Kununurra is your gateway to the Eastern-Kimberley region. Kununurra is located in the far northern part of Western Australia, around 45 kilometres from the border with the Northern Territory. The town is fed by a river runoff from the impressive Lake Argyle, located a 20-minute drive to the south of town. The freshwater of the region is conserved by the Ord River Diversion Dam and the main Ord River Dam. This allows access for the key farming industry of melons, mangoes and sugar cane, which is flown all around Australia and overseas. 

More recently, the region has capitalized on a thriving tourism industry with the incredible scenery of the East-Kimberley region, as well as Lake Argyle and the Ord River. There is no shortage of places to take your rental car in the area, with national parks and spectacular scenery in every direction out of town. The region has a strong Aboriginal Australian presence, with over 22% of the population made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. There are Aboriginal tours and art to enjoy, with tours held by traditional owners showcasing the history and art of the region.

The key to the area is getting lost in nature. The Bungle Bungle Range inside Purnululu National Park is top of everyone’s list. Take in freshwater springs, lakes, ancient forests and even older geological formations. See native animals from your car, or one of the many well-maintained walking trails.

Drive Your Rental Car to Bungle Bungle

One of the key reasons to head to northern Western Australia is the incredible nature and national parks of the region. The most famous is the Purnululu National Park, home to the Bungle Bungle Range. Bungle Bungle is an incredible geological land formation that has featured on many tourism ads and postcards over the decades. At nearly 240,000 hectares, the national park is one of the larger parks in Western Australia. The Bungle Bungle geological formations are due to Devonian-Age quartz sandstone that, over the period of 20 million years, eroded into the unique beehive-shaped structures we know today. To add to this beehive-like appearance, the formations also have striped bands of dark-grey rock known as cyanobacterial crust. These structures are entirely unique to Purnululu National Park. If you are in the park during rain, you can see the rock dramatically change colour; the position of the sun changes the colour of the rock, much like it does at Uluru.

Closer to Kununurra is the Mirima National Park, around a tenth of the size of Purnululu at just over 2,000 hectares - but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in spectacular beauty. Mirima has a special significance for the local Miriwoong people, with ceremonies still practised in the park today. Like Purnululu, Mirima has its known striped rock formations, this time by creek beds over 300 million years old. 

Both parks are full of unique flora, fauna and native Australian animals. See wallabies, dingoes, black kite birds, and white-quilled rock pigeons. 

Take Your Car Rental Around Town

There is plenty to see and eat in Kununurra with a rental car. The main centre of town is full of unique gifts to bring home, from Aboriginal art galleries to other bespoke crafts from local artists. With pubs, cafes, restaurants and a local distillery, there is plenty for your palate and stomach to enjoy during your time in town. 

From resorts to local pubs, the food is great, and getting takeaway to enjoy the sunset in a location of your choosing is even better.