Fact Sheets & Video - Derby

Geike Gorge

Geikie Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge are all part of an ancient 'barrier reef' which developed during the Devonian Period about 350 million years ago.

Geikie Gorge abounds in wildlife which includes the harmless Johnson crocodile as well as Leichhardt's sawfish and Coach-whip stingrays whose saltwater ancestors swam up the Fitzroy River millions of years ago. The Gorge has good camping facilities and caters for swimming and bushwalking activities.

Derby

Derby is a small town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia two hours north of Broome with a population of approximately 5000. With its friendly, easygoing outback character, it has become a popular stopover for visitors heading in to the gorge country of the vast north.

Derby offers a variety of air, land and sea experiences. Crabbing trips and sea safaris into the Buccaneer Archipelago depart from the unique Derby jetty. Saltwater crocodiles can often be seen from the vantage point of the jetty.

Broome

Set between a vast red desert and azure blue sea, alongside a pure white beach lies the charismatic town of Broome. Often called the gateway to the Kimberley, Broome was founded as a pearling port over a century ago and as a result, has become a melting pot of many nationalities.

The pearling industry still remains a vital part of Broome, proudly producing the world's finest pearls.

Shinju Matsuri is Japanese for "Festival of the Pearl", a Broome tradition that marks the close of the pearling season around the same time as the full moon in August -September.

Now in its 36th year the Festival brings the streets to life through the unique fusion of old and new communities and cultures complemented with a calendar of authentic and themed festivities.