Set at the northern end of Western Australia about 400 mi/650 km southwest of Darwin, the Kimberley is an isolated region considered by many as one of the world's last frontiers. Covering more than 261,000 sq mi/420,000 sq km, the area has raging rivers and tropical forests, pristine beaches and rugged coastlines, as well as desert ranges and Outback cattle stations.
Experienced adventure travelers can explore the rugged northwestern coast from Broome, where pearling is still the leading industry. You'll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach the Windjana Gorge National Park (multicolored cliffs and crocodiles) and the more remote Geikie Gorge National Park (cliffs, birds and animals). Derby, a port town on King Sound, is considered the gateway to the gorges.
Farther east, past Halls Creek, is the Purnululu National Park, one of the country's most amazing natural wonders—some say it rivals Uluru (or will, once they figure out how to get tour buses there). Purnululu is the name given to the sandstone area of the Bungle Bungle Range (known as the Bungle Bungles) by the Kija Aboriginal people. It includes tiger-striped rock formations and thousands of rounded peaks resembling beehives, which spout waterfalls during the rainy season.
Traveling north takes you past spectacular peaks and into the town of Kununurra, where you can take a cruise on either Lake Argyle or Lake Kununurra and visit the Argyle Diamond Mine. Be aware that much of the Kimberley is inaccessible by land during the wet season in December.
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