Throughout May & June 2022, I travelled to the Kimberley Region of Western Australia for a four week long photography trip where I would finally experience the rugged and remote Gibb River Road and many of it's scenic attractions. I've been visiting the Kimberley for 3 years now, including one 3 month stint in Kununurra where I really got to know this dramatic Northwest landscape, but this visit was the first time I've been here in the dry season.
The other 3 times I'd been to the Kimberley where in the Summer months, which for Northern Australia is the wet season. The Kimberley experiences monsoon weather with frequent thunderstorms, high humidity, and heavy (sometimes consistent) rainfall between November - April. This is when I usually like to visit for a few reasons, the main one being that the consistent rainfall transforms the rugged ranges into lush green hillsides and cascading freshwater streams. There are literally hundreds of waterfalls to see after a good downpour, and this is one of my favourite scenes to photograph. Another thing I see as a benefit of visiting in the wet season is the lack of tourists and in general how quiet the towns and local destinations are at that time of year, personally I enjoy the peace and quiet, so it makes sense to visit in the off season sometimes.

However, with the rainfall of the wet season comes road closures, access to many of the well known Kimberley experiences & destinations is impossible, so I had not seen many of the main attractions until now!

Four days of tropical paradise on the colourful Kimberley coast.

This was my third time in Broome, but the first time experiencing the 10 metre spring tides that the West Kimberley is known for. It was incredible to witness the tidal fluctuations, as the coastline I had been photographing on sunrise became completely submerged in the ocean by midday. I visited some new areas, and returned to some previously photographed locations too.

Here are just a few of the images from my time in Broome May 2022:

Big thanks to fellow photographers & friends Matt (From Miles Away) and Allysha (Allysha Cartledge Photography and Art) for the room during my stay in Broome!

Following the short stay in Broome, my good friend Benny from Kimberley Dreaming & Kimberley 4x4 Tours arrived and we travelled to Derby for the night before starting the big trip. Benny was running a 4x4 tag-along tour in collaboration with Explore WA 4wd Adventures and I was invited along to photograph the tour.
We stayed the night in Derby, and the next morning met our tour guests that we would be travelling with for the next 12 days. After a short briefing from Benny, it was time to hit the road. Our destination for the day: Windjana Gorge. The first 150km or so from Derby is sealed road until the Windjana turn off, and after this it was time to drop the tire pressures because it's all corrugated gravel from here on.

We arrived at camp early in the afternoon and set up the swags, shortly after I ventured into the gorge to start scouting for some photography on sunset & for sunrise the following morning. Windjana was incredible, and I would've loved an extra day or so to explore this location more thoroughly. The Lennard river flows through the gorge, and is home to many freshwater crocodiles (I counted 12 on my hike to the end of the gorge).
In the end I decided on a simple composition of the gorge opening for golden hour - and then walked around to the front of the range to photograph the boab trees along the savannah walk. The next morning I was up early and walking in the dark to the back of the gorge so shoot my sunrise composition that I had scouted out the day before. Using my Sigma 150-600mm telephoto lens, I photographed a group of boab trees growing on the side of the steep gorge in the morning light.

From here the group packed up and we travelled to Tunnel Creek for our main activity of the day. Hiking through the freshwater stream, past underground waterfalls, and to the opening on the other side was a highlight of the day.

Here are some images from the first day on the Gibb River Rd:

After a great morning at Tunnel Creek, we departed for our next camp: Silent Grove. Close by to this camp site is Bell Gorge, one of the most popular attractions along the Gibb, and one locations that I had been dreaming of photographing for years! It had been a pretty big day, so most of the tour group decided to set up camp and chill out for the afternoon, but myself and Eddie (@Who_is_that_advantures) decided to venture down and check out the waterfall, and we had it all to ourselves for an incredible sunset! Many photographs where taken, and early the next morning Benny dropped me back off at the start of the Bell Gorge Hike in the dark so I could make my way in for sunrise. I decided to venture further downstream from the main swimming area and found two more stunning waterfalls in the gorge, a great way to start the day!

By the time I was finished with my photography, the rest of the group was just heading in to have a look. I met them along the hiking trail and we ventured down together for a swim. Next up: Galvans Gorge.

After a fair drive and a quick stop over at the Imintji Roadhouse we arrived for an afternoon dip at Galvans Gorge. It was a beautiful waterfall complete with an iconic Kimberley boab on top, lush vegetation, ancient rock art, and a crystal clear swimming hole. Unfortunately our visit wasn't at the best time of day for photography, so I will be returning some day on my own to photograph this one in better light, but I did manage to get some images with the lower half of the waterfall out of the harsh sun as you can see below.

