14 Best Sights in The Kimberley, The Outback

Watching the sun sink into the sea on Cable Beach is a nightly ritual for almost all visitors to Broome, who flock to the 22-km (14-mile) stretch of dazzling white sand lapped by turquoise water 7 km (4½ miles) from the center of town. The most popular way to watch the sunset is from the back of a swaying camel, but you can also unpack a picnic at the beachside park, drive a four-wheel-drive vehicle onto the sand, or sip a cocktail from the Sunset Bar at Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa. By day it's a lot less crowded. It's good for swimming, but low tide can mean a long walk across sand to get to the water. Beware of marine stingers (deadly box and Irukandji jellyfish) in the water from December through to April. Amenities: lifeguard; parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

This 700,000-acre property features some of the most ruggedly beautiful country in the Kimberley. El Questro has a full complement of recreational activities like fishing, swimming, horseback riding, and helicopter rides, and offers individually tailored walking and four-wheel-drive tours. Four independent accommodation facilities are on-site, each different in style and budget: the luxury Homestead (from A$3,285 per night with a two-night minimum-stay requirement and a policy that guests must be ages 16 and up); the safari-style tented cabins at Emma Gorge Resort (from A$350); air-conditioned Riverside Bungalows (from A$175); and Riverside Campgrounds (from A$30 per person per night) at El Questro Station. Each has a restaurant, and rates at the Homestead include drinks and food, laundry, and activities. Alternatively, you can choose to take a full-day tour of El Questro with included trips to Emma Gorge, Zebedee Springs, lunch at The Station, a Chamberlain River Cruise, and round-trip transport from Kununurra (A$268). Not renting a four-wheel-drive vehicle? Take a shuttle from Kununurra starting at A$110 each way to Emma Gorge Resort, A$135 each way to El Questro Station, and A$140 each way to El Questro Homestead.

If you've ever fancied being a cowboy or cowgirl, this massive 3½-million-acre working cattle farm at the foot of the majestic Cockburn (pronounced co-burn) range is the place to do it. Owned and operated by the traditional owners of the land, the Balanggarra people through the Indigenous Land Corporation, you can join a cattle muster or just take a half-day horse trek. Other activities include barramundi fishing and four-wheel-drive trips. There's a bar and restaurant on-site and a range of accommodations from stylish "Grass Castle" bungalows complete with cowskin rugs, air-conditioning, fully stocked minibar, flat-screen cable TV, huge walk-in rain shower, and resident tree frogs (from A$425) to motel-style guesthouse rooms (from A$275), and remote bush camping beside the Pentecost River, 4 km (2½ miles) from the homestead (from A$44 per person per night). Note that a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to reach Home Valley Station and these can be rented in Kununurra via Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, and Europcar. Air transfers and charter flights can also be arranged from Kununurra Airport.

This historical display sheds light on the difficulties and immense skill involved in pearl harvesting. You'll have a chance to check out historical artifacts, get an insight into the risky lives of pearl divers, who spent years aboard pearling luggers and diving for pearl shells, and learn how the industry has evolved on the regular 90-minute tours. This is a must-see for those interested in Broome's history, and for anyone who wants to sample pearl meat, a true delicacy.

Opened in 1916, Sun Pictures is the world's oldest operating outdoor movie theater. Here, silent movies—accompanied by a pianist—were once shown to the public, while these days current releases are presented in the very pleasant outdoors. Drop in and have a look during the day for free or stick around for a charming movie-viewing experience that hearkens back to another era.

A nonprofit research, education, and accommodation facility, the Broome Bird Observatory provides the perfect opportunity to see the Kimberley's numerous bird species, some of which migrate annually from Siberia or China. On the shores of Roebuck Bay, 25 km (15 miles) east of Broome, the observatory has a prolific number of migratory waders. The observatory offers a variety of daily guided tours in the dry season (from May to around September), including some focused around the native shorebirds, mangroves, bush and plains—each are 2½ hours—as well as a full-day tour of the lakes that includes morning tea. Pickup from Broome can also be arranged for A$90 for the first person and A$30 for each additional person in your group. Start times depend on the day of the week and the tides and season, but are typically between 7 am and 8 am, with the exception of the bush and plains tour, which starts at 3 pm or 3:30 pm and returns after sunset.

Open Monday through Saturday, Broome Camel Safaris offers 60-minute morning rides (A$50), or one-hour sunset rides (A$70). As a special treat, ladies on tour receive a complimentary pair of freshwater pearl sterling-silver earrings by Dahlia Designs, a local jewelry company.

Geologists believe the mighty Fitzroy River cut and shaped the limestone walls you see today at Dan͟ggu Geikie Gorge, and during the wet season, the normally placid waters roar through the region. The walls of the gorge are stained red from iron oxide, except where they have been leached of the mineral and turned white by the floods, which have washed as high as 52 feet from the bottom of the gorge.

The gorge is one of the few places in the world where freshwater barramundi, mussels, stingrays, and prawns swim. The park is also home to the freshwater archerfish, which can spit water as far as a yard to knock insects out of the air. Indigenous people call this place Dan͟ggu, meaning "big fishing hole."

Located just 16 km (10 miles) north of downtown Kununurra on Weaber Plain Road, Hoochery Distillery offers tours at 2 pm so you can get behind the scenes and learn all about the longest-running rum operation in Western Australia. Pick up some homemade Ord River rum cake and a cup of coffee at the on-site Hoochery Cafe, or treat yourself to a rum flight and sample some of the ones you just heard about on the tour.

More than 900 pearl divers are buried in the Japanese Cemetery, located on the road out to Broome's deepwater port. The graves testify to the contribution of the Japanese people to the development of the industry in Broome, as well as to the perils of pearl gathering in its early days.

Entering through the jaws of a giant crocodile, this huge wildlife park founded by the legendary Australian documentary filmmaker opens up each day from 2 pm to 5 pm to reveal the Kimberley's native species in a variety of habitats. You'll get to see dingoes, cassowaries, a litany of bird species, American alligators, and, of course, hundreds of saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. Don't miss the famous croc feeding tour at 3 pm daily, a one-hour guided walk through the vast property where you get to watch the guide feed salties, freshies, and American alligators, and meet several problem crocs who were brought to the park after wreaking havoc in some of the surrounding estuaries.

Often described as a miniature version of the Bungle Bungle Range, Mirima National Park lies less than five minutes' drive north of Kununurra and is known for its incredible layers of sandstone formations, formed more than 300 million years ago when the area was part of a prehistoric sea. The park is also a place of cultural significance for the local Miriwoong people, who still conduct ceremonies in the park, and you may spot wildlife such as wallabies, crimson and double-barred finches, and white-quilled rock pigeons. A national park pass is required, with a Holiday Pass costing A$70 and offering unlimited entry to all WA parks for up to four weeks.

Morning, presunset, and sunset rides are available every day on Cable Beach north of the rocks. The morning ride lasts for 40 minutes and costs A$50; the presunset ride runs for 30 minutes and costs A$40; the sunset ride takes an hour and costs A$80.

Get an insight into the process of modern pearl farming, including a boat cruise on Willie Creek and a masterclass that includes a live pearl harvest, at Willie Creek Pearl Farm, located about 38 km (23½ miles) north of Broome. Drive out to the farm yourself (you must make reservations first and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended on this unsealed road), or join a tour on an air-conditioned coach that'll pick you up and bring you back to your in-town accommodation. There's also the option of taking a scenic helicopter ride while on the property for an additional fee. All tours include refreshments and a serving of homemade damper made with a family recipe. Optional lunch add-ons are available on specific tours and seasonally for A$40 per person.