Australia's Most Surprising Outback Town
People arrive in Kununurra expecting outback. They find a garden. The Ord River Irrigation Scheme turned a semi-arid floodplain into one of the most productive agricultural regions in Australia — mangoes, melons, chia, sandalwood — and the resulting green valley against the fiery Carr Boyd Ranges is one of the most visually startling landscapes in Western Australia.
The town was established in 1961 to service the Ord River Dam project, making it the youngest major town in WA. It has a pragmatic frontier character — flat streets, corrugated iron, working farms — that sits in striking contrast to what surrounds it. An hour's drive south is Lake Argyle, one of the largest freshwater bodies in the Southern Hemisphere. Two and a half hours further south is Purnululu National Park, where the Bungle Bungle domes have been sacred to the Kitja people for 20,000 years and unknown to the wider world until 1983.
Kununurra is also the eastern end of the Gibb River Road. Every expedition that begins in Derby finishes here — tired, sunburned, and unwilling to leave. The town has absorbed enough of the Kimberley's character to feel like it belongs to the country around it in a way that most administrative outback towns do not.
Lake Argyle — Australia's Inland Sea
Created in 1972 by the Ord River Dam, Lake Argyle holds nine times the volume of Sydney Harbour and stretches across 740 square kilometres of flooded Kimberley country. It contains 30,000+ freshwater crocodiles, 270+ bird species, and rock wallabies that fossick along the shoreline at dusk. The sunset from the lake surface — light turning the surrounding Durack Range from ochre to deep violet — is the most celebrated single experience in Kununurra.
Things to Do in Kununurra
The Lake Argyle sunset cruise is the experience most associated with Kununurra — and rightly so. As the sun descends behind the Durack Range, the light turns the lake surface from silver to gold to rose, the surrounding ranges shift through every register of ochre and violet, and rock wallabies emerge from cliff faces to drink at the shoreline. The freshwater crocodiles — up to 30,000 of them in the lake — are visible throughout.
Morning cruises are excellent for birdlife and wildlife activity. The infinity pool at Lake Argyle Resort, perched above the water with a view across the lake to the ranges, is one of the most photographed spots in the Kimberley.
- Sunset cruise: ~3 hours · Departs 1.5hrs before sunset · Multiple operators
- Morning cruise: better for birdlife and croc sightings as animals are active
- Infinity pool at Lake Argyle Resort — open to visitors on cruise days
- Scenic flights over the lake available from Kununurra Airport
The Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park is the Kimberley's most recognized and extraordinary landscape — striped orange and black sandstone towers rising from the savannah, carved over 20 million years of weathering. Cathedral Gorge (a natural amphitheatre at the base of the domes) and Echidna Chasm (a 200-metre narrow slot gorge with a shaft of light that reaches the floor at midday) are the two standout walks.
From Kununurra, you can reach Purnululu in a single long day trip by 4WD (the 53km access track from the highway requires it), or take a scenic flight that lands at the park's airstrip for guided walks before returning by air. The latter is expensive but allows you to experience both the aerial perspective (which reveals the full scale of the domes) and the ground-level experience in one day.
- Cathedral Gorge walk: 3km return · Easy · Natural amphitheatre with remarkable acoustics
- Echidna Chasm walk: 2km return · Moderate · Best light at 11am–1pm
- Scenic flight + walk day tour from Kununurra: expensive but the best single-day option
- 4WD access track: 53km unsealed · 2hrs from highway turnoff · Challenging corrugations
- Park typically open April 1 – December 1 (seasonal, check with WA Parks)
Mirima National Park is Kununurra's own Bungle Bungles — a small but extraordinarily beautiful precinct of striped sandstone domes and spinifex grassland sitting directly on the edge of town. For visitors short on time or who can't reach Purnululu, Mirima delivers a genuine version of the same geological drama at no cost and within 10 minutes of the town centre.
The park's two main walking tracks are short but rewarding. The Hidden Valley Trail leads through the domes themselves; the Lookout Trail climbs to panoramic views over Kununurra, the Ord River Irrigation Area, and the surrounding ranges. The combination — done in the early morning when the light hits the domes and the birdlife is most active — is the best free activity in town.
- Park entry is free — open daily year-round (best in dry season)
- Hidden Valley Trail: 1.3km · 30 min · Walks through the sandstone formations
- Lookout Trail: 800m · 20 min · Views over Kununurra and Ord Valley
- Rock wallabies are frequently seen on morning visits
- Best photography: early morning or late afternoon golden light on the domes
The Ord River runs through extraordinary country between Lake Kununurra and Lake Argyle — red gorges, lush riparian vegetation, and an abundance of wildlife that reflects the exceptional water quality of the irrigation system. Crocodiles bask on every bank. The birdlife is extraordinary, reflecting the intersection of arid outback and tropical wetland habitats.
Sunset cruises on the Ord take a different character from Lake Argyle — more intimate, with the gorge walls closing in and the light hitting the rock at extreme angles. The Ivanhoe Crossing, just outside town, offers a free wildlife-viewing experience at the causeway where barramundi and freshwater crocodiles can often be observed from the bank.
