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Kununurra is known as the eastern gateway to the iconic Kimberley wilderness, but it has so much to offer travellers in its own right.
Often cited as meaning ‘meeting of big waters’ in the language of the Miriwoong traditional owners (but more accurately, simply ‘river’), Kununurra services the massive Ord River Irrigation Scheme. A torrent of wet season water feeds into vast, man-made Lake Argyle and the Ord River, and this resource sustains a diverse agricultural industry and various water-based tourism activities. Beyond the irrigated zone, the arid landscape is one of infinite beauty and will hold you spellbound.
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Kununurra.
Watch our video of ten top things to do in the Kimberley:
Ten Amazing Things to Do on a Kimberley Road Trip in Western Australia, 2020 – The Big Bus
Welcome to The Big Bus tour and travel guide’s YouTube channel. In this video, we bring you ten amazing things to do in the Kimberley in Western Australia’s …
1. Connect with Miriwoong culture
Kununurra sits within Miriwoong Country, and those interested in learning more about the cultural heritage of the First People should plan a visit to Waringarri Aboriginal Arts. This wholly Indigenous owned arts centre represents more than a hundred painters, printmakers, weavers, carvers, and sculptors. Book a guided tour of the centre, which includes the chance to meet artists and learn more about their work.
2. Watch the sun set from Kelly’s Knob
Situated just outside the Kununurra town centre, Kelly’s Knob Lookout is the perfect vantage point for taking in a dazzling Kimberley sunset. Be alert during the short drive as you’ll be sharing the road with locals working out on the steep inclines, strolling with friends, and walking furry friends. At the top, rock hop to find a spot to watch the sun dip below the horizon. Take some drinks and nibbles and make an occasion of it.
3. Take a scenic flight
If there’s one place in the world where you should splurge on a scenic flight, it’s Kununurra. Locally-based Kimberley Air Tours offers a variety of fabulous options. Choose a seaplane, light aircraft, or helicopter flight and take to the endless sky over the Kimberley. Marvel at Australia’s largest expanse of freshwater — Lake Argyle (which holds eighteen times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour), and soak in the beauty of the ancient Bungle Bungles — the striped beehive-shaped quartz/sandstone domes in Purnululu National Park.
4. Cruise magnificent waterways
Speed past dramatic gorges and soaring escarpments on an Ord River cruise from Kununurra to Lake Argyle’s dam wall with Triple J Tours. The high speed ride can also be done in reverse at sunset. For a more leisurely experience, Lake Argyle Cruises offers a variety of cruise options on their namesake waterway. Enjoy an airshow of birds frolicking in the day’s last light, and spot resident freshwater crocodiles.
5. Try a top local drop
Fancy trying the local libation? Swing by Hoochery Distillery, which uses locally sourced ingredients (where possible) to produce its award-winning Ord River Rum. Do a guided tasting, or perhaps a tour of what is the oldest legal still in Western Australia. Wrap up your visit with lunch in the cafe/bistro and a slice of Ord River Rum Cake. It’s da bomb!
6. Hike through an ancient landscape
Just a five-minute drive from the centre of Kununurra will bring you to Mirima National Park — also known as Hidden Valley. It’s almost a mini version of the Bungle Bungles, with similar rock formations. The park offers a number of different walks and great views over the town. You’ll also find interpretive boards that explain the use of local flora in daily Aboriginal life.
7. Swim at The Grotto
The Grotto is a deep gorge and waterhole about 45 minutes’ drive north-west of Kununurra. It’s a favourite spot for locals looking to enjoy a splash and beat the heat. If you time your visit for the start of the dry season, you may get to see the plunging waterfall in full flow.
8. Make your way up to Wyndham
Wyndham is located one hundred kilometres north-west of Kununurra and is the most northerly town in the Kimberley. It’s well worth doing as a day trip. Pack a picnic lunch and head to the Five Rivers Lookout in the Bastion Range — just a short drive north of the town centre. On a clear day you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the Cambridge Gulf and its five rivers — the King, Ord, Durack, Forrest, and Pentecost. Watch the comings and goings of big ships in Wyndham’s port, and gaze at majestic birds of prey as they take wing on the breeze.
As you head back towards town, call into the Wyndham Historical Society Museum to sift through their extensive collection of dusty local memorabilia. Make a stop further on at The Big Crocodile for a selfie, and seek out the all-but-forgotten Afghan cameleers cemetery. It’s an intriguing link with the past. 4WDs can return to Kununurra via Parry Creek Road.
9. Stay at El Questro
Experience the Kimberley’s immense beauty during a short break at El Questro Wilderness Park — part of the vast El Questro cattle station. The park is situated 100 kilometres south-west of Kununurra off the epic Gibb River Road, and offers a variety of accommodation options. And there’s plenty to keep you occupied over the course of a two or three-day stay. Enjoy a soak in the warm waters of Zebedee Springs, cool off beneath the falls at Emma Gorge, book a scenic helicopter flight, tackle the 4WD route to Saddleback Ridge for breathtaking views, and the list goes on.
10. Hook a big barramundi
Massive barramundi cruise Kununurra’s waterways and keen fishers will revel in reeling them in. Toss in a line from the bank of Lake Kununurra or hire a tinnie (note that you need a recreational licence to fish from a boat). Alternatively, join a fishing tour with Ultimate Adventures and let them take care of all the logistics.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.visitkununurra.com.
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Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of the best things to do in Kununurra? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.
Additional images: Depositphotos, Bigstock, and Envato
About the writer
Monica McInnes is a keen traveller and is always on the lookout for her next big adventure — even before the current one has concluded! Having recently returned from a three-month road trip with her young family through the Red Centre, the Kimberley, the Pilbara, and along the Coral Coast, Monica is convinced that Australia is the most beautiful country on earth. She blogs about her travel exploits at Jiggety Jog.
