which have been likened to a rock fortress, gaze down in weathered red greatness, moving behind us as we turn to rev through the Pentecost River. Opposite is the vast cattle station turned wilderness park, loved for its multi-tiered access: exclusive at the homestead, casual at the station and basic in the campgrounds. The lure is, of course, nature, with gorges, cliffs and springs open to all. Its egalitarian nature is very Kununurra, and spreads to guests who greet each other on hikes and chatter beside waterholes. Like its setting, it is a special, spirited place, one that deserves everyone’s attention.

The captivating Cockburn Ranges — See the captivating Cockburn Ranges. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

You can fly direct to Kununurra from Perth, Darwin and Broome with Airnorth and Qantas.

Staying there

While in town try Freshwater Apartments , then 4WD to El Questro and fly to Faraway Bay .

Eating there

Must-tries include local mango smoothies and anything with chia seed and boab tuber. Head to Wild Mango Cafe & Gelato for lunch and Hotel Kununurra for dinner in the beer garden.

Playing there

Take a Helispirit chopper adventure and scenic flight with Aviair or Kingfisher Tours .

When to go

Kununurra is at the eastern tip of the Gibb River Road. It enjoys two distinct seasons: the dry (April to October) and the wet (November to March). As you’d expect, the dry is clear, sunny and toasty while the wet, commonly known as ‘waterfall season’ here, is a hot and humid period of lightning storms, downpours and rushing waterfalls.

Starry sky at the Bungle Bungle Range — The Bungle Bungle Range, lit up by the starry night sky (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

WA might be enormous, but the right insider knowledge brings its mysteries a whole lot closer.

“Western Australia is a land of record-breakers,” says Carolyn Tipper, a Travel Director working on AAT Kings Western Australia tours. “It has the second-longest fault line, the second-largest meteorite crater, the second-fastest flowing river—it just keeps surprising you. And every area has its charm.”

From tropics to deserts, Australia’s largest state is a land of extremes. You can’t see all of Western Australia in a lifetime, but with the right guide, you can discover its hidden pockets of magic.

Carolyn wishes to reach her guests’ hearts. “I want them to enjoy and be in awe,” she says. “I want them to have the holiday of a lifetime.”

1. Mimbi Caves

You wouldn’t expect a Great Barrier Reef in the outback – but that’s what you’ll find at Mimbi Caves. Once part of a 350-million-year-old reef, these caves hold marine fossils, ancient Indigenous rock art, and Dreamtime stories shared by a Gooniyandi guide.

“That’s when the real connection happens,” says Carolyn, who has taken guests through on the AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour . “When guests connect, not just with the land, but with the people who have called it home for tens of thousands of years.”

Eye-level view of traveller exploring Mimbi Caves. — Walk through ancient limestone passages. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Kalbarri National Park

Nothing prepares you for the Kalbarri Skywalk: a 25-metre platform jutting over Murchison Gorge, 100 metres above the red cliffs and river below. From July to October, join the AAT Kings Untamed Pilbara and West Coast tour to see over 1000 wildflower species paint the park, and listen as an Indigenous guide shares their uses, bush foods and medicine plants.

“I want our guests to have an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It’s not just about seeing the land, it’s about stepping into the stories.”

An aerial view of the Kalbarri Skywalk, one of the secret places in Western Australia, with visitors on the edge. — Stand on the Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Hamelin Bay Wines

Margaret River isn’t just a top wine region – it’s a winner in every category. Where the Indian and Southern Oceans collide, granite cliffs rise, limestone caves sprawl and Karri forests tower. It almost distracts from the world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Almost.

Out of over 100 cellar doors, AAT Kings pick Hamelin Bay Wines as a favourite. Hosted tastings of small-batch wines on the Western Wonderland tour end with a group meal. The menu shifting with the seasons.

“Get off the beaten track to one of WA’s most relaxed venues for some amazing red and white signature wines,” explains Carolyn, “accompanied with upmarket pub food.”

Spectacular views.

A person raising a glass of Chardonnay against a glowing Western Australia sunset. — Sip world-class wines at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia. (Image: Getty)

4. Wildflower Guided Walk, Kings Park

Western Australia is home to 12,000 native plant species – 3000 bloom in Kings Park’s Botanic Garden. Stroll past Kangaroo Paw, Banksia and blooms from the Goldfields, Stirling Ranges and Kimberley. “The diversity of Western Australia is immense,” says Carolyn, who leads guests through on the South Western Escape tour .

Couple enjoying the view from the Lotterywest Federation walkway at Kings Park and Botanical Garden. — Wander among thousands of native plant species. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Hoochery Distillery

Did you know that between Kununurra and Emma Gorge lies the state’s oldest continuously operating distillery? Well, the oldest legal one. Set on a family farm, Hoochery Distillery was hand-built using materials found on the property, conjuring up award-winning rum from local sugarcane, wet season rainwater and yeast.

Today, visitors can sample a hearty nip of rum, along with whiskies and gins – all crafted using traditional, labour-intensive methods. It’s the ideal way to soak up the ‘spirit’ of the Kimberley on the AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour .

People enjoying a rum tasting at one of the secret places in Western Australia. — Sample award-winning rum. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Geraldton

The wildflowers of the Midwest will make your heart blossom. In Geraldton, the Helen Ansell Art Gallery brings the region’s botanicals to life in vivid colour and intricate detail. In nearby Mullewa, wander bushland trails lined with everlastings and native blooms. Further afield, Coalseam Conservation Park bursts into carpets of pink, white, and yellow each spring. Do it all on the Wildflower Wanderer tour with AAT Kings.

woman walking through Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park — Chase vibrant wildflower trails. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

7. El Questro

Wake up after a night under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, ready to explore the mighty beauty of the El Questro Wilderness Park. With deep gorges, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls, time slows here.

Join the AAT Kings’ Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour to drift through Chamberlain Gorge, where sheer sandstone walls glow burnt orange in the sun, archer fish flick at the surface, and rock wallabies peer down from ledges above. Then, step into Zebedee Springs, a secret oasis of warm, crystal-clear pools among prehistoric Livistona palms – a moment of pure, wild stillness.

Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro. — Wake to adventure at Emma Gorge Resort. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Lake Argyle

Once vast cattle country, Lake Argyle now sprawls like an inland sea – Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake, created by the damming of the Ord River. Scattered with over 70 islands, its glassy waters teem with life, like freshwater crocodiles, barramundi, bony bream, sleepy cod and over 240 bird species. That’s nearly a third of Australia’s avian population.

Glide across the lake’s surface on a cruise as part of AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour , where the silence is only broken by the splash of fish and the call of birds. For Carolyn, this place is a perfect example of how WA’s landscapes surprise visitors. “Lake Argyle is a big puddle of water that became a game-changer,” she says. “Seeing it from a boat, coach, and plane is mind-blowing. It puts time, isolation and the sheer scale into perspective.”

Aerial View of Triple J Tours on the Ord River, near Kununurra. — Glide past islands on Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake. (Image: Western Australia)

Discover more of Western Australia’s hidden gems and book your tour at aatkings.com.