- Multiple operators run Ord River cruises from Kununurra — compare inclusions
- Ivanhoe Crossing: free, self-guided croc and barra viewing just 4km from town
- The river cruise downstream from the dam is the most scenically dramatic route
- Best birdlife: early morning with activity highest in the cooler hours
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts is one of Australia's oldest established Aboriginal art centres, representing the Miriwoong and Gajerrong peoples of the East Kimberley. The gallery sells original paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and screenprinted textiles directly from artists, with an emphasis on the distinctive East Kimberley art style — earthier and more abstract than the Wandjina tradition of the western Kimberley, rooted in country that visitors have just spent days traversing.
The Celebrity Tree Park nearby features boab trees planted by Australian celebrities and cultural figures over the past two decades — a quirky but surprisingly engaging piece of local history. The combination of Waringarri and the park makes for a pleasant half-morning of town exploration.
- Open daily in dry season — confirm hours with the centre directly
- Art purchases support artists and community programs directly
- Cultural tour and studio visits available on some days — enquire ahead
- Celebrity Tree Park: 500m walk from Waringarri — free and self-guided
Kununurra is one of the most strategically positioned fly-drive bases in Australia. Direct flights from Perth (~2.5hrs), Darwin, and Broome deliver visitors who can then hire a 4WD, spend a day at Mirima National Park, drive 70km to Lake Argyle for a sunset cruise, spend two days at the Bungle Bungles, and return to Kununurra for the flight home — all in under a week, without needing to drive the Gibb River Road.
For those with more time, Kununurra also works as the eastern arrival point for the Gibb River Road. Our Gibb River Road Expedition arrives here after 8 days from Derby — guests fly into Kununurra, spend a day or two exploring the town and surrounds, and depart with a full understanding of the East Kimberley in addition to the gorge country.
- Flights: Perth (2.5hrs), Darwin (1.5hrs), Broome (1hr) — Qantas/Rex seasonal
- 4WD hire: Avis, Hertz, and Britz all operate from Kununurra — book ahead
- Ideal fly-drive loop: Kununurra–Lake Argyle–Purnululu–return (5 days minimum)
- For Gibb River Road arrivals: arrange onward flights from Kununurra to Perth or Darwin
"I've guided groups arriving in Kununurra after 8 days on the Gibb River Road for over a decade. They come in covered in red dust and expecting a nothing town where they'll fly home from. They leave having cruised Lake Argyle, walked through the Bungle Bungles, and eaten barramundi at the edge of the Ord. Kununurra is the town that keeps surprising people who thought they were done being surprised."
— Sarah McKenzie, WA Specialist, Cooee Tours · 11 years guiding the Kimberley
Day Trips & Nearby Adventures
Distances and access from Kununurra. Dry season (May–Oct) conditions assumed for all unsealed routes.
| Destination | Distance | Access | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirima (Hidden Valley) NP | 2km from town | Walking / Car | Easy | 1–2 hrs |
| Lake Argyle (cruise) | 70km south | Sealed road | Easy | Half day |
| Ivanhoe Crossing | 4km from town | Sealed road | Easy · Free | 30 min |
| Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) | 250km south | Highway + 53km 4WD track | Challenging 4WD essential | Full day or overnight |
| Purnululu (Scenic Flight) | 250km by air | Seaplane from town | Easy | Full day tour |
| El Questro Wilderness Park | 100km west (Gibb) | Sealed + unsealed | Moderate 4WD rec. | Full day or overnight |
| Derby (Gibb River Road reverse) | 660km via Gibb | Unsealed 4WD track | Expedition | 8–10 days |
Before You Visit Kununurra
By air: Qantas/Jetstar serve Perth–Kununurra (~2.5hrs). Rex flies Darwin–Kununurra (~1.5hrs). Broome–Kununurra (~1hr). Kununurra Airport (KNX) is 3km from town — taxis and hire cars available. By road: 830km from Darwin via Victoria Highway (sealed), or the Gibb River Road (660km unsealed, dry season only) from Derby.
A hire car is essential for Kununurra. For Lake Argyle and Mirima: any vehicle will do. For Purnululu (Bungle Bungles): high-clearance 4WD essential — the 53km access track is very rough. Avis, Hertz, and Britz 4WDs are available from Kununurra Airport — book at least 4–6 weeks ahead in peak season.
Dry season (May–October) is the only viable time for most activities. June–August is peak season — book accommodation and tours well ahead. October is quieter, warmer, and the Bungle Bungles are less crowded. Avoid November–April: extreme heat (40°C+), flooding, and road closures. Kununurra's wet season storms are spectacular but severely limit access.
Kununurra has a reasonable range of accommodation. Luxury: Kimberley Grande Hotel, El Questro Homestead (100km west). Mid-range: Freshwater East Kimberley Apartments, Holiday Inn Kununurra. Budget/camping: Lake Kununurra Caravan Park, Hidden Valley Caravan Park. Book 4–6 weeks ahead for July–August.
Crocodiles: Saltwater crocodiles are present in estuarine and tidal areas near Kununurra. The Ord River above the dam is generally freshwater-croc only — safer, but check local signage. Never swim in unmarked water. Heat: October sees temperatures above 40°C. Always carry water. Purnululu road: Only attempt the access track in a properly prepared 4WD with two spare tyres.
The East Kimberley is home to Miriwoong and Gajerrong peoples with continuous cultural connection to this country. Visit Waringarri Aboriginal Arts to engage with living culture rather than just landscape. The Bungle Bungles are sacred to the Kitja people — treat the landscape accordingly. Do not remove rocks or touch cultural sites.