Broome
How to get to Broome
Broome is considered the gateway to the Kimberley region and has an International Airport that is the regional hub of the north-western part of Western Australia. As the airport is located in the centre of town, it’s easy to get to your accommodation from there.
Please note that costs for flights and accommodation vary significantly, depending on when you travel to Broome.
| Peak tourist season (expensive) | dry season | from about April to October |
| Off season (less expensive) | wet season | from about October to March |
One-way flight costs
| FROM/TO | Airline | Cheapest* | Most Expensive* |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYD – BME | QANTAS | $390 Red e-Deal | $580 |
| Virgin | $545 (SYD-PER-BME) | $950 (SYD-BNE-PER-BME) | |
| MEL – BME | QANTAS | $382 Red e-Deal | $878 Flex |
| Virgin | $587 Econ Sale | $529 Econ |
*prices as at October 2019
How to find accommodation in Broome
There are a range of accommodation options in Broome. Please look at the following sites:
- The Broome Accommodation Facebook Page
- AirBnB for Broome
- Broome rentals, share houses and alternate accommodation
In the past, interns have also reached out to AirBnB hosts directly to organise a good price for an extended stay. Quite a few interns have also stayed at Notre Dame accommodation as well.
The following prices are based on 1 bedroom/1 guest.
| Website | Cheapest* | Most Expensive* |
|---|---|---|
| Broome Rentals, Share Houses & Alternate Accom | $200/week | $350/week (granny flat) |
| Kimberley Travellers Lodge YHA | $31/night (dorm) | $95/night (private) |
| Beaches of Broome | $24/night (dorm) | $100/night (private) |
| Cable Beach Backpackers | $20/night (dorm) | $90/night (private) |
| AirBnB | $63/night (1 bed) | $269/night (1 bed) |
*as at October 2019
Kununurra
How to get to Kununurra
There are flights to Kununurra from Perth, Darwin or Broome. It’s usually better to book all your flights through to Kununurra together, rather than booking the different segments separately. This means if one of your flights are delayed or cancelled, the airline will be responsible for putting you on the next flight. Qantas, Jetstar and Airnorth codeshare and you are able to book all these flights through Qantas. For example, you can book a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Darwin and then a connecting Airnorth flight Darwin to Kununurra all through Qantas. Virgin are also able to book connecting flights from the east coast to Perth and then onto Kununurra.
There is a Greyhound bus that runs from Darwin to Kununurra. The direct bus takes approximately nine hours but can be cheaper than flying. The bus does not operate every day. Please note that during the wet season (late November to February) flooding can occur in the Northern Territory, impacting on bus services. For more information on the bus service, go to: Greyhound Australia. For more information on the state of NT roads, go to https://roadreport.nt.gov.au/home.
Costs of travelling to Kununurra
As flight prices can increase quickly, it is recommended that you book your flights as soon as your internship is approved. The following prices for flights are based on booking four to six months in advance.
One-way flights
| From-To | Airline | Cheapest* | Most Expensive* |
|---|---|---|---|
| DRW - KNX | Airnorth | $127 Air Sale | $489 Air Flex |
| QANTAS | $209 Red e-Deal | $429 Flex | |
| PER - KNX | QANTAS | $429 Red e-Deal (PER-BRM-KNX) | $1,237 Flex (PER-BRM-KNX) |
| BME - KNX | Airnorth | $167 Air Sale | $669 Air Flex |
| QANTAS | $265 Red e-Deal | $580 Flex |
*as at October 2019
Greyhound Bus
| From-To | Provider | Cheapest | Most Expensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| DRW - KNX | Greyhound (Direct Trip) | $137 Early Bird and Advantage | $141 Premium |
| Greyhound (Connected Trip) | $172 Early Bird and Advantage | $177 Premium |
Road closures in the wet season
Interns considering taking the Darwin to Kununurra bus should note that there is a risk that the roads may be flooded in the wet season. If the roads are flooded, Greyhound waits for the water to go down before commencing the journey. If the bus is on the voyage and they come across a flooded road, they may turn around and return to Darwin.
A direct Greyhound bus from Darwin to Kununurra usually departs 15:20pm from the Darwin Bus Interchange. It makes a stop at the BP Travel North in Katherine, NT, at 19:20pm and departs again at 20:10pm. It usually arrives 00:40am the next day in Kununurra at the Ord River Roadhouse. The Ord River Roadhouse is open 24 hours, 7 days per week.
How to find accommodation in Kununurra
There are a range of accommodation options in Kununurra. Here are some sites to check out:
- Kununurra Accommodation Facebook Page
- AirBnB for Kununurra
- Flatmates for Kununurra
- Kununurra Backpackers
The following prices are based on 1 bedroom/1 guest bookings in October 2019.
| Website | Cheapest | Most Expensive |
|---|---|---|
| AirBnB | $45/night (1 bed) | $150/night (1 bed) |
| Flatmates | $90/week | - |
| Hotel Kununurra | $95/night(single private room) | - |
Please note that there is a Facebook page called “Kununurra Accommodation Facebook page” which might be useful in your search. You can also contact the KCLS Kununurra office to ask whether they are aware of any houseshares available.
General living costs in the Kimberley
There are a number of websites that provide anecdotal information on the cost of living in Broome and Kununurra. In comparison with other parts of WA, the cost of living in the Kimberley is the highest, being about 13% higher than the cost of living in Perth. A very approximate indication of Perth’s cost of living can be found on the University of Western Australia’s website here https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/student-life/cost-of-living or this general cost of living website here https://costoffliving.com/australia/perth/.