So you’ve travelled the east coast of Australia and made your way through the centre of Australia to see Uluru, Kings Canyon and the Olgas.

What next you ask? I want something unique and off the beaten track? No crowds, nightclubs or general hustle and bustle of real life.

The answer is take a trip from Broome to Darwin or Darwin to Broome depending on where you can start your journey.  The reason why this journey is so amazing is the National Parks you will visit such as the Kimberleys, the Bungle Bungles and Windjana Gorge. All have rewarding hikes that lead you to jaw dropping waterfalls, sunset soaked landmarks and interesting history and culture that dates back thousands of years.

The Kimberley is one of the most amazing areas in Australia

The most talked about road along this journey that anyone who has travelled this route is The Gibb River Road. The Gibb River Road is an unforgiving stretch of unsealed grated red dirt track which winds it way through the Kimberley National Park.  We recommend a tour for from Broome to Darwin or Darwin to Broome to tackle this beast of a road as the vehicles used are top of the range off road touring vehicles with well trained driver guides who can really make your experience a great one through their knowledge of the landscape, flora and fauna.

On the trips you discover Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge where the guides explain the story of the elusive aboriginal outlaw legend Jandamurra or Pigeon who frequented the area.  Another spectacular location you will visit on this trip is the Bungle Bungles National Park where you take a hike to reach some fantastic rock formations and lookouts for watching the sunset.  If you really want to treat yourself take a scenic helicopter ride over the Bungle Bungles (the guide can organise this for you) as it really does give you a better insight into this amazing natural land formation which has been carved out over the years from the extreme weather patterns.

The 9 Day Broome to Darwin or reverse trip is a camping trip where you have the option of setting up a tent or sleeping around a campfire under a million stars every night in different beautiful locations.  The beauty of this tour compared to others is that the hikes are long and challenging but there is a “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”. Most hikes are around 3 kms, though when you reach that set waterhole and waterfall you can go for a swim in a place which is so remote and its usually just the tour group which is a maximum of 16 people so it really is peaceful and once in a lifetime feeling!!

The Bungle Bungles are fantastic rock formations that offer great lookouts for sunset

You are covering a lot of ground in 9 days on this trip so be prepared for some long drives, you can do the small group tour with normal 4wd vehicles or a tour in a slightly larger group in an impressive 4wd Truck where the vehicles are so much more comfortable and fully air conditioned. They are also serviced and maintained so you know you will make it to your destination unlike a lot of self drivers we saw broken down on the side of the road waiting for help!

Another really cool place we stopped overnight was El Questro Cattle Station where we discovered Emma Gorge and Zebedee Springs.  El Questro is a cattle station which has a diversified pastoral operation to include tourism.

Emma Gorge was a really cool hike over some boulders and at the end of the hike you arrive at this beautiful waterhole with a freshwater waterfall where you can go for a swim and cool down! So awesome!!!

Another cool spot at El Questro Cattle Station was Zebedee Hot Springs which isn’t that far to hike to though was well worth having a soak. You can jump into one side of the springs which is cold then into the hot springs which was super relaxing after a long drive and hiking to sooth those sore muscles.

Jimmy who was our guide was an ex chef and was awesome at cooking us meals at night time.  The thing which made it fun and got the group to interact was the way Jimmy made us join in and help prepare the meals all together which helped everyone bond and learn each others stories.

Emma Gorge is a cool hike and you arrive at a beautiful water hole at the end

Moving on we then made our way to through to Lake Argyle where you have probably seen the photos of the infinity pool which looks over the lake and the mountains. Lake Argyle is the biggest man made water catchment in Australia and a lot of the farmers in Australia rely on the Lake to irrigate their crops year to year.  At Lake argyle we went for a Cruise on a boat around the lake which lasts around 1 hour, this was a highlight as well.  Lake Argyle is home to around 25000 freshwater crocodiles which as long as you keep to yourself are basically harmless. We ended up stopping off and a cliff edge where we had an opportunity to jump off the cliff into the Lake!!! Exhilarating to say the least!!!

After Lake Argyle we then through Timber Creek onto Katherine to check out Katherine Gorge before heading onto Edith falls for a swim. This place is so beautiful as well and a great way to finish off before concluding the tour in Darwin.

In summing up the 9 day Broome to Darwin or reverse trip is one of the best tours and experiences I have had in my travels and highly recommend it to people who want to push themselves and not just do the normal routes that most travellers take while travelling in Australia.

Price wise this trip is worth every penny as you get plenty of food, you learn so much and save a lot as well compared to self-driving without any risk. This is definitely something you want to tick off your bucket list.

Waterfalls, awesome caves, loads of wildlife, make heaps of friends and meet a lot of eccentric outback characters, what more could you want, trip of a lifetime!!! Just go for it!!

Related article: Top 10 Best Guided Tours in Australia

Explore the Kimberley Tours