Top Towns for 2022: Kununurra is an outback gem you won’t forget

By Leah McLennan
hero media
Head to Kununurra for its great outdoors, to camp under the stars and to engage in its rich Aboriginal culture, and you’ll see why it appears as no. 34 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

I didn’t want to holiday in Kununurra. I was only going to the East Kimberley town to get groceries on the way to El Questro, a 283,000-hectare slice of majestic Kimberley wilderness.

Then we had car problems. “How dreadful, we’re stuck," my partner said. But up popped the Saturday farmers’ markets with homemade mango ice cream, a fiery sunset atop Kelly’s Knob, and award-winning rums, whiskeys and gins at the Hoochery Distillery. I was hooked.

The Hoochery Distillery Cafe

Visiting the Hoochery Distillery Cafe is a must. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

To think we could have missed this speck on the map, home to about 5300 folks and what feels like as many waterholes, local characters, and stars lighting up the night sky.

Since that first unplanned encounter, Kununurra’s serenity and rugged beauty has lured me back. And not just for a short stopover en route to the famous 660-kilometre Gibb River Road trip between Wyndham and Derby.

Woman standing in front of barrels at The Hoochery Distillery Cafe

The Hoochery Distillery is the oldest operating legal still in WA. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

I recently checked into Kununurra’s fanciest digs, Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments. On another trip I opted for a wallet-friendly sleepover at Discovery Parks – Lake Kununurra and my all-time favourite stay was at Lake Argyle Resort, home to villas with spectacular lake views and possibly the best caravan park pool in the country.

My Kununurra bucket list for first-time visitors is too long to detail here. But the top three experiences are: flying in a Cessna over the town’s agricultural plains, onto the (now closed) Argyle Diamond Mine and over the otherworldly Bungle Bungle Range; cruising along 55 kilometres of the Ord River with Triple J Tours to spot crocs, ospreys and white-bellied sea eagles; and experiencing Miriwoong Country with an Indigenous guide from Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.

Established in the late 1970s, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts was WA’s first wholly Indigenous-owned art centre. Today, its gallery supports more than 100 painters, boab nut engravers and wood carvers, and its tours take visitors through the stunning sandstone gorges of Mirima National Park.

Mirima National Park local Indigenous guide

Explore Mirima National Park with a local Indigenous guide. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

For art lovers, this experience alone could be reason enough to visit. For folks who can’t handle the heat, you’ll need to visit in the coldest month, July, which has an average daytime temperature of about 30° Celsius.

Over the dry season, tourists and farm workers push the population to about 10,000, so make sure to book ahead. Culture fiends should catch the Ord Valley Muster, featuring 30 music, foodie and arty events over nine days (from 19 May until 27 May in 2023).

But want to know a local secret? The best time of year to visit is the wet season (from around December to April) when waterfalls are raging, the skies are on fire and there are only a few hardy visitors in town.

Looking out over the Ord River with a boat on it.

Take in the beauty of the Ord River. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Explore more of The Kimberley in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
Leah McLennan is a freelance writer based in Darwin. She was a journalist in Sydney for over a decade and counts her time as travel editor for Australian Associated Press as one of the highlights of her career. From exploring remote campsites in the Top End with her family, to seeking out new art galleries in faraway cities, she’ll grab an adventurous or arty travel experience within her reach.
See all articles
flying over Horizontal Falls in a seaplane
Kimberley

Unforgettable Horizontal Falls tours to choose from

From the sky or the sea, these Horizontal Falls tours need to be on your bucket list.

Read more
a couple in the pool at Lake Argyle
Kimberley

Inspire your senses with these iconic East Kimberley stays

The East Kimberley should be on every bucket list, and here’s why.

Read more
woman swims in the infinity pool at Eco Beach Resort Broome
Broome

15 top Broome hotels and resorts

It’s no secret that Broome is one of the most beautiful places in Australia. Think ancient Indigenous culture, azure waters and award-winning restaurants, all surrounded by rugged Kimberley landscapes. Bliss. Broome hotels and resorts are no different.

Read more
an aerial view of Koolinda Airbnb, Broome
Broome

12 of the best Airbnbs in Broome

The top Airbnbs in Broome run the gamut from dreamy hideouts to luxe coastal escapes – each one soaked in the same wild magic as the town itself.

Read more
hero media

6 reasons the best way to experience the Kimberley is by cruise

    By Kate Bettes
    Continue
    This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

    Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

    The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs.

    Adventure starts where the road ends.

    1. Discover Broome, and beyond

    Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

    At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

    If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures, screening since 1916.

    Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea.

    Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

    2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

    Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

    At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

    Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

    Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

    A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters.

    Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

    3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

    You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

    Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

    4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

    These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

    If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

    Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

    A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs.

    Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

    5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

    Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

    A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance.

    See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

    6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

    You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

    Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

    If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

    aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia

    Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

    Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com.