North West

The North West of Western Australia is the land that time forgot. A region of breath-taking contrasts it covers over a million square kilometres and is one of the world's last wilderness frontiers. This truly immense region captures pristine coastlines, spectacular gorge country, mega natural resource projects and huge working outback sheep and cattle stations. The two-key region in the North West are the Pilbara and Kimberly, which are vastly different from one another.

The Kimberley is three times larger than England and has a population of less than 40,000. It is spread over Australia's entire north-western corner bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami deserts in the Pilbara and stretches from Broome in the west to Kununurra in the east. A natural paradise the Kimberly features rugged ranges, spectacular gorges, stunning waterfalls, lush forest and offers an astonishing variety of flora and fauna.

The outback beach town of Broome, famous for its 22-kilometre (14-mile) long Cable Beach, and the daily camel trains that trail along it at sunset. Kununurra meaning ‘Big Water’ in Miriwoong a local Aboriginal language and is home to Lake Argyle, the Ord River, many waterfalls and huge barramundi. World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park and its beehive-shaped Bungle Bungle Range are also accessible from Kununurra.

Aboriginal history in the Kimberley dates back at least 40,000 years. Today there are more than 30 Aboriginal tribes in the Kimberley region, each with its own language and unique cultural practices. There are an abundance of Aboriginal experiences available in the Kimberley, from walking tours of Broome and discovering the history and culture of Country on a guided tour to exploring Aboriginal art sites and art centres.

The Pilbara is twice the size of the United Kingdom and has some of the world’s most stunning ancient natural landscapes, dating back between 3.5 and 4.3 billion years. It is a region of stark contrasts; rocky canyons lead to peaceful plunge pools in the beautiful Karijini National Park. On the spectacular Dampier Archipelago and Mackerel Islands, turquoise waters lap white sandy beaches and untouched coral gardens abound. And yet the Pilbara is also known as the engine room of Australia, home to a massive mining industry in crude oil, salt, natural gas and iron ore.

The Pilbara also features over 700 Aboriginal archaeological sites and 1,000,000 rock engravings (Petroglyphs), many dating back 30,000 years, the Burrup Peninsula is the perfect place to discover the unique art, history and culture of the Aboriginal people of the Pilbara.