Darwin to Broome Cycle Tour

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Darwin -Meeting Day-Arrive by 2pm Latest

   Darwin is a fascinating tropical city -a melting pot of people and cultures that prides itself on its unique and friendly laid-back lifestyle. While a sophisticated, modern city in its own right, it is also one steeped in history, being on the front line of both WWII and Cyclone Tracy, which left the town uninhabitable. It has bounced back on both occasions to become the vibrant capital that it is today. Get here early to enjoy the history, aboriginal art scene and excellent hospitality.

   This afternoon at 3pm you will have an essential safety briefing and as well as a bike-check. It is important that this is attended by all cyclists. In the evening, join staff and fellow riders at a nearby restaurant for your welcome dinner. Both dinner and accommodation are included in your tour price.
   

   • Local Accommodation
   • Dinner
2. Day 2Darwin to Annaburroo / Mary River

   The Ride begins! And what a day to start off with -filled to the brim with highlights, action and adventure. Riding out of Darwin, you'll follow the quiet back roads as they open up to the Top-End landscape and its iconic burnt patches from recent dry season fires and the fresh green growth of Darwin Woolly-butt, Stringy Bark, and bloodwood trees that follow.

   At 50km (31mi) you'll stop in at the gorgeous Berry Springs Nature Park, a popular swimming and picnic area with several pools and a small waterfall fed by crystal clear spring water and surrounded by natural bush. You'll be given as much time as possible here for a longer-than-usual morning tea break for you to refresh before turning northeast and rolling out another 50km (31mi) before the lunch stop at Wak Wak. Here, you can enjoy the famous 'Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise' -yes, the one that you have seen on TV where the croc jumps out of the water to eat the dangling meat held out on a stick by a Park Ranger.

   This afternoon you are on the home straight with the last 50km (31mi) into Annaburroo where you can kick back and relax at the Mary River Wilderness Retreat -a friendly and welcoming retreat with lovely grounds, lots of birdlife and a couple of swimming pools to choose from as you relax into your afternoon. Tonight, you will have a nightly group briefing and dinner together to celebrate the first day on the bike and the start of your top-end journey.
   

   • 92 miles
   • Mary River Wilderness Retreat
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

   • 

     Only in Australia!

     Go on tour and experience some iconic attractions

   • 

     Mary Wilderness River Retreat

     Relax in the natural surroundings of this welcoming retreat

   • 

     Mary Wilderness Retreat

     Relax in the natural surroundings of this welcoming retreat

   • 

     Mary Wilderness Retreat

     Relax in the natural surroundings of this welcoming retreat

3. Day 3Annaburroo to Ubirr

   Today is the day that you enter Kakadu! You'll start the day a little further up the road to give ourselves a head start and allow us to get deeper into Kakadu. There is magic in the air as you find yourself immersed in this region of natural beauty and ancient cultural history. The kilometres will sail past as you follow the bitumen that winds through the famous Australian outback landscape. It is something special to be cycling in the outback - the vast sky and land, the harsh environment, the tough animals that somehow survive out here, and the plant life that has adapted to the location. It looks great from the road, but you know that hiding behind it all are the stunning natural treasures that you will discover in the coming days as you work your way through Kakadu.

   You'll stop at Jabiru for morning tea before continuing north along the Arnhem Hwy to the stunning rock art location of Ubirr and Nadab Lookout for lunch (don’t forget your camera). The overnight accommodation is Cooinda Lodge at Yellow Water. With a relaxed resort atmosphere, take a dip in the pool, check out the local crafts in the store or kick back at the bar.

   • 52.8 miles
   • Cooinda Lodge, Yellow Water
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

   • 

     Begin the journey through Kakadu

     Ride into this untouched part of the outback

   • 

     Cooinda Lodge Kakadu

     Enjoy your overnight stay at this lodge with its inviting shaded swimming pool, bistro-style dining and cosy rooms.

   • 

     Cooinda Lodge

     Enjoy your overnight stay at this lodge with its inviting shaded swimming pool, bistro-style dining and cosy rooms.