It's day 4 on the Gibb, and after leaving Galvan's Gorge, we travel to Mount Barnett for camp. The hike to Manning Gorge begins at the Mt Barnett camp but as we arrived on sunset it was too late to attempt the walk. Instead I went to the beginning to check out the river crossing that marks the start of the walk. The water here is deep all year round but luckily there is a raft and pulley system set up so you can pull yourself (and the camera gear in my case) across the river without needing to swim.
I set off at 4am the next morning to begin the 2.8km walk to Manning Falls. Never being here before, I gave myself a little extra time to reach the falls for sunrise in case I had any difficulty navigating the trail in the dark. I arrived just on time to the incredible gorge, where the waterfall was flowing quite well. After a few hours of photography and exploring I began the trek back to camp, passing by majority of the others in our group on my way out.

The rest of my day was spent relaxing and swimming by the river at camp, I was lucky to spot a freshwater crocodile sunning itself just upstream from where you cross for the hike. After a bit of down time and recharge I walked out to the falls again for sunset, this time photographing a small cascade further down from the main falls before rushing up to the top of the falls for a unique angle. The day ended just as it had started, hiking the trail under starlight.

After a good night sleep in the swag, I was up early again for more photography. I had been exploring upstream from the river crossing the day before, and decided the cliff face would make a nice subject in the morning light.

After departing Mt Barnett, We stayed the night at Mt Elizabeth station, enjoyed another night by the camp fire and under the stars. I didn't do any landscape photography for the next few days but did photograph a few water crossings, etc. On Day 7 we visited Warla Gorge for a swim, and then on the way to Drysdale River Station we stopped off for a hike at Barnett River Gorge. Drysdale River Station was a great place to stop over and recharge with a cooked dinner (and bar) before the next few big days.

Day 8 started off slow. After a sleep in at Drysdale we made a move, continuing North along the Kalumburu Road. Our destination for the day was Munurru on the Mitchell Plateau, 110km away from the previous nights camp. After a few car dramas and roadside mechanics, we made it into camp for the afternoon. I spent the rest of the day photographing a stunning little waterfall on the King Edward River, and even stayed back after dark to shoot the milky way rising behind the falls.

The next morning we are up at dawn getting ready for the biggest day on the trip, we are visiting one of the Kimberley highlights - Mitchell Falls. It's 80km from camp to the falls along the Port Warrender Road, which was undoubtedly the roughest stretch  of road on our entire trip. Even so, it really wasn't too bad a drive and the scenery made every bump worthwhile!

We reached The Mitchell Falls Camp at approximately 8am and the group eagerly awaited to board their HeliSpirit helicopter flight to the falls. I decided to hike in and enjoy the scenery from the ground along the way and check out Little Mertens Falls for a morning shoot. The walk into the falls is 4.3km each way and very scenic. You follow a path crossing Mertens Creek and then walking alongside pandanus palms and a few nice cascading sections. On the way to the main event are Little Mertens & Big Mertens Falls which are both equally as stunning in their own way.
The feeling of arriving at Mitchell Falls was incredible, this has been a bucket list destination for so many years and I was finally here! It's now around midday, so I wasn't taking any photos at this point. Instead we just took in the scenery and experience of being here at last before returning to the car park for a late lunch. After a few hours rest back at the cars myself and Callum (@Callum_the_camel_) began making our way back to the falls for sunset whilst the rest of the group went back to camp.

Returning in the late afternoon was a completely different experience in itself. The crowds that where here earlier had completely cleared out and we had the entire area of the falls to ourselves. I set the camera and tripod up on a ledge overlooking the falls and sat back to watch the landscape come to life in the golden hour light. Before the sun had set completely, I made a quick dash back across the Mitchell River up to Big Mertens Falls, which is quite an impressive waterfall any time of day, but the sunset really added to the experience of shooting here and this was definitely a highlight for the trip.
We walked back to Callum's car in the dark and made it back to camp for about 10PM.

To make the most of my time on the plateau I was up again for sunrise headed back down to the King Edward River, this time photographing the main swimming area instead of the waterfall. There was some really nice morning light and low lying smoke from a nearby fire on the river which made for some great atmospheric conditions and a peaceful morning.
We packed up camp, and headed back to Drysdale to freshen up before making out way to Ellenbrae Station for the next night. At Ellenbrae we where treated to a camp oven dinner and well deserved rest. The next day was another slow start, we where in no rush to leave the station after trying their famous scones and a nice barista made coffee. But when we finally did leave, we where headed to a private campsite on the banks of the Pentecost River (within Home Valley Station which is currently CLOSED).

