If you were to design the perfect off-road route on a drawing board, it would probably look just like the Gibb River Road.

Between Broome and Kununurra, this gravel road winds its way through breathtaking scenery.

The Gibb River Road begins east of Broome, a little south of Derby, where it branches off Highway 1. From there you head towards Windjana Gorge National Park, where hundreds of freshwater crocodiles bask on the banks of the many waterholes. The bats at Tunnel Creek, on the other hand, are rather shy of the light: they live in a 750-metre tunnel that you can follow along the creek to the other side of the Napier Range. After nightfall they swarm out into the starlit sky – a sight that soon sets you dreaming. A particularly memorable way to explore the region is a day tour with Aboriginal guides from Bungolee Tours, following in the footsteps of the resistance fighter Jandamarra.

The journey continues via Lennard Gorge – where an inconspicuous walking trail at the end of the off-road track leads to a steep escarpment with impressive waterfalls – to Bell Gorge, considered the most beautiful gorge of the entire road trip. Here, water cascades over U-shaped cliffs straight into a pool that is simply made for cooling off on hot days.

Waterfalls from a bird’s-eye view

Galvans Gorge is somewhat easier to reach than the gorges you have explored so far. After a short walk you arrive at an idyllic waterhole in the shade of exotic boab trees, whose roots somehow manage to cling to the steep cliffs. Next comes a visit to Manning Gorge with its ancient, intricate Aboriginal paintings, before you leave the Gibb and arrive at the Mitchell Plateau. Drysdale River Station makes a good base for excursions to Surveyors Pool and the nearby rivers. A scenic flight also opens up magnificent views over the Mitchell Falls and the picturesque coastline.

On the eastern edge of the Kimberley you reach El Questro Wilderness Park. The four large river systems that run through the area sustain a wide variety of fish and birds. Boat trips in Chamberlain Gorge take visitors through tropical vegetation and past Wandjina rock art. On a horse ride with one of the El Questro rangers, you stand a good chance of spotting wild horses, monitor lizards or sea eagles – and the rangers have an almost endless repertoire of outback stories to share.

The trees by the turquoise waterhole in Emma Gorge, their branches hung with countless butterflies, are an almost fairy-tale sight. Muscles a little strained by the bumpy drive can be treated to a waterfall massage at Emma Gorge Resort before your Gibb River Road adventure comes to an end in the small town of Kununurra.