Ord River Cruise Kununurra: Lake Argyle and sunset

The first 15 kilometres is an exhilarating ride through the narrowest, fastest section of water.

The Ord River Discoverer Cruise departs Kununurra with hotel pickup, travels 70km across East Kimberley to Lake Argyle, stops at the Argyle Downs Homestead Museum, then boards a fast boat for a 55km scenic cruise back downriver to Kununurra, finishing with sunset. The tour runs six hours and includes fruit, pumpkin scones and a muffin; a live English-speaking guide leads throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lake Argyle cruise and scenic drive

• Collected from accommodation by coach
• Travel 70kms to Lake Argyle
• Visit Argyle Downs Homestead Museum
• Drive to Ord Top Dam
• Board boat for 55km cruise to Kununurra
• Enjoy wildlife and scenery on cruise
• Complete day with East Kimberley sunset

The Experience

Your day starts with pickup from your accommodation and a 70km coach drive across Durack country to Lake Argyle, where the landscape opens into the vast East Kimberley. You'll stop near the lake to visit the Argyle Downs Homestead Museum, a stone-by-stone reconstruction of the original Durack family homestead that now houses the region's history. After a short drive to the Ord Top Dam, you board the boat at the lake's edge with views back toward Kununurra already spreading out behind you.

The cruise covers 55km downriver, and the first 15 kilometres cuts through the narrowest, fastest-flowing section of water—an exhilarating stretch where the gorge country closes in and the speed picks up. Along the way, the outback unfolds in layers: waterways, gorge walls, and an eco-environment thick with birdlife and freshwater crocodiles. The boat slows enough to take in the scenery without losing the momentum that makes this section feel alive. By the time you reach Kununurra, the light has shifted toward the East Kimberley sunset, the reason this tour saves the river for the end of the day.

Fruit, pumpkin scones and a muffin come aboard, so you're fed without needing to arrange a separate meal stop. The guide is live and speaks English throughout, pointing out the wildlife and the geography as the day unfolds. Infants travel on an adult's lap, and the tour suits all fitness levels—most of the day you're seated, either in the coach or on the boat.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return to Kununurra.
• coach transport across East Kimberley to Lake Argyle.
• entry to the Argyle Downs Homestead Museum.
• fast-boat cruise down the Ord River.
• fruit, pumpkin scones and a muffin.
• live English-speaking guide throughout the day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Triple J Tours

Is this one for you?See Lake Argyle's inland expanse and the Ord River gorge in one day: a coach takes you up, then a boat brings you back downriver as the sun sets over the Kimberley.

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Top questions

What wildlife might I see on the Ord River cruise?

Freshwater crocodiles and birdlife thrive in the eco-environment along the river, and you'll see them from the boat as you cruise the 55km back to Kununurra.

How far is Lake Argyle from Kununurra, and what is there to do?

Lake Argyle is 70km from Kununurra by coach. You'll stop at the Argyle Downs Homestead Museum, a reconstructed stone homestead that holds the history of the Durack family and the region.

Is lunch included on this tour?

Fruit, pumpkin scones and a muffin are provided during the cruise; you'll want to have lunch before departure.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs six hours from pickup at your accommodation through the return to Kununurra.

What makes the boat ride exhilarating?

The first 15 kilometres of the cruise runs through the narrowest, fastest-flowing section of the Ord River, where the gorge closes in and the water moves with speed and power.