   • 

     Cooinda Lodge

     Enjoy your overnight stay at this lodge with its inviting shaded swimming pool, bistro-style dining and cosy rooms.

4. Day 4Jabiru to Yellow Water

   This morning you'll be transferred to Jabiru to complete the ride back to Yellow Water via Nourlangie Rock, famous for indigenous rock art. Again, the scenery from the road is beautiful and so unique to this part of the world. Back home at Cooinda Lodge you can enjoy more of this village style property located beneath a canopy of trees beside Yellow Water Billabong. This is the home to world-renowned Yellow Water Cruises, which we will enjoy at sunset together (included in your tour price), viewing crocodiles (from a safe distance!) and birds on the flood plain amongst Paperbark, Pandanus and Fresh Water Mangroves - it's spectacular.

   • 47.2 miles
   • Cooinda Lodge
   • Breakfast and Dinner

   • 

     Cooinda Lodge Kakadu

     Enjoy your overnight stay at this lodge with its inviting shaded swimming pool, bistro-style dining and cosy rooms.

   • 

     Cooinda Lodge

     Enjoy your overnight stay at this lodge with its inviting shaded swimming pool, bistro-style dining and cosy rooms.

   • 

     Cooinda Lodge

     Enjoy your overnight stay at this lodge with its inviting shaded swimming pool, bistro-style dining and cosy rooms.

5. Day 5Yellow Water to Pine Creek

   You will hit the road early, pushing through the kilometres out of Kakadu National Park and towards State Highway One, The Stuart Highway. This is the main road through the middle of the country, starting in Darwin in the north, travelling down through the Red Centre and Alice Springs, into South Australia to Port Augusta near Adelaide. Named after Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart, who was the first European to cross Australia from south to north.

   As you reach the Stuart Highway, you will also reach Pine Creek, the overnight stop. This was the scene of a gold rush in the 1870s from which some timber and iron buildings still remain today. Worth a visit are the Railway Museum and the Old Repeater Station.
   

   • 103.8 miles
   • Pine Creek
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
6. Day 6Pine Creek to Katherine (via Katherine Gorge)

   The busy Stuart Highway joins Pine Creek to Katherine, but this will not be the cycling route today as the group opts instead for more serene surrounds. Firstly, a transfer and ride in and out of Edith Falls, a beautiful swimming and camping area with lovely paperbark and pandanus-fringed pools where you will stop for morning tea. The group will then leap forward to the bustling town of Katherine, sitting proudly next to the Katherine River, where you will cycle out on the quieter roads to Katherine Gorge / Nitmiluk National Park. Have a look around and get a feel for the place as you can come out here again tomorrow to do some touring if you wish.

   By the time you are back in town you will have had the option to ride 40km (24.8mi), 70km (43.4mi) or 100km (62.1mi). Named by explorer John McDouall Stuart on his third and final attempt of his trans-continental crossing, Katherine has long been a stopping point with the first permanent running water for thousands of kilometres for those travelling up from the south. The Katherine River is a mixed blessing however, causing plenty of floods and leaving the watermark up to 2m (6.5ft) high on buildings all over town, as well as stories of crocodiles swimming down the main street. When you cross the bridge, which crosses one of the thirteen stunning gorges of the Katherine River your mind will boggle at how much water must pass through here to cause a wet season flood.
   

   • 60.3 miles
   • Local Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Dinner
7. Day 7Katherine - Rest Day or end of Stage 1/Start of Stage 2

   Today is the end of Stage One and the start of Stage Two so some cyclists may be coming and going today as they finish or begin their tour with the group. For those who are here all day the tour operator will be offering transfers to Nitmiluk National Park/Katherine Gorge where you can canoe, cruise and swim between sheer cliffs to the sandy freshwater beaches of the main gorges, and view ancient Aboriginal rock paintings high on the rock faces. Waterfalls and rock pools are found along walking tracks and for those looking for some high-time excitement; you can also explore the area by helicopter (activities are at your own cost). If pre-booking tours at the gorge, be aware that transfer times will have you arrive at Nitmiluk at approximately 9:30am and departure will be at 2:00pm. Please ensure that your tours fit into these times.

