lets go campervan hire kimberley: red dirt, big gaps and better camps

The sealed run from Broome to Kununurra is about 1,044 km via Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek. On a map it looks like a tidy line. On the ground it is heat shimmer, single-lane bridges, wandering cattle and the odd triple road train making your mirrors feel very small.

For a lets go campervan kimberley trip, 10 to 14 days is sensible for a one-way Broome-to-Kununurra or Kununurra-to-Broome run. If you want to return the vehicle where you started, allow 18 to 21 days unless your idea of a holiday is eating servo sandwiches while arguing with the GPS.

• 7 days: possible, but rushed; stick to Broome, Derby and Fitzroy Crossing.
• 10-14 days: good for the sealed Kimberley spine with Lake Argyle or Wyndham.
• 18-21 days: better for a return drive, rest days, laundry and not hating each other.
• Wet season: November to April can bring road closures, flooding and 35-40°C days with humidity.

Do plan driving days around early starts. Do not schedule 500 km afternoons in December and expect the air-con, the driver and the fridge to stay cheerful.

The Great Northern Highway and Victoria Highway route through the Kimberley is sealed and suits most 2WD campervans and motorhomes. That is the sensible backbone for many self-drivers, especially if you are travelling in a larger motorhome with lower clearance and more kitchen drawers than suspension travel.

The Gibb River Road is the famous one: roughly 660 km of unsealed station country between Derby and the Kununurra/Wyndham side. It is not automatically fair game just because the van has chunky-looking tyres in the brochure. Many hired campervans are not permitted on unsealed roads except short access tracks to recognised campgrounds, and breaches can void cover.

• Gibb River Road: 4WD-approved vehicles only, with written permission from the hire operator.
• Purnululu National Park: 53 km access track from the highway; 4WD only and not suitable for caravans or low-clearance motorhomes.
• Cape Leveque Road: much improved and largely sealed, but side tracks still vary after rain.
• Station tracks: conditions change fast; corrugations eat tyres, crockery and patience.

If you book a lets go motorhome kimberley trip, match the vehicle to the roads you actually plan to drive. Do not assume a motorhome can follow every Instagram pin with a waterfall in it.

Kimberley distances are not theoretical. Derby to Fitzroy Crossing is about 258 km. Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek is about 289 km. Halls Creek to Kununurra is about 358 km, and headwinds can make a loaded van drink more than expected. Remote fuel can also sit well above city pricing, so topping up early is cheaper than learning humility beside an empty bowser.

Most campervan fresh-water tanks hold roughly 80-120 litres, but in hot country that disappears quickly once you add showers, dishes and drinking water. Carry extra drinking water in separate containers, especially if you are using free camps without taps.

• Fuel rule: fill at every major town once you drop below half a tank.
• Water rule: carry at least 5 litres per person per day for drinking, more in hotter months.
• Dump points: plan around Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham.
• LPG: swap or refill availability is best in larger towns; do not leave it until a tiny roadhouse at 5 pm.

Do use proper dump points for toilet cassettes and grey-water where required. Do not empty anything into the bush because nobody is watching; plenty of places are on pastoral leases, Aboriginal land or managed conservation areas.

In the dry season, the Kimberley fills with grey nomads, Big Lappers, school-holiday families and the occasional German couple who have already driven more corrugations than you. Powered sites in Broome, Kununurra and Lake Argyle can book out weeks ahead from June to August, especially for larger motorhomes needing easy access.

Free camping exists, but it is not a blanket permission to camp wherever the sunset looks expensive. Some rest areas allow 24-hour stops, some do not, and local signs matter. National park camping in WA usually needs online booking, and standard park entry fees are commonly around $17 per vehicle, with camping charged separately per person.

• Powered holiday parks: best for air-con, laundry, battery charging and topping up water.
• Unpowered sites: fine if your fridge, batteries and solar are behaving.
• Free camps: arrive early, leave no rubbish, and expect toilets rather than luxuries.
• National parks: book ahead online and check generator rules before you rely on one.

Do keep a paid powered night every few days in your plan. Do not treat free camps as a dumping ground or a private festival site; rangers and other travellers have long memories.

Broome is the soft landing: Cable Beach sunsets, groceries, bottle-o, laundry and a chance to find which cupboard rattles before you are 300 km from help. Derby gives you the tidal wharf, boab country and the last sensible pause before Gibb Road decisions get real.

Fitzroy Crossing is the base for Danggu Geikie Gorge when seasonal access and tours are running. Halls Creek is not a resort town, but it is an important fuel, food and recovery stop. Kununurra is where the country opens into water, ranges and day-trip options, with Lake Argyle around 70 km away and Wyndham about 100 km from town.

• Broome: first-night shakedown, supplies and beach time.
• Derby: tides, boabs and Gibb River Road decision point.
• Fitzroy Crossing: gorge country and a practical overnight between long legs.
• Halls Creek: fuel stop with access towards Purnululu turn-off for approved 4WD vehicles.
• Kununurra: Lake Argyle, Mirima National Park and Ord River country.

Do build in slow mornings for short local drives and walks. Do not try to bolt every waterfall, gorge and lookout onto one hire period unless you have the right vehicle and enough days.

The Kimberley dry season, roughly May to September, is the sweet spot: cooler nights, more open roads and enough fellow travellers to make a lonely rest area feel less like a horror film. It is also peak demand, so the best vehicle sizes and powered sites go early.

Before booking lets go campervan hire kimberley travel, check the one-way options, vehicle height and length, bedding setup, fridge power, toilet cassette, awning rules and whether any unsealed-road use is permitted. A high-roof camper may be brilliant to live in and awkward under low trees at older campgrounds.

• Vehicle height: know it before entering caravan parks, carparks or tree-heavy sites.
• Tyres: check pressure and condition before long hot runs.
• Road reports: Main Roads WA and local shire updates matter after rain.
• Supplies: stock up in Broome or Kununurra; small-town shelves can be patchy.

Do check availability online as soon as your dates are firm. Do not book the smallest van purely to save space in the budget if you will be living in it for two hot weeks with wet towels and red dust.