We where surprised to have some very out-of-season weather roll through in the late afternoon and evening. It was the beginning of June, which is the dry season in the North. Most days have clear blue skies, the weather is warm and pleasant, but on this afternoon we had some incredible dramatic skies looming. It didn't take long for the rain to start and the thunderstorms to roll through! An exciting afternoon of wet season weather. The guests certainly got the full Kimberley experience on this trip!
Overnight the river seemed to really come to life, with schools of fish rushing around and jumping out of the water, it was clear something was chasing them. We got the spotlight out and saw several good sized Estuarine Crocodiles lurking on the banks and in the water which was a great sight to see. Not to worry as we where camped up well away from the waters edge.

Nearing the end of our trip now, myself and Callum decided to leave camp early and make our way across the river to Emma Gorge. This was another location that I had wanted to photograph for a long time. I've been past the turn of in the wet season many times before but not been able to visit as it was closed. We arrived well after sunrise, but still early enough that the main waterfall and pools where shaded from the sun. We where also the first people into the gorge so it was great to photograph and experience the place with some serenity for a few hours (here's a tip for anyone going to visit, there is a hot spring on the far righthand side of the main pool so if you're not a fan of cold water head that way!).
It was approximately 9AM as we where heading back out of the gorge, and we appreciated having the gorge to ourselves even more when we saw multiple large tour groups walking in as we where leaving. After a relaxing morning at Emma Gorge Resort we back tracked a short way along the Gibb to El Questro Station. El Q is the most popular station along the Gibb River Rd for good reason. It is absolutely stunning with many natural attractions in close proximity, it has great facilities, and it is by far the most accessible due to it's close proximity to Kununurra (the road is mostly sealed too). We finished the afternoon with a spectacular sunset up on Saddleback Ridge.

On our second last morning, Myself, Benny, and Callum woke up in the early hours of the morning to make our way to El Questro Gorge. The drive to the gorge involves a 200-300m long, 80cm deep water crossing which puts a lot of people off visiting. We made it to the beginning of the hike on first light and began making our way up the gorge. Even knowing it was going to be a special place, it still took me by surprise at how beautiful this place actually was. Palm trees, fresh water, and two completely different walls of the gorge. One side was the typical red/orange rock of the Kimberley Region, but the other was draped in a thick layer of ferns from top to bottom. The colours where a feast for the eyes and I could have spent hours more photographing this place. At the top of the gorge lies MacMicking Pool, and I can say that every step to get here was so worth it! Again, thanks to the early start we had this to ourselves. It was a little tricky to photograph because the contrast of bright light above the waterfall against the shaded pool below, but using a few techniques that I teach on my workshops I was able to make it work quite well.

After our morning hike, we relaxed and enjoyed the comfort of camp before Sally from Kimberley Dreaming arrived in the evening to give us a talk on culture and bush tucker of the area.

The itinerary for our final morning was to visit Zebedee Springs at 7AM, but I was still feeling motivated to do more photography and make the most of this trip. I woke up in the early hours of the morning (approximately 3:30AM) and packed up my gear before walking from camp to Champagne Springs. The start of the hike is only about 500m from camp along the main access road. I followed the trail alongside the Pentecost River in the dark, with dingoes howling in the distance.
It's definitely a different experience being out and about in the Kimberley at night, alone, but I have become quite comfortable hiking through the ranges in the dark as it is often the only way to get where I want to be for the best light of the day. I made it to the waterfall at Champagne Springs with enough time to set up and wait for the light to hit the rock behind the falls just as I had hoped for. Unfortunately I didn't have very much time to sit and enjoy the location on this morning, because I was on a mission to make it back to camp before 7AM and check out Zebedee with the rest of the group. The walk to Champagne Springs is one more overgrown, and not as well marked as many of the others in the area, so I was pleased to finish the 10km hike on time to meet the group.
Zebedee Springs is a hot spring and was a lovely spot to finish off the tour! I didn't bother with photos from here this time round because it was quite busy, and I needed an excuse to go back one day as well!

After the tour I was supposed to be travelling to Purnululu National Park for a few days... but due to some out-of-season rain, the road in was closed. I've waited around for roads to open after rain before and know well enough that sometimes it can take more than a few days so I was forced to come up with a plan B for the remainder of my time.

