Six Weeks West: Our Kimberley Adventure
Six weeks. Thousands of kilometres. Long days on the road, dusty tracks, free camps, markets, waterfalls, old friends and more adventures than we could possibly fit into one trip.
Our Western Australia adventure started with the drive through the Northern Territory, with stops along the way to catch up with friends in Darwin and Katherine.
We squeezed in markets, caught up over drinks, enjoyed a few good nights around the campfire and even experienced a Firecracker Night along the way.
Then it was time to head west.
The Gibb River Road
The Gibb River Road was everything we hoped it would be — and more.
There were plenty of long driving days, corrugations, red dust and kilometres of nothing but spectacular country. But then you'd arrive somewhere like Wunnamurra Gorge, and suddenly every bump was worth it.
One of our favourite adventures was an 8km hike into Wunnamurra Gorge. We may have taken a wrong turn along the way and ended up putting the drone up to help us find the track again!
After hours of walking and exploring, we found hidden caves, Aboriginal rock art and the waterfall — and getting to swim beneath it was one of those moments we'll never forget.
There was always another gorge, another swimming hole or another track to explore.
Free Camping Was the Best Part
Some of my favourite nights weren't at the big tourist spots at all.
They were the free camps — finding somewhere beautiful to pull up, watching the sun go down, sitting outside and knowing we didn't have anywhere we needed to be.
Although, if I'm being honest, I wish we'd slowed down a little more.
I imagined we'd spend evenings cooking dinner over the fire, sitting around chatting and relaxing.
Instead, there was usually another place to see, another track to drive or another adventure waiting the next morning!
There was simply too much to see.
Markets, Memories & Meeting People
Our trip wasn't just about exploring.
We also took Outback Sun on the road, setting up at markets along the way and meeting so many great people.
It was pretty special seeing people connect with the towels while we were travelling through the very places that inspired the designs.
We also caught up with friends along the way, which made the trip feel like a real mix of adventure and connection.
And yes... we found gold!
One of the unexpected highlights was stopping around Halls Creek and actually finding some gold!
After spending so much time travelling through incredible landscapes, fossicking for gold felt like the perfect addition to our Kimberley adventure.
Six Weeks I'll Never Forget
Six weeks sounds like a long time until you're travelling through a place as incredible as the Kimberley.
We drove huge distances, walked kilometres, swam under waterfalls, explored gorges, searched for gold, camped in some incredible places, went to markets, caught up with friends and discovered somewhere new almost every day.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
Next time, though, I might try to slow down just a little.
A few more campfires.
A few more nights doing absolutely nothing.
A little more time sitting around watching the stars.
But then again... there's still so much we haven't seen.
Western Australia, we'll be back.