   There is also plenty to see in town, visit the Katherine School of the Air, the Outback Heritage Museum or relax by the natural spring-fed crystal-clear pool of the Katherine Hot Springs set in picturesque surroundings with lush green lawns, shady paperbarks and pandanus palms.

   For those who just cannot stay off the bike, the tour operator recommends a visit to Springvale Homestead, 8 kilometres (4.9mi) south-west of Katherine and the oldest original homestead in the Territory, built-in 1879 by Alfred Giles the former Overland Telegraph linesman.
   

   • Local Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Dinner
8. Day 8Katherine to Mathison Rest Area (overnight Katherine)

   You'll be back on the bike after a great rest at Katherine and it’s here that you'll leave the Stuart Highway which is southbound headed for Port Augusta and Adelaide. You will take the Victoria Highway which will point you westward towards WA and Broome. This section takes you into both dry and beautiful country with some nice undulations -as you get into your rhythm it won’t be long before you reach Mathison Rest Area which is where you'll pull up for the day and transfer back to Katherine for another night of comfort before you head out into the remote expanses of western NT.
   

   • 64 miles
   • Katherine Accommodation
   • Breakfast and Lunch
9. Day 9Mathison Rest Area to Victoria River (overnight Timber Creek)

   This morning you'll pack up your gear after breakfast and head back to Mathison rest area to recommence riding along the Victoria Highway. Gentle to flat grades take you through open and arid spinifex grasslands, until entering Gregory National Park within 40 kms (24.8mi) of Victoria River Gorge, where there are some fantastic long to moderate downhill sections. The highlight of the day is the scenery of flat-top mountains and the colourful gorge nearing Victoria River, Northern Territory’s largest River.

   Victoria River Roadhouse is a friendly place with a stunning backdrop of the red Stokes Range where you will stop for the day and enjoy lunch. Due to limited accommodations here, the group will be transferred to Timber Creek for a night of accommodation. Timber Creek is a small outback town with huge Boab trees lining the main street. There are some nice walks, a lookout, a museum at the old police station ruins and a river tour (at own expense).
   

   
   

   • 57.2 miles
   • Victoria River Roadhouse
   • Breakfast and Dinner
10. Day 10Victoria River to Timber Creek

    This morning head back to Victoria River to start the ride and cyclists will be rewarded with a superb and generally easy ride alongside the colourful Victoria River Gorge within Gregory National Park as it continues for another 8 km (4.9mi) leading out into open country. It is mostly flat riding apart from a gentle 4 km (2.4mi) climb at about the 58 km (36mi) mark near Kuwang Lookout, which overlooks the plains to distant mountains. From here it’s on to Timber Creek where you can keep an eye out for the rare and colourful Gouldian Finch as the area is home to 70 mating pairs. For those who consider themselves a tweeter there is even a bird hide on the Timber Creek Heritage Trail.

    • 55.9 miles
    • Local Accommodation
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
11. Day 11Timber Creek to Saddle Creek (overnight Timber Creek)

    It is a beautiful ride leaving Timber Creek alongside the Gregory River. Named after Augustus Charles Gregory who was the first European to see the magnificent country you will be riding through. Setting off on foot he completed the first trip across northern Australia from west to east, in the mid-1850s. He completed eight thousand kilometres overland, by the time he reached Moreton Bay, on the Pacific Coast amazingly without loss of life to his crew of six. Both the Boab tree (Adansonia Gregorii), and the National Park here, are named in his honour.

    Out this way there is no accommodation at all so everyone will head back to Timber Creek for the night.
    

    • 73.3 miles
    • Tinder Creek accommodation
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
12. Day 12Saddle Creek to Kununurra

    The morning brings a transfer back to our stopping point yesterday. The Boab trees that seem to have so much character in their squat, plump, almost human shapes, will now have become a frequent roadside highlight. Over the last two days, you will have noticed some beautiful examples with many trees over 2000 years old. These trees were just as big and impressive when Gregory and his expedition team passed through this country over 150 years ago. At around 69 kms (42.8mi)  you'll arrive at the WA/NT border and must leave behind all fruit, vegetables, farming equipment and cane toads that you may be carrying with you. Then it is a short walk across the line and you will all become 1½ hours younger- adjustments should be made to your watches accordingly.

