Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 9 . PERTH & WESTERN AUSTRALIA
for A$71 (US$46) including transport from town, and has basic accommodations
and camping facilities for real enthusiasts.
In the cooler Dry Season, bushwalking in this unspoiled environment is
delightful. Kimberley Bushwalks (& 08/9191 7017; www.bushwalks.com) has
hit on the neat idea of using camels to carry your gear (or you can ride them). It
visits places inaccessible by car or boat from Broome, such as forested parts of the
Fitzroy River, into the Great Sandy Desert sand-hills, through ancient springs and
billabongs, and to the Ngyginah Aboriginal people in the purple Mt. Anderson
ranges. Some treks are centered around themes like bird-watching, stargazing, or
meditation. Costs are A$220 (US$143) per person per day, A$180 (US$117) for
kids under 12. Treks last from 2 to 7 days.
KUNUNURRA
827km (517 miles) SW of Darwin; 1,032km (645 miles) E of Broome
Given the arid conditions in the Kimberley, it’s quite a surprise to swoop over a
field of sugar cane as you come in to land at Kununurra. This little town (pop.
5,000) is an agricultural center created by the damming of the Ord River to
form Lake Argyle.
Kununurra itself (the name is Aboriginal for “Meeting of Big Waters”) has little
to spark your interest, but it is the gateway to several outstanding attractions.
A cruise down the Ord River to see wild birds, dramatic cliffs, and crocs is a
must. So is a flight over or a hike into the Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National
Park), monumental orange domes of rock that look like giant beehives. The
world’s biggest diamond mine is not in South Africa but out in the rugged Kimberley
wilds near Kununurra, and can be visited by air every day. The town is
also a gateway to El Questro, a 400,000-hectare (988,000-acre) cattle station
where you can hike magnificent gorges, fish, cruise rivers, ride horses, and see
some of Australia’s most breathtaking Aboriginal art. It is open from April to
early November, closed over summer due to the Wet Season.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Airnorth (& 08/8945 2999; www.airnorth.com.au)
flies to Kununurra from Darwin one or two times a day and from Broome once
a day.
There is no train to Kununurra. Greyhound Pioneer (& 13 20 30 in Australia)
serves the town daily from Broome and daily from Darwin via Katherine.
From Perth the trip takes about 34 hours; from Broome about 15 hours. The
one-way fare from Perth is A$468 (US$304). From Darwin, the trip time is
around 9 hours, and the fare is A$129 (US$84).
Kununurra is 512km (320 miles) west of Katherine on the Victoria Highway.
The Great Northern Highway from Broome connects with the Victoria Highway
45km (28 miles) west of Kununurra. The Gibb River Road is an alternate
4WD scenic route from Derby near Broome (see “Driving the Gibb River
Road” later in this chapter); it connects with the Great Northern Highway
53km (33 miles) west of town.
VISITOR INFORMATION The Kununurra Visitor Centre is at Coolibah
Drive, Kununurra, WA 6743 (& 08/9168 1177; kununurratb@bigpond.com).
Its hours change with the season and it pays to call before dropping in, but it is
usually open from 9am to 5pm daily from April to September, and from 9am to
5pm weekdays and 9am to noon Saturdays between October and March (closed
Sun and public holidays during this time).