Page 336 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

334  WESTERN A USTR ALIA

The Kimberley and the Deserts

Australia’s last frontier, the Kimberley is a vast, remote upland
region of dry, red landscape. Deep rivers cut through mountain
ranges, and parts of the coastline have the highest tidal range
in the southern hemisphere. Seasonal climatic extremes add
to the area’s sense of isolation as the harsh heat of the dry
season and the torrential rains of the wet hamper access to
the hostile terrain. April to September is the best time to visit, LOCATOR MAP
offering views of the country’s best natural sights such as The Kimberley and
the Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater and the Bungle Bungles. the Deserts
To the south lie the huge, inhospitable Great Sandy North of Perth pp326–33
and Gibson deserts.
tBroome
* 14,500. ~ @ @
n 1 Hamersley St (08) 9195 2200.
Bonaparte Archip ip i elago Kalumburu Broome, first settled by
∑ visitbroome.com.au
ap
a
Europeans in the 1860s, soon
became Western Australia’s most
Kuri Bay WYNDHAM profitable pearling region. Pearl
Kununurra divers from Asia swelled the
Kimber le y
Lombadina Katherine town in the 1880s and helped
Plateau
Beagle Bay Warmun give it the multicultural flavour
DERBY Devonian Reef that remains today. The tourist
National Parks PURNULULU
BROOME WA Camballin Fitzroy NATIONAL industry has now superseded
W
GREAT NORTHERN HIGHWAY stores, as well as the Chinese
PARK
Lagrange Edgar Ranges Crossing HALLS CREEK pearling, but the town’s past can
still be seen in several original
d
dg
TH
T
Eighty Mile Wolfe Creek Crater
Beach EA Billiluna National Park and Japanese cemeteries that
E
of pearl divers.
Pardoo Roadhouse Balgo contain the graves of hundreds
Roebourne Gr eat Sandy Just outside town is the
Marble Bar Deser t popular Cable Beach. Nearby, the
Malcolm Douglas Crocodile
Nullagine Lake Lake Lake Parkark
P
Park offers daily tours to see these offers daily tours to see these
Auld
Dora Mackay
animals (feeding tour is at 3pm).
Newman Lake
Disappointment Lake O Malcolm Douglas
Macdonald
Mundiwindi Crocodile Park
Gibson Broome Hwy. Tel (08) 9193 6580.
Deser t Open 2–5pm daily. Closed 25 Dec. &
Lake
Buchanan
Warbuton
Wiluna Lake
Carnegie
Mt Magnet
Leinster
0 km 200
0 miles 200
Sights at a Glance
t Broome
y Derby Key
u Halls Creek Major road
i Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) Minor road
National Park
o Wyndham Track
State border Stunning natural rock formations at
Broome
For keys to symbols see back flap