    Then it is a flat 40 km (24.8mi) ride that crosses ‘Golden Gate Bridge’ to Kununurra where you will rest up and enjoy the welcome change of a good size town with a beautiful resort hotel and plenty of things to do off the bike. Kununurra is a booming town on the eastern edge of the Kimberley. According to the Mirima Language Centre, the name is based on the Miriwoong word "Goonoonoorrang", which simply means large river, and the vast majority of the attractions here involve water... lots of water. And water means life, amazing flora, abundant wildlife and excellent fishing.
    

    • 69 miles
    • Local Accommodation
    • Breakfast and Dinner

    • 

      Marvel at the scenery

      See the wonderful boab trees that proliferate in this part of the world

13. Day 13Kununurra - Rest Day or end of Stage 2/Start of Stage 3

    Today you can either take it easy and enjoy the day –have a look around town, visit a mango farm, take a swim in the Lake, tune your bike or relax. Kununurra is about 300km (186mi) north of Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) and is a base for scenic flights out to this spectacular hidden area of world-renowned rock formations. Check out KingfisherTours - the tour operator suggests either tour number K1 or K2. There are a few highlights closer to town such as the Hidden Valley in Mirima National Park, which provides great views of the area and are similar, although much smaller, to the Bungle Bungle formations. If the landscape looks a little familiar, perhaps it is because the movie ‘Australia’ was filmed in the surrounding area.

    Today is also the end of StageTwo and the start of Stage Three so we may have a few cyclists coming and going as they finish or begin their tour.
    

    • Local Accommodation
    • Breakfast and Dinner

    • 

      Visit the Bungle Bungles

      You'll have the chance to fly to this beautiful landmark during the tour

14. Day 14Kununurra to Doon Doon Roadhouse

    The Kimberley covers an area larger than the state of Victoria and has a population of only 38,000; it is pristine and virtually untouched. With only one sealed road passing through one of the world’s largest true wildernesses, the route is clear. It is a scenic route out of Kununurra, crossing the dam bridge, a vital part of the Ord River scheme, which provides the water that gave rise to the town’s existence. After crossing the Durham River Bridge an initial short climb morphs into a longer moderate climb bringing you eventually into gently undulating to flat country, including a 7 km (4.3mi) gentle downhill!

    After 45km (28.9mi) you reach the turnoff for the Great Northern Highway which you will follow to Broome. Tonight, you will stay at the Doon Doon Roadhouse with lush green lawns and fantastic, recently constructed facilities. Even though this is a designated camping night, we will have a number of cabins available so some may be able to upgrade their camping to cabin accom for a small fee (availability TBC).
    

    • 65.9 miles
    • Doon Doon Roadhouse
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
15. Day 15Doon Doon to Warmun Roadhouse

    Today you will ride a short distance west of the world-famous Argyle Diamond mine which was the world's largest single producer of diamonds, producing approximately 20 million carats each year. Argyle has produced more than 865 metric carats of diamonds since 1985, the majority of which are truly rare and beautiful pink diamonds – the mine’s signature stone – destined for the jewellery industry. Though the mine still holds ample reserves of diamonds, mining ceased in November 2020. The decommissioning and demolition will take three to five years and the land will be returned to Traditional Owners as the custodians of Country.

    You will finish today's ride at Warmun Roadhouse, which began life as a stopping point for travellers moving to and from the Halls Creek goldfields. Drinks were laid out on racks and covered with wet hessian sacks to provide travellers who could pay, often in gold, a somewhat cool beverage. Those days are now long gone with good facilities and accommodation now the norm. There are two recommended activities to fill your afternoon: a flight over the Bungle Bungles in a helicopter, which can be booked on arrival (at own expense), and/or the aboriginal art centre based in Warmun community only 2km (1.2mi) south of the roadhouse. The art here is unique, using only traditional ochres and pigments. The centre is wholly owned and managed by the artists with 100% of the income from sales going back into the community.
    

