Broome to Derby road trip: Distance, drive time and best stops

The Broome to Derby drive in Western Australia’s Kimberley region is 221km long, with a 2h14m driving time. Road trip attractions include the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park and Boab Prison Tree.

The Broome to Derby drive is a logical first leg if undertaking a road trip across Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region.

Broome and Derby are the two largest towns in the western end of the Kimberley, and both make good bases for further exploration.

Broome offers trips to natural wonder Horizontal Falls, sunset camel tours on Cable Beach, boat cruises to 120 million-year-old dinosaur footprints and pearl farm tours by helicopter. To check out a great range of Broome activities and tours, browse here. For Broome accommodation, book here.

Broome to Derby distance and driving time

The Broome to Derby drive is 221km in distance if tackled via the most direct route. This makes for a Broome to Derby driving time of two hours and 14 minutes.

Best 5 Broome day trips to book in advance

Horizontal Falls and Dampier Peninsula day tour – including speedboat ride and Buccaneer archipelago flight. (See other Horizontal Falls tour options here).
Dampier Peninsula 4WD tour – including Beagle Bay’s pearl shell church, Aboriginal communities & Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.
Fixed wing air tour – including Cape Leveque, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm & Horizontal Falls.
Windjana Gorge day tour – including the Tunnel Creek caves.
Epic full day combo – see Mitchell Falls, Horizontal Falls and the Dampier Peninsula in one trip.

The Broome to Derby drive starts out along the Broome Road before joining the Great Northern Highway at the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse. The Great Northern Highway is the name given to National Highway 1 in these parts.

At Willare, you need to branch off the Great Northern Highway onto the Derby Highway. Follow the Derby Highway past Derby Airport and you’ll quickly come to the town itself.

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Broome to Derby road trip attractions

The major problem with the Broome to Derby drive is that there’s really not much to see on the way. Road trip attractions in the Kimberley tend to come after Derby, not before.

The best things to do between Broome and Derby tend to cluster close to the towns.

On the way out of Broome, you can stop at the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park in Roebuck. This wildlife park offer crocodile feeding shows, as well as other Aussie creatures such as kangaroos, emus and snakes.

Broome to Derby drive: Boab Prison Tree

Alas, the next Kimberley road trip attraction of any note is on the outskirts of Derby. The Boab Prison Tree is a tree so big, it was once used to house prisoners.

Other things to do in Derby include scenic helicopter flights, tours to Horizontal Falls and the Mowanjum Museum.

Derby accommodation picks include the Boab Inn near Old Derby Gaol, the solid Mud Crab Motel and the pool-toting Spinifex Hotel.

Low tide at Derby Jetty, Western Australia — Low tide at Derby Jetty. Photo courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.

9 great Broome experiences to book today

1. Sunset camel ride – take in the changing colours of Cable Beach on camelback.
2. Horizontal Falls flight – see one of nature’s most extraordinary natural phenomena
3. Crocodile park visit – watch big crocs being fed up close.
4. Half hour helicopter ride – see the extraordinary red rock coastline from above
5. Dinosaur footprints adventure – including a wildlife spotting boat ride down Dampier Creek.
6. Sunset cruise – enjoy an Indian Ocean sunset with wine in hand
7. Windjana Gorge day trip – venture deeper into the rugged Kimberley.
8. Town tour – learn Broome’s fascinating history along the way.
9. Mud-crabbing experience – catch crabs in the mangroves then eat them after they’re cooked by a pro.

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Broome accommodation recommendations

There are plenty of places to stay in Broome – mostly scarily expensive. These are the best accommodation choices if they’re available on your dates.

For the best pool scene: Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa.
For Cable Beach location, but considerably cheaper: RAC Cable Beach Holiday Park.
For a good value, fairly central aparthotel: Moonlight Bay Suites.
For character, heritage and charm: Pinctada McAlpine House.