If you want to have a true camping experience in the Australian outback, head to Kimberley in Western Australia. Campers must travel a great distance between locations due to the distance between the region’s natural features. Campers must also be self-sufficient because the majority of campsites offer minimal or no amenities. Here is a guide for camping in Kimberley for a safer and more pleasurable trip.
Kimberley Is One Of The Best Destinations In Australia For Travelers
The Kimberley region of Western Australia ought to be on everyone’s travel wish list. One of the few remaining wilderness frontiers of the globe, the Kimberley spans a massive 423,000 km2.
Kimberley was voted second among the top 10 regions in the world by Lonely Planet in 2014. You may camp out in the enormous variety of flora and animals, along with spectacular gorges, waterfalls, and 4WD tracks along the breathtaking coastline, making this the ultimate adventure.
We traveled the Kimberley for five weeks in 2015 and returned home with a better understanding of this amazing nation. We drove from Perth in our Land Cruiser and spent about 33 nights camping in an Oztent RV5, along with one night spent in an Airbnb and another in a lodge at a caravan park. I can’t suggest this area enough; it’s breathtaking!
Kimberley’s Location
Kimberley is situated in Western Australia’s northeastern region. It begins close to Broome and travels east to the WA/NT border before turning north to the coast. The Gibb River Road and the Great Northern Highway are the two routes that can be taken to cross Kimberley by car.
The population of Kimberley is quite tiny, but during the dry season, it increases dramatically as a result of travelers and adventurers.
To explore the unspoiled, antiquated paradise, people travel from all over the world. Agriculture, mining, and tourism all play a significant role in the Kimberley, yet it is a remote region of the world with great distances between the main towns. Even if the photographs don’t do Kimberley justice (and aren’t quite as lovely in person), I’ll do my best to convey how stunning it is. You must go there immediately.
Getting Around Kimberley
There are numerous ways to experience the Kimberley, and you must choose the one that is best for you based on your preferences, the amount of time you have available, the size of the area, and other factors. Some portions of the region can be reached by car; otherwise, 4WD, an airplane, a boat, or a helicopter are your other options.
A 4WD is the finest way to travel across Kimberley. You have much better entry levels and don’t have to worry as much about vehicle damage.
There are numerous tours that take you to every location imaginable, with the full range of lodging alternatives as expected in the larger towns and dwindling to fewer possibilities the more out from civilization you go. For instance, there are fewer possibilities for lodges and resorts along the Gibb River Road and more camping opportunities.
Post for you Brisbane Ranges National Park Camping Guide For Visitors 2022
Best Time To Travel To Kimberley
The wet and dry seasons alternate in the Kimberley. It’s hot, muggy, and rainy a lot throughout the wet season. Due to this, much of Kimberley is inaccessible or blocked from November to April. The exception to this rule is major cities.
However, the dry season, which lasts from May to October, is when the weather is ideal, with days that are sunny, warm, and cloudless. The precise dates change every year. You must be adaptable while arranging your trip because there have been years when the rain didn’t stop until late May.
Ideally, as soon as the dry season begins. The water is at its tallest (and most dramatic), there are fewer people around, and the weather is gorgeous at this time. Kimberley is always busy during the school holidays, and as the years pass, the weather warms, and the water levels fall.
But if you can’t make it in May or June, July and August are equally wonderful times to go. After August, the weather starts to warm up, which causes the water levels to drop, leaving less to view.
4 Best Areas To Camp In Kimberley
Camping and Kimberley go hand in hand. The best way to experience the Kimberley is in a tent, caravan, or camper trailer, whether it be on one of the many rest spots along the Gibb River Road or while gazing out over Cape Leveque’s immaculate beaches.
I’m going to venture a bold assertion right now and say that camping in Australia’s Kimberley region is among the best. Due to the size of the land, I’ll divide it into a few distinct camping regions.
Broome: An Unmissable Place You Can Not Miss For Camping
Camping in Broome is one of the best things to do in Kimberley. One of the main cities in the Kimberley is Broome, which is situated along some of Western Australia’s best coasts. Throughout the town, there are roughly 8 caravan parks where you can camp in Broome. We enjoyed our stay at Cable Beach Caravan Park and will do so again. The Roebuck Plains Roadhouse Caravan Park is a wonderful place to stop if you prefer to remain outside of Broome (it’s about 35 km from the Great Northern Highway turn-off).
In Broome, there are no possibilities for free camping. To discover free places and other more reasonably priced campgrounds, you must travel north toward Cape Leveque. Keep in mind that while Broome is a wonderful location for camping, many people do feel it to be overly touristic.
Read more 10 Unmissable Camping Grounds On Great Ocean Road
Cape Leveque: Best Camping In Kimberley
One of the best places to camp in Kimberley is Cape Leveque. The peninsula known as Cape Leveque is located roughly 200 kilometers north of Broome. From Broome Road, you can travel directly to the top of Cape Leveque Road. The majority of the road is bitumen, while the remaining fraction is made of a gravel/soft sand mixture that poses problems for many cars and trailers.
Many people say it’s one of the toughest roads they’ve traveled. However, it varies greatly depending on the season you travel up. The journey is worthwhile in either case. There are several locations you can visit for exploration and many more sites where you can set up camp in Cape Leveque. Among the more typical ones are Willie Creek, Quondong Point, Middle Lagoon, and Kooljaman.
The water is warm, the beaches are crystal clear, and the sunsets are spectacular. There aren’t many better options for a rural, coastal camping experience in Cape Leveque. Fishing wasn’t great for us, but that’s quite typical for us!
Gibb River Road
For many individuals, the main incentive to travel to Kimberley is the Gibb River Road. The track spans 660 kilometers from a location close to Derby to Kununurra or Wyndham. With breathtaking views, amazing swimming holes, and more natural beauty than you can possibly imagine, it has long been regarded as one of the best 4WD excursions you can have in Australia. Despite the fact that the main route is 660 kilometers long, there are a ton of side roads that go to the attractions. On the Gibb River road, we traveled about 2000 km, but we didn’t even stop at every location.
There are a few free campsites as well as numerous stations and National Park campsites available for camping. Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Bell Gorge, Mornington, Manning Gorge, Mount Elizabeth, Mitchell Falls, and El Questro are the most frequently visited locations.
Given how far away you are, the majority of campgrounds provide water, flushing toilets, and showers, all of which are very appreciated. Stations cost around the same (up to about $22) as national parks, which charge $15 per night per person. Although it’s not exactly inexpensive, the cost seems negligible from above.
Lake Argyle and the Bungle Bungles
I’ll bring up Lake Argyle and the Bungle Bungles just because they are so incredibly beautiful. Beautiful Lake Argyle’s caravan park boasts a beautiful infinity pool.
The related post Why is Bungle Bungle Range a Weird Treasure of Australian?
Make Certain You’re Ready For Camping In Kimberley
It’s far away in the Kimberley region of the earth. Visit only after careful planning; take into account the distance between fuel breaks, if your vehicle is appropriate, whether you have enough water with you, and whether you have done your homework. It’s not a place you should be terrified of because you will run into people there, but you should still be prepared because if something goes wrong, it may literally cost you a lot of money.