    • 56.5 miles
    • Warmun Roadhouse
    • Breakfast and Dinner

    • 

      Visit the Bungle Bungles

      You'll have the chance to fly to this beautiful landmark during the tour

16. Day 16Warmun to Halls Creek

    Today you will be riding parallel to the Wunaamin-Miliwundi Range (recently renamed from King Leopold Ranges) even small hills provide you with stunning vantage views of the region. Over billions of years, the Kimberley landscape has been sculpted by violent tropical storms, ice ages and inland seas creating a unique environment like nothing else on the planet. Halls Creek is famous for Western Australia’s first gold discovery in 1885. In the following two years over 10,000 men landed in the Kimberley in the hope of finding gold. Others walked across from Queensland and up through the Tanami desert from Alice Springs. Nobody knows how many died along the waterless stretches, or at crocodile-infested rivers. For those who did make it to the goldfields, the conditions were extremely tough and while many walked away with nothing, a few become heroes. One was Russian Jack, whose mate got seriously ill and with the nearest doctor in Wyndham, he loaded his mate in a wheelbarrow and pushed him 300 km (186mi) to the port. In 1955 what was left of the town was moved 15 kms (9.3mi) north, next to the airport and the proposed highway.

    In 1956 the last camel train left the town bringing an end to the old times and with the sealing of the Great Northern Highway the town has become quite modern and grown again to over 1500 people to support the surrounding pastoral and mining industries.
    

    • 101.3 miles
    • Local Accommodation
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
17. Day 17Halls Creek to Larrawa Station Camp

    Travelling east along the most southern section of the ride hopefully, you will have the prevailing winds pushing you along as you cycle through this ancient landscape. The ranges you will see throughout your ride today are some of the oldest in the world. Once giant mountain systems like those of the Himalayas, the ranges have been eroded down over many 100’s of millions of years to what geologists describe today as the skeletons of the earth.

    Tonight is a designated camp night but they are good tents that you can stand up in, furnished with a proper bed. Larrawa Station is a relaxing location with gorgeous birdlife and waterholes, including well-maintained share toilet facilities and showers. With the cool clear nights of the dry season and being so close to the Tanami desert, we should have a beautiful night to experience the bright outback skies.
    

    
    

    • 92 miles
    • Larrawa Station Camp
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
18. Day 18Larrawa Station to Fitzroy Crossing

    Today is another long day in the saddle and the road will lead you through the southern Kimberley, over 400 kms (248.5mi) inland, and bordering one of Australia’s largest deserts - the Great Sandy Desert. On the other side of the Cummins Range, thousands of sand dunes stretch out for what appears like a never-ending horizon of sand. It is also where the Canning Stock Route winds 2,000 kms (1,242mi) south through some of the world’s most inhospitable country.

    Fitzroy Crossing is set on the banks of the mighty Fitzroy River and has seen its share of wet season floods, the last in early 2021. Problems with erosion from the river continue as the town and government try to find solutions. Look at the photos in the reception area and you will see why the building sits up on a small hill. The original town site is worth a visit, either today or on your rest day tomorrow. The town’s claim to fame comes from the legendary Crossing Inn, built in 1897 as a shanty inn and trade store for the locals and those long-distance travellers waiting to ford the Fitzroy River, which sometimes took months! With a new higher bridge built in 1974, the focus of the town grew away from its original site.

    
    

    • 87 miles
    • Local Accommodation
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
19. Day 19Fitzroy Crossing - Rest Day

    Today you will have a day off the bike with the possibility of enjoying a day trip to Windjana Gorge & Tunnel Creek. It is in this location that the amazing true story of Bunuba man, Jandamarra, came to be and you'll get to see the places he went to during his three-year warfare with settlers and authorities. He was only in his mid-twenties when he was gunned down in 1897, but in his short life, he created a legacy that will never be forgotten. Jandamarra travelled like a bird through his country to the anger and frustration of the troopers who seemed to forever be chasing this elusive man. Even worse was when Jandamarra would sneak into the police officer’s camp, steal their flour and sprinkle it on the ground leaving only his footprints behind. The police officers would wake knowing that he could have taken their lives, but instead he chose to make fun of them. This day tour follows the storyline through Windjana Gorge to its finale in Tunnel Creek with a local indigenous elder.

