The Kimberley is one of the last truly wild corners of the planet, and few things capture its raw beauty quite like its waterfalls. Fed by a dramatic wet season and shaped by some of the largest tides on earth, these cascades range from thundering tiered falls deep in the bush to a reef that pours like a waterfall as the ocean retreats. Many are remote and reachable only by air or sea, which is part of what makes seeing them so special.
Here are five of the Kimberley’s most spectacular waterfalls worth adding to your bucket list.
1. Horizontal Falls
Famously described by David Attenborough as one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, Horizontal Falls is unlike any waterfall you’ve seen. Tucked into Talbot Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago, it’s created when the region’s enormous tides force huge volumes of seawater through two narrow gorges, producing what looks like a waterfall flowing sideways. The effect reverses with the tide, so the falls are constantly changing.
Because of its remote location, the best way to experience Horizontal Falls is from the air, or by a combination of scenic flight and boat. Frontier Tours offers a range of Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef experiences departing from both Broome and Derby, from flyover-only flights to full-day adventures that include a landing and a powerboat ride through the gorge.
2. King George Falls
In the remote far north of the Kimberley, the twin cascades of King George Falls plunge around 80 metres into the gorge below, making them among the highest falls in Western Australia. Fed by the King George River, they are at their thundering best in the months following the wet season, when the volume of water tumbling over the red sandstone cliffs is simply breathtaking.
King George Falls sits a long way from the nearest town, so it’s most often experienced as part of an expedition cruise along the Kimberley coast or a dedicated scenic flight. However you reach it, the sheer scale of the gorge and the colour of the surrounding rock make it an unforgettable sight.
3. Mitchell Falls
Perhaps the most iconic waterfall image of the Kimberley, Mitchell Falls tumbles through four tiers across the Mitchell Plateau, with deep pools and ancient rock formations framing the scene.
Reaching Mitchell Falls overland involves a rugged 4WD journey and a walk through the bush, which is part of the adventure for those who make the trip. Many visitors choose to add a scenic flight over the plateau to take in the falls and the surrounding wilderness from above, where the four tiers reveal themselves in full.
4. Kings Cascades
On the Prince Regent River, Kings Cascades is a waterfall of a gentler kind, a wide, terraced rock face where water fans down over moss-covered ledges in delicate curtains. Surrounded by lush vegetation and mirrored in the still river below, it’s one of the most photographed spots on the Kimberley coast.
Kings Cascades is typically visited by river as part of a Kimberley expedition cruise, gliding right up to the base of the falls. The serene setting and the layered, garden-like rock face make it a striking contrast to the region’s more dramatic, high-volume cascades.
5. Montgomery Reef
Montgomery Reef isn’t a waterfall in the traditional sense, but it just might be the Kimberley’s most jaw-dropping water spectacle. As Australia’s largest inshore reef, it appears to rise out of the ocean as the huge tides drop, sending seawater cascading off its edges in countless miniature waterfalls. It’s a phenomenon you have to see to believe, and it’s home to turtles, dugongs, dolphins, reef sharks and an incredible array of marine life.
Montgomery Reef is at its most dramatic from the air, and is often combined with Horizontal Falls on a single tour. Frontier Tours includes the reef on a number of its Kimberley adventure tours from Broome and Derby, giving you a front-row seat to one of the region’s great natural wonders.
Seeing the Kimberley’s Waterfalls From Above
Part of the magic of the Kimberley’s waterfalls is just how remote and untouched they are. While some require an expedition cruise or a serious 4WD trip, two of the most spectacular, Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef, can be experienced on a single unforgettable day out from Broome or Derby, and both are at their breathtaking best from the sky.
Ready to see the Kimberley from a whole new angle? Browse and book a scenic flight online with Frontier Tours, or get in touch with the team to help plan the perfect waterfall adventure for your visit.
