Kununurra is a town in the east of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 45 km from the border with the Northern Territory. It was created from 1958 when an ambitious irrigation project dammed the River Ord and created a large fertile area. A second dam created the huge Lake Argyle; both barrage lakes are recreational areas. In 2021 Kununurra had a population of 4500.
"We are still 300 miles from the telegraph line and cannot, of course, tell what difficulties may not yet be in store for us, so I feel bound to push on, at the same time no one can regret more than I do that I am unable to follow this magnificent stream to its mouth . . . " - journal of Alexander Forrest, who prudently named the river after WA Governor Sir Harry St George Ord The Kimberley was the first part of Australia to be settled by humans, maybe 65,000 years ago, and the Miriwoong are their descendants in the area they call Goonoonooram, "river". It was this River Ord, 651 km long, that grabbed the attention of the first European explorers, led by Alexander Forrest in 1879.
You can walk around town, but it's damned hot, and even reaching Elephant Rock needs a car. Driving around town is laid-back, with few other cars, no traffic lights, and free parking. Other nations spurn "give way" and "stop" signs in a spirit of aggression, but here it's a languid view that braking would be sort-of nice but we can't be bothered right now. Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Kununurra and Thrifty, all based at the airport but you could probably negotiate a pick-up downtown. Hertz no longer operate here.
Sunset and sunrise are the best times to view natural features: it's cooler, the low slanting light fires the rocks into luminous orange, and there's more wildlife about. But at sunset think about the getting back, and don't be caught out on rough unfamiliar ground when darkness falls. Celebrity Tree Park is the triangle between Victoria Highway, Lily Creek Lagoon, and Kimberland on Old Darwin Rd. A park has existed since 1984, but filming of the 2008 film Australia brought a celebrity crowd to town and each celeb planted a different species of tree.
What's going on? Read Kimberley Echo, published Thursdays. Or listen to Redwave Media Spirit on 102.5 FM. Leisure Centre, 115 Coolibah Drive (next to Visitor Centre), ☏ +61 8 9168 2120. Mon-Thu 5AM-8PM, Fri 6AM-6PM, Sat Sun 9AM-5PM. There's a gym, but the main draws are the outdoor 6-lane 25 m swimming pool and the children's water play areas. (updated Jul 2024) Footy: Ord River Magpies men and women play Australian rules football in the amateur leagues, at Ivanhoe Rd next to the KAS Showgrounds. 1 Lake Kununurra Golf Club, Lakeview Drive, ☏ +61 8 9169 1055, naga@westnet.com.au.
Hotel restaurants generally have the best fare. Among the offerings are dishes of crocodile, kangaroo and barramundi; if only someone would invent a culinary use for the cane toad. Fresh local fruit and veg are abundant in season, such as Kensington Pride mangos September-December. Then all of a sudden they're gone, and what's on the supermarket shelf or in the restaurant meal has spent most of a week in a refrigerated truck. Boab nut is worth a try. Boab trees start to fruit in October, and in January the mature nut drops to the ground. The nuts are too high to pick from a branch, so you need to search for an intact one among the litter of smashed shells left by birds.
If there is one thing that Kununurra residents do well, it's drink. As with food, the better drinking holes are in hotel restaurant bars, most of which are licensed to allow you to drink without purchasing a meal. Any establishment with the word bar in the name is a safe bet. Though the usual street drinking laws are still enforced, you are unlikely to be hassled by the local constabulary if you are having a quiet one while lounging on a rock with a good view. Occasionally, bottle shops are prohibited to sell full strength beer, wine and spirits till after 7PM, whenever the local police deem that a community event will be marred by availability of booze during the day.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Kununurra typically sees ~37°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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