    • Local Accommodation
    • Breakfast
20. Day 20Fitzroy Crossing to Ellendale (overnight Fitzroy Crossing)

    Before you head out from Fitzroy Crossing today, you will visit the astonishing Geike Gorge which has been carved by the Fitzroy River through part of an ancient limestone barrier reef which snakes across the west Kimberley. It was laid down in an ancient sea that covered a large part of the Kimberley in Devonian times, some 350 million years ago. The result today is a spectacular gorge famed for its sheer white and grey walls, abundant wildlife and awesome boat tours.

    After an early morning tour you will ride out of Fitzroy Crossing with a new appreciation and understanding of the local area, names and places as you head to Ellendale. Again our destination is only a roadside stop/rest area so we will head back to Fitzroy Crossing for a third night of accommodation.
    

    • 55.3 miles
    • Accommodation at Fitzroy Crossing
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
21. Day 21Ellendale to Willare Bridge Roadhouse

    Long straight sections of the road lead you to your overnight accommodation. Often the prevailing easterlies can get quite strong along here in the mornings and the kilometres seem to disappear over the flat road. With the Great Sandy Desert only 50 km (31mi) away on the other side of the Fitzroy River, the vegetation is predominately grasslands, however there are Boab trees, which dot the landscape like resting giants. Aboriginals used the giants as shelter, food and medicine. For the white settlers, they served as easily recognisable landmarks and meeting points, and impromptu prison cells. There is a particularly large Boab a few metres from the road where you will have a break that has a girth close to 20 metres (65ft) and is at least 1,500 years old.

    Willare Bridge Roadhouse is in the heartland of Yeeda cattle country. A place where local cattlemen and travellers stop for a drink and a meal as they enjoy the incredible Kimberley. With a store, restaurant, swimming pool and beer garden, it's a great place to be after a long day on the bike
    

    • 88.9 miles
    • Willare Bridge Roadhouse
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

    • 

      Willaire Bridge Roadhouse

      Unwind after a day of cycling in comfortable accommodations

    • 

      Willaire Bridge Roadhouse

      Unwind after a day of cycling in comfortable accommodations

22. Day 22Willare Bridge to Broome

    The last stretch into Broome crosses some interesting lagoons with birdlife. Keep a lookout for the long-legged Brolga crane, Australia’s most stately bird. It is pale grey with red markings on the face and can sometimes be seen performing an elegant dance. Hard to miss are the Jabiru, Australia’s only stork and one of the largest birds here standing 1.5m (4.9ft) tall and with a massive 2.3m (7.5ft) wingspan. The head and neck colour is an amazing glossy, shimmery, black with blue, green and purple.

    After Roebuck Plains Roadhouse the roads becomes more moderately undulating. With only 30 km (18.6mi) to go all that is left is pumping those legs till Broome! You made it! What an amazing 3 weeks across the Top End. Tonight, you will celebrate with a group farewell dinner.
    

    • 103.1 miles
    • Broome Accommodation
    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
23. Day 23Broome –End of Tour

    Have a sleep in -you deserve it! There are plenty of places around town or at the hotel to grab some breakfast or brunch. Do it in your own time - there is no schedule for today...Broome is well worth spending a few days if you have the time, as there is plenty to see. Why not bring the family up to meet you after your big ride?

    Broome highlights: Relax down on beautiful Cable Beach - famous for its pristine white sand and sunset camel rides, Art galleries specialising in local and indigenous art, The Historical Society Museum - one of the best regional museums in Australia, Dinosaur footprints laid down over 120 million years old can be seen on very low tides, the Japanese Cemetery - final resting place for over 900 Japanese pearl divers, Sun Pictures Outdoor Theatre -opening in 1916 and believed to be the oldest operating picture garden in the world, Willie Creek Pearl Farm -demonstrations of the intricate process of cultured pearling and live oyster seeding. And if you're really lucky, you might even get a glimpse of the stairway to heaven!
    

    • Breakfast