Kimberley 4WD: Australia’s ultimate touring destination?

There is arguably no other continent on the planet that can compete with Australia for sheer range of terrain and remote locations you can drive to. Sure, Asia and the Americas have a bunch of cool wheeling, but you’re never that far from anywhere due to the massive populations. Australia just has it all. It makes you feel lucky to be on this section of this rock, really.

Perhaps nowhere else embodies this quite like the Kimberley region of north-west Australia. From the landscape that defies description to the insane levels of four-wheeling fun to be had, this place has it all. More water crossings than you can count, mud-driving that’ll have you feeling sorry for your vehicle’s undercarriage, sand driving that’ll have you yelling “yiew!” out the window, clay beds, rock climbs, technical stuff, balls-out full-throttle topography, it’s off-road Nirvana, baby!

And if you happen to be into things like stunning scenery, water holes that are fresh off that person you hate’s Insta, wildlife that’ll have you checking you didn’t accidentally step-back to the Mesozoic era and ancient Indigenous cultural history that’ll have you dropping a “What? How?!” several times a day, the Kimberley has all that too.

Australia ultimate 4X4 touring destination? I reckon so, yeah. Here’s a few reasons why.

Ivanhoe Crossing and the Pentecost River

Let’s not get this twisted, neither of these crossings are what you’d call difficult, and depending on the time of year you travel they may not even be that deep. But it’s the sheer majesty of crossing one of the arterial waterways of the area that takes your breath away.

That or the fair likelihood of spotting a big old salty a few metres away mid-crossing. Hope you packed spare seat covers.

El Questro: A base for an East Kimberley 4WD trip

Not so much a side-quest as a must-see, El Questro (nope, nobody really knows what the name means) is a working station that needs to be on the itinerary. Not only do they have a range of beaut campgrounds and facilities, which are a welcome break after a week or three spent getting out this way, but the amount of exploration to be done within the station fence-line is amazing.

From helicopter rides to boat trips up 1.8 billion (yes, with a bee) year-old gorges to water holes to bushwalking through some of the most ancient and beautiful places on Earth.

Emma Gorge: Worth getting out of the driver’s seat

Take Emma Gorge for example. It’s a camping resort (nice bar too) within El Questro named after the gorge it lays at the entrance to.

Pack your waterproof shoes and spend a few hours walking up the gorge to one of the most pristine waterholes you’ve ever seen. It’s icy cold (a good thing after the walk) and a great place to have lunch and kick back for a while to absorb the atmosphere.

4WDing experience = zero. Life achievement experience = eleventy brazillion.

Zebedee Springs: A soak between adventures

Also within El Questro Wilderness park, Zebedee Springs needs prior booking. You’re often better joining a tour group as the entry times are strictly limited. A short walk from the carpark through some bush that looks like it should be home to a flock of velociraptors and you find yourself in a very private, very parardisey hot springs.

Walk in, sit down and let the warm water take your worries, your fears, your stress and your inability to impress your parents right away from you. I literally want to just fill this section with the word “gorgeous” over and over. Folks who have been here know what I mean.

Chamberlain Gorge: See the Kimberley from the water

Think of the number 18 followed by the number of zeroes you wish were on the end of your bank balance. That’s about how many years the sheer rock faces of Chamberlain Gorge have been around. Taking a river boat up the gorge is like a scenic mash-up between Crocodile Dundee b-roll, my happy place and what the express lane to heaven probably looks like. Tranquillity overload.

The gorge is also home to a huge array of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Rock wallabies that are tiny enough to sit in your hand scamper adroitly along the cliff faces while archer fish and barra circle below. Throw a few crumbs at the archer fish and they even spit water at you, which is way more whimsical and not nearly as gross as it sounds.

Home Valley Station on the Gibb River Road

Home Valley Station is another working station in Balanaggarra Country, located near the Gibb River rd, which should also be on your to-do list. A quarter-of-a-milly acres of top-tier camping, fishing and driving that, as you’re probably getting sick of hearing, has to be seen to be believed.

Personally, I reckon a guided fishing tour would be money well spent, especially if time is a factor. The locals up here know all the good spots and can put you onto the barra with phenomenal accuracy. If angling ain’t your game, a guided tour of the grounds would be another solid way to invest your time. The history and scenery is nothing short of… well, let’s just say it’s not something you’ll regret.

Diggers Rest Station near Wyndham

Not too far from Wyndham or Kununnurra is Diggers Rest Station. Five hundred thousand acres of cattle property that offers bush camping, relaxation and guided horse-riding tours. A must-experience for anyone even passingly horsey.

Fishing, camping, bird-watching and everything else you’d expect from the area is also available. They filmed the movie ‘Australia’ in these parts too, which essentially make you best friends with Hugh Jackman. Tell your Nan, she’ll love it.

Station hospitality

You’ll notice I’m listing a lot of stations here. That’s because the welcome wagon around these parts is fancy, well-appointed and makes you wonder where the rest of the country’s hospitality has got to. Legitimately shirt-off-their-back type folks are the rule rather than the exception out here, and you’ll feel like you’re leaving family behind when it’s time to move on. Again, really can’t talk the station staff and locals up enough.

The scale and remoteness of the landscape

Do you like feeling small? Not in the “trying to play Three Blind Mice in front of the school assembly on the recorder” type of small, but the kind that makes you really stare in wonder at the sheer majesty surrounding you. Like watching a mother humpback whale breach 20ft from your boat or standing atop a mountain and taking in the breadth and immense expanse of the world below.

That’s what the Kimberley is like. Equal parts breathtaking, humbling and astounding. I can throw superlatives like a drunken Temu Hemingway around all day, but yeah, have I mentioned you should get out here and see it for yourself yet?

Why the Kimberley feels different from other 4WD destinations

My favourite thing about travelling this country is the sensation of being somewhere entirely new, but still feeling like you’ve come home. The Cape, the deserts, the southern coast, the High Country, they all feel so alien but there’s a sense of familiarity about them, like a hug from your Grandma who happens to have become a Vampire since you last saw her.

The Kimberley is like that, but more. Like every sensory dial has been turned up a notch or three. The water is a little more welcoming, the terrain a shade more satisfying to drive, the coldie at the end of the day goes down a skooch easier and the sense of soul-fulfilment is a rung higher.

Who the trip is best suited to

This is the kicker. If you can get out here, there’s a level of touring for everyone. Look, it’s more suited to people who are fit and active; there’s a lot of walking and physical activity. But if that’s not you there are plenty of low-exertion activities as well. Anyone who loves driving this country and has an adventure streak even a couple of millimetres wide running through them owes it to themselves to come and see what the fuss is about at least once.

Best time to visit the Kimberley

There are only two seasons this far north: the dry and the wet. May to October is the usual touring window, with temps ranging between 20-30°C and blue skies that stretch to infinity. The waterfalls are also in full flow after the wet and the coastline has generally calmer waters as well.

However, there are no guarantees when it comes to the weather. It’s just your best opportunity.

How long do you need for a Kimberley 4WD trip?

How long you got? Like many destinations, you can spend a week or a year here and not scratch the surface. I’d say the minimum would be ten days once you’re here. It’s a bit like Tassie or the Cape – the longer you can take, the better.