I decided on a quick visit to the Northern Territory! The Keep River National Park is just over the border (the turn of is literally 3km on the left after the WA/NT border if travelling from Kununurra), and is commonly referred to as the "Mini Bungles", this seemed like a good enough second prize to me! My hire vehicle was a very well equipped Toyota Fortuner from Dirt Trax Campers, who are currently the only 4x4 camper hire company in Kununurra. I was really impressed with the set up of drawers, Engel fridge, accessories, and it had 12v (&usb) plugs throughout which made it easy to keep all my camera gear charged while on the road.

It's safe to say the ranges around Keep River National Park definitely lived up to the Mini Bungles name, they certainly aren't miniature by any means, but they are smaller than the Bungle Bungles of Purnululu.
After a night spent at the Jarnem camp ground, exploring the walks at the Northern end of the park, I packed up the swag and decided to check out the rest of the park on my way back out to the highway. I was so glad I made time to look at the other areas because this made me decide to stay another night (later in the trip on my way back into Kununurra) to photograph the rest of the park. I could've spent weeks out here to be honest, but I was on a mission to get to Katherine for a few nights and see all of the attractions that where closed due to flooding on my previous visit in 2021.

Majority of this day was spent driving into Katherine and then up to Edith Falls. I didn't make any stops along the way because I was determined to get up to the top pool here for sunset. I arrived with enough time for a swim in the freshwater pools, the creek was unrecognisable in comparison to my first time here when there was an almost unfathomable amount of water in the gorge (I didn't take any photos on that last visit but now I regret it!), but it was still just as stunning.
After photographing the upper pools I raced back down the trail to shoot the middle falls from Bemang Lookout, then, after a big day I made my way back to the campsite for an early night.
The next morning was pretty uneventful from a photography point of view but I enjoyed doing the hike again before heading into Katherine for the day. I relaxed in the hot springs for quite a while (tough gig) before setting up camp at one of the local caravan parks.

In the afternoon I went for a decent 12km hike out in Nitmiluk National Park. Nitmiluk literally means "cicada place" to the local Jawoyn people, and it definitely lives up the the name! I spent the entire afternoon out there photographing Jedda's Rock in the late afternoon and then rushed the 1km back Pat's Lookout on sunset. The scenery around the Katherine Gorge is incredible. There is a mixture of rugged cliff-faces and palm tree lined waterways, very different to the scenery around home (Perth) and I've never been here, but for some reason the hills felt so familiar. I've got to admit I was a little envious of the tour boat heading down the river just after sunset, I would've loved to relax on the cruise back to my hire car instead of hiking in the dark again!
In the morning I was back at Nitmiluk well before dawn, thankfully I didn't have nearly as much hiking to do on this day because I was definitely feeling it at this point. I set up at Baruwei Lookout to photograph the stars and shot through all the way until sunrise as the landscape revealed itself. There was a bit of action in the Katherine River below when I first arrived which I can only assume was one of the resident salt water crocodiles hunting. I photographed the beginning of the gorge on sunrise and then moved a little further back from the lookout itself to frame up a composition with a beautiful cluster of Wispy Fan Palms. After this I made a last minute decision to visit Bitter Springs in Mataranka (3hr detour) before making my way back toward the Kimberley and Western Australia.

The final leg of my trip! I arrived back to the Keep River National Park mid afternoon, with just enough time to do some scouting for the morning photography location before setting up camp and photographing Jenemoom Gorge on sunset. I noticed some areas on the edge of the hillside which appear to be some pretty impressive wet season waterfalls (see the left hand side of the below image), safe to say I'll be back in February one year to check that out!

On my very last morning before flying home, I photographed the range nearby Goorrandalng camp. I think this area of the park is definitely the most scenic and the walk here takes you through some rock formations which are very similar to Kununurra's Mirima National Park. There are even a few great little Kimberley versions of "Nature's Window" which can be found in Kalbarri, WA.

Thanks for reading!

Do you want to join us on an epic Kimberley Photography Adventure in 2023? Myself and Benny from Kimberley Dreaming are currently organising a new tour which will begin in Broome and end in Lake Argyle over 15 days! There will be multiple options for participants including a drive your own vehicle option for those with their own 4x4 (price approximately $6990 per vehicle, not per person! So you will be able to bring the whole family or a group of friends with you to enjoy the experience together). Or a limited option to travel in one of the Kimberley Dreaming vehicles (Maximum 3-4 participants $8500pp).

The tour itinerary will have a heavy focus on photography and we will be visiting the most stunning destinations at the best times of day to photograph them, but we also have planned some cultural experiences and other tours so that you (and potentially your friends/family) can get the full Kimberley experience.

Places limited! More information here.