King George Falls & River

Nothing beats a new day breaking in the ancient King George River. The symphony of bird calls echoing through the gorge, schools of fish leaping and the roar of mighty waterfalls, are sights and sounds that will stay with you forever.

To the Balanggarra people, this is Oomarri: home to breathtaking gorges and Western Australia’s tallest duo of waterfalls that flow 300 feet over the edge of the escarpment.

This area is widely known as one of the most pristine, untouched wilderness areas on the planet and, no matter what time of year you visit, you’ll be spellbound by this magnificent gorge. At the tail end of the Wet Season (March), rain swells the King George River, turning it into a raging torrent that tumbles over the sandstone cliffs and into the tidal waters below. When King George Falls dry to a trickle during the Dry Season, boats are able to anchor close, sometimes directly beneath the falls. No matter when you come, the gorge itself is phenomenal and cruising through its towering walls is a once in a lifetime experience.

King George Falls: two seasons, two very different spectacles

Come early in the Kimberley cruise season, from March until as late as May (depending on when the last Wet Season storm blows through), and King George Falls can be a thundering wash-out of a waterfall. After monsoonal rains, the King George River surges towards the coast before plunging over the ancient sandstone cliffs in two enormous torrents.

Oomari (King George Falls) is Western Australia’s highest twin waterfalls, dropping into the tidal river below. The sheer volume of water can turn the gorge into a thundering, mist-filled spectacle.

Just imagine red cliffs, roaring water and an immense wilderness that can only be reached by boat or air.

By the Dry Season, usually from May to October (though, sometimes you can get some late Wet Season rain in May), the character of the King George Falls changes completely – but the experience is no less impressive. The great torrents diminish until the waterfalls may be little more than delicate ribbons of water trickling down the cliff face.

What remains is the extraordinary scale of the gorge itself: towering sandstone walls, ancient rock formations and the King George River carving deep through the landscape. Cruising towards the falls gives you time to appreciate just how remote this part of the Kimberley is, with the cliffs rising dramatically on either side of the boat. The waterfalls may quieten as the Dry Season progresses, but Oomari’s immense beauty remains.