Halls Creek in Western Australia

About the Kimberley
• The Kimberley in Australia is one of the last true wilderness areas on Earth, with rustic unique outback landscapes and landmarks billions of years in the making. Covering app 423,000 square kilometres in north Western Australia and with a population of less than 40,000 people, it’s here you’ll encounter some of the most extraordinary outback adventuresand folks in Australia. Discover ancient gorge country with hikes and trekking a must in planning your Kimberley vacation to enormous cattle stations, pristine coastline and sandy beaches, to one of the oldest cultures on the planet and the world’s only horizontal waterfalls.

Self drive along the Gibb River Road from Broome or Darwin is a Australia four wheel drive hire camper or wagon. The Gibb River Road was initially constructed as a beef road to transport cattle from the surrounding stations to the ports of Derby and Wyndham.It spans some six-hundred and seventy kilometres from Derby to the junction of the Great Northern Highway between Wyndham and Kununurra.

About Halls Creek
• Halls Creek sits on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, just a short hop from the World Heritage Listed Purnululu National Park - home of the curious beehive domes of the Bungle Bungle Range. It's also where you can peer into the second largest meteorite crater in the world - Wolfe Creek. Heading south from Kununurra on the Great Northern Highway, you'll hit this old gold rush town within three and three-quarter hours. Or travelling east from Broome, the journey will take you just under seven and a half hours. Tours of Wolfe Creek Crater and Purnululu National Park are available from the town, revealing one of the world's best kept secrets, the 350 million year old Bungle Bungle Range, and the 880 metre wide hole created when some 50,000 tonnes of rock smashed into the ground less than 300,000 years ago.

Just east of Halls Creek lie the ruins of the first town site, marking the spot where the first gold rush hit Western Australia, following the discovery of gold in 1885. A touching tribute to one of the early pioneers stands cast in bronze on the town's main street - it depicts local legend Russian Jack who pushed his sick friend over 300 miles in a wheelbarrow to Halls Creek to seek medical attention. Gold prospectors are still making finds in this area today, although the exploration and mining of other minerals is operating on a much larger scale, which has contributed to the town's growth and development. Take a rest-stop at one of the two roadhouses or make Halls Creek your base and book a night or two at the hotel, motel or caravan park.
© source | courtesy of westernaustralia.com

China Wall
The China Wall is a natural white stone wall which looks just like a miniature ‘Great Wall of China’. It is located just outside of the town of Halls Creek, and is a great stop off for a picnic lunch. Enjoy a swim in the shady stream below before exploring this interesting limestone formation, which features a vein of white quartz. The wall rises from the creek up over the hill, and you can see it in the distance as it winds its way over the rugged landscape for fifteen kilometres. It has a beautiful outlook and certainly makes an interesting photograph. Halls Creek is a seven hour drive from Broome. Old Halls Creek is a 15 minute drive from the new township. Camping is available at Old Halls Creek, and it is a popular overnight stop midway between Derby and Kununurra.

Old Halls Creek
Old Halls Creek is a picturesque deserted township where the ruins of several old mud brick buildings remain as testament to what was once a booming town, with a population of over 3,000 people. Check out the fascinating ruins of the old Post Office and wander through the old cemetery. Enjoy a picnic and a swim at Black Elvire River and soak up the tranquil surrounds. Try your hand at prospecting for gold in what was the site of Western Australia’s first main gold rush in 1885. Local prospectors still find gold there today. In 1955, the Halls Creek town site relocated 15 kilometres to the northwest, to less rugged terrain and adjacent to the then newly constructed Great Northern Highway. There is a small caravan park in the old township which offers basic accommodation. Halls Creek is a seven hour drive east of Broome or four hours from Kununurra. The drive from Halls Creek out to Old Halls Creek is an enjoyable journey with some lovely scenery along the way. There are a number of creek crossings where care should be taken.
© source | courtesy of hallscreektourism.com.au/