The Kimberley and Broome
The Kimberley and Broome
Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy Crossing is not a big town, but it has a big past and is the stopping off point for visitors on their way to the Kimberley's biggest attractions. It is also surrounded by some of Australia's biggest and best pastoral properties. No visit to Fitzroy Crossing is complete without a drive out to the original town site. There you will find the legendary Crossing Inn, built in 1897 as a shanty inn and trade store. Here you can hear yarns about the awesome power of the Fitzroy in flood. Fitzroy Crossing was the base for the search for the famous Aboriginal outlaw, Pigeon and his gang at the end of the last century.
The Fitzroy River in flood is an incredible sight and it is one of the largest rivers in the world. In 1935, Fitzroy got its first bridge which was built up into a wider bridge in 1958. This bridge, however, could be closed for months at a time during wet weather and then, intrepid travellers were treated to the experience of a flying fox which operated about 200 metres south of the crossing! When a new bridge was erected in 1974, the focus of the town grew away from its original site. The new Fitzroy Crossing is one of the fastest growing town sites in the Kimberley due to Aboriginal resettlement, mining and tourism.
Anyone serious about exploring the National Parks will find Fitzroy Crossing the ideal base. It's less than three hours drive from Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge. Geikie Gorge is a short 20 minute drive and all are popular with visitors. The parks nearest to Fitzroy Crossing feature parts of a massive Devonian reef, 350 million years old, which rises out of the flat plain and inspires photographers and artists from all over the world. The Department of Conservation and Land Management offers a fascinating boat cruise through the Geikie Gorge which offers an insight into the ancient reef's wildlife, geological history and Aboriginal culture.
In Fitzroy Crossing there are several interesting experiences for visitors some of which include the Pioneer Cemetery, the old Fitzroy Crossing Police Station which now houses the Department of Conservation and Land Management and, of course, the historic Crossing Inn. The Tarunda Supermarket is open seven days a week but only in the mornings on the weekend and there are two Roadhouses in the town.
