The Kimberley spells outback in fine red dirt that stains your clothes and lingers, like a past lover, in the mind.

For every element of roughing it in the wild, there are thrilling adventures that might be described as luxury anywhere else – think doors-off chopper rides, boat jaunts to people-free waterfalls and private stays in hidden waterways.

But in this far-flung corner of  Western Australia, such delights simply feel like an essential way to get even more off the beaten track.

The number of new and evolving ways to explore the Kimberley are like bait to a barra – impossible to resist. Our tip? Give in.

1. Outback heli picnics

Traditional owners have just granted Mount Hart Wilderness Lodge and its guests rare access to a number of remote outback destinations. The former cattle station, found east of Broome along the Gibb River Road, has also launched new helicopter picnic safaris to lone sandy cays, black-water gorges and waterfalls spilling from rugged rock cliffs. This is on top of a big decor transformation that oozes African safari vibes and includes a revamped jungle bar.

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2. Silence and sunsets

Imagine a tour guide who doesn’t say much. Sounds counterintuitive, but Steve Stevets of Silent Tours likes to let nature do the storytelling, only breaking guests’ sensory reverie when needed. His sleek speedboat departs Kununurra, exploring the Ord River for a maximum of four people. Zooming by sienna-hued rock walls that act as curtains to the waterway, he leads a hike through cajuput paperbark trees and head-height grasses to a clearing where a waterfall tinkles into a swimmable gorge. Sunset is observed in the glow of Elephant Rock, reflected in the motionless river like a giant butterfly.

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3. Lake Argyle mystery flight

Always pictured yourself in an open-door helicopter, wind in your hair with rugged plains below? Based at island-studded Lake Argyle – the largest man-made lake in the Southern Hemisphere and less than an hour’s drive from Kununurra – HeliSpirit has launched a new flight to secret waterfalls, springs and gorges, where not only will you see no other humans, you’ll feel as though humanity has never once touched your private haven of rusty red rock. Spontaneous types taking the two-hour Heli Picnic experience can opt to let the local pilot choose where to go. You might find yourself whirring over the rugged Carr Boyd Ranges to perch beside an ice-cold, natural pool just begging for a pin drop splash.

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4. Kimberley catamaran cruise

Boutique charter catamaran Eclipse Expeditions has joined the Kimberley cruise scene with something different: bespoke, multi-day tours to hidden corners for a maximum of eight people in four guest cabins. The performance vessel can hoist sails to slice silently through the water, and with enough solar panels to power the cabin airconditioning, there’s no drone of a generator overnight. The sustainable sailing adventure explores lesser-known islands as well as the big-ticket Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef. It includes chef-prepared meals, drinks and skippers happy to teach sailing basics. Broome-based Eclipse also offers custom itineraries for those dreaming of having the boat to themselves.

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5. Locals’ favourite café

You know those secret spots where all the locals hang out, that none of the tourists can find? Blak Tapas café is an eclectic, hidden-in-plain-sight café that might just do the best espresso coffee in Kununurra. Opening last June, the Aboriginal-owned and run social enterprise serves snacky dishes subtly woven with native ingredients such as pepperberry sausage rolls, breakfast wraps with rosella chutney and myrtle tea cake. Find it hidden inside the Phoenix Plaza courtyard, across from Gulliver’s Tavern on Konkerberry Drive.

6. Smoother Gibb River Road

The Kimberley’s bumpy rite of passage is offering breaks from red dirt corrugations via an increasing number of sealed stretches. The mostly unpaved road still needs a sturdy 4WD and, for drivers, a spare set of teeth, but in 2025 adventurers will enjoy 4km of peace west of the free bush campground at March Fly Glen, near Bell Gorge and King Leopold Conservation Park. Roadworks under way will seal 8km of road between the Pentecost River and Home Valley Station.

7. Cable Beach makeover

Broome’s most-famous stretch of sand is getting a $50 million dollar facelift that’s transforming the palm tree-edged foreshore in a big way. Think lowering a sand dune overlooking Walmanyjun/Cable Beach, granting better views of the turquoise ocean and Broome’s peach-hued sunsets. Relocation of the huge, main asphalt carpark will make way for oodles of lawn topped with a new playground, water play park and event amphitheatre. There’ll also be public sculptures and universal access to the sand. Works are halfway complete. It times well for Cable Beach House, a breezy, newly opened seafood restaurant and the nearby Spinifex Brewery, home to a popular Monday trivia night.

8. A river ‘flotel’

Swap your dusty 4WD for a luxury houseboat – a flotel – on a hushed stretch of Lake Kununurra, 55km from Lake Argyle. Opening in April after being “flipped” with all-new luxury interiors, off-grid Nyawoorn can be stationed at one of three freshwater moorings and comes with an electric runabout boat, an excursion tender, two canoes and a stand-up paddleboard to explore nature, birdwatch and fish for barramundi at your own leisure. Better yet, opt for a fully hosted experience of bespoke daily tours to rarely seen gorges, secret billabongs and ancient rock art by owners and guiding team, Scotty and Taminga Connell, with all catering included.

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9. Broome forage

Beachcombing takes on a whole new meaning on a new 4WD tag-a-long adventure with Aboriginal-run Mabu Buru Tours. With your own wheels (best hired in Broome), follow a local guide into nature’s supermarket on Yawuru country. Have a go at spearing a mud crab and forage in wet sand for mud shells, and collect mangrove snails hiding in a spaghetti of roots where unsuspecting stingrays and fish may also be on the menu. The half-day Binba Mayi trip finishes with a feast of what you’ve found, cooked over coals.

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10. Purnululu camping

APT’s Bungle Bungle  Wilderness Lodge offers  an eco-friendly, authentic outback adventure with easy access to the striking beehive-shaped domes. Guests stay in spacious, safari-style tents equipped with modern amenities and ensuite bathrooms that deliver a cosy retreat after a day of exploration. Guided tours offer insights into the park’s geology and rich Indigenous culture. Evenings at the lodge are a highlight, with delicious meals served in the open-air dining area, surrounded by the sounds of the bush under a starlit sky.

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See also: 

5 spots that blew me away in the Kimberley

I broke my No.1 travel rule in the Kimberley

9 rules for glamping in the Kimberley