Kimberley: Unknown Gorges Photo Gallery

Unknown Gorges Photo Gallery

We visit these gorges only on our Green Kimberley Light trip.

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The Hidden Hidden Valley

Mirima (Hidden Valley) National Park in Kununurra is visited by thousands of people every year. 99% of the out of town visitors stick to the tourist area. Our trip takes you somewhere very different, a place that the locals know and love. We drive to the end of a suburban street, park the car and head off along a small bush track which takes us past some interesting rock formations.

Eventually we reach a series of small pools and waterfalls. This is a taste of the best which is yet co come.

The large pool at the end of the walk is the best wet season place for a swim near Kununurra. If you go there outside school hours, you will find it full of the local children having a wonderful time. There's no reason you can't join in the fun. (If you can't see the jumper in the photo at right below, click to enlarge it.)

Deception Range: Unnamed Gorge

Less than 50 km from Kununurra, we turn off the main road onto a dirt track. We can't get the vehicles very far in the Wet, but the walk is fairly easy, less than 5 km and flat.

The track ends where the gorge begins. Even from here, it doesn't look like much but the best is still to come.

One side of the gorge consists of a series of huge rock shelters full of Aboriginal art. The shelters are so big, that we can camp on dry ground in the heaviest of storms without getting close enough to chance brushing against the paintings.

Some of the paintings are huge; some are small. Some are very well preserved; others are faded. Below is a taste of what you will see.

Besides the paintings, there are a number of grooves carved into the rock. Some say this was for ceremonial purposes, others claim it was only for sharpening spears. We'll let you judge for yourself. The photo at right below is another view of one of the shelters and the paintings.

No trip is complete without a pool. There is a nice pool at the head of the valley. The photos below were taken in early April. The pool should be a bit deeper and the waterfall should be flowing in January and February.

Want more info? Click here to download a PDF file of our Green Kimberley Light trip notes.

Mirima (Hidden Valley) National Park in Kununurra is visited by thousands of people every year. 99% of the out of town visitors stick to the tourist area. Our trip takes you somewhere very different, a place that the locals know and love. We drive to the end of a suburban street, park the car and head off along a small bush track which takes us past some interesting rock formations.

Eventually we reach a series of small pools and waterfalls. This is a taste of the best which is yet co come.

The large pool at the end of the walk is the best wet season place for a swim near Kununurra. If you go there outside school hours, you will find it full of the local children having a wonderful time. There's no reason you can't join in the fun. (If you can't see the jumper in the photo at right below, click to enlarge it.)

Less than 50 km from Kununurra, we turn off the main road onto a dirt track. We can't get the vehicles very far in the Wet, but the walk is fairly easy, less than 5 km and flat.

	The track ends where the gorge begins. Even from here, it doesn't look like much but the best is still to come.

Some of the paintings are huge; some are small. Some are very well preserved; others are faded. Below is a taste of what you will see.

Besides the paintings, there are a number of grooves carved into the rock. Some say this was for ceremonial purposes, others claim it was only for sharpening spears. We'll let you judge for yourself. The photo at right below is another view of one of the shelters and the paintings.

No trip is complete without a pool. There is a nice pool at the head of the valley. The photos below were taken in early April. The pool should be a bit deeper and the waterfall should be flowing in January and February.