When crossing the Kimberlys from Broome to Kununurra, you really do need a four wheeled drive if you want to get amongst the rugged country and take on some of the numerous dirt roads in these parts. The Gibb River Road is a popular trip for tourists with off road cars and we were even told by one enthusiastic Derby local to give the rough road a try in the kombi (this despite the three river crossings, the need to carry all your petrol for some 500km and the crazy creatures like crocs and snakes that inhabit these parts. I think we'll pass this time!). We chose to save Jefro the kombi some heartache and stick to the main highway - which is still an amazing drive through some truly beautiful country.
... a massive 15 kilo dew fish! And then gave it back to the rightful owner, a shaking 60-year-old guy who took 20minutes to pull the fish in on his 30 pound line. Luke caught a similar sized fish for himself though, in his dreams, later that night.
2. Indigenous Art
The Kimberlys is home to some of the most beautiful Aboriginal art in all of Australia, and each little town that we passed through had a few wonderful galleries where you can check out these amazing works. Still in Derby, the Mowanjum Art Gallery is a relatively new centre that has been built in the Mowanjum community, a couple of kilometres out of town. We took the dirt track and ventured out into the community to marvel over the beautiful canvases and hand carved boab seeds. These are a talented people who are internationally acclaimed for their art. A visit to the gallery was inspiring.
3. The Boab Tree
These beautiful trees are unique to Australia's top end and really are an amazingly unusual site. Boab trees scatter the roadside all the way across the Kimberlys and there are a few extra special Boabs that really are worth a look. The Prison Boab in Derby has a sad history - it was apparently used to hold Aboriginal prisoners temporarily, until they could be shipped to Broome in the olden days, where they were forced to work the dangerous job as pearl divers. There are also a bunch of enormous Boab trees in the main park in Kununurra - they're just huge!
4. Living Outback
You can't drive through the Kimberlys without passing through a few iconic outback towns. Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Turkey Creek and Timber Creek are a few of the places along the way, where you'll need to refuel and take a break. With a predominantly Aboriginal population, these towns offer the chance to purchase your own amazing local art work by many talented Indigineous artists and if you're lucky, you can chat to the local elders about days gone by. But these towns also give you an insight into a side of Australia that's often pushed aside and not spoken enough about. The problems with alcohol in some of these Indigenous communities is appalling and upsetting and both Luke and I were amazed at just how debilitating the disease of alcoholism is, not just for the individual but for whole communities in the outback. It's a huge issue and one that will take a great deal of energy and time to address but after passing through these towns and seeing first hand how a white man's drink is slowly killing our Indigenous people, the solution can't come quick enough.
5. National Parks
There are a bunch of amazing National Parks to explore throughout the Kimberly area - the most famous being Purnululu National Park and it's world hertitage listed Bungle Bungle range. Now we arrived at Kununurra on one of the busiest weekends of the year (Jimmy Barnes had come to town for a huge outback rock concert) so when we called around to book our flight over the Bungle Bungles, they were all booked out for the next few days. Darn it! Without a 4wd, a flight or a tour is the only way you can get into see these amazing bee hive rock formations. We satisfied our bush walking urge by visiting Hidden Valley National Park instead, home to the 'mini Bungle Bungles'. Just 10 minutes from the town centre of Kununurra, this national park was enough to tie us over until the day that we can return to the Kimberlys and see Purnululu for ourselves.
Yours sad to leave Western Australia behind,
Odette
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