Mitchell Plateau open for Kimberley tourists for 2021 dry season

Tourists visiting the north Kimberley this season will be able to venture to the Mitchell Plateau, after traditional owners announced the region would reopen for the 2021 dry season. The Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation revealed it had opened all of its visitor locations last week, including Mitchell Falls, King Edward River, Mitchell River National Park, Walsh Point campground and Uunguu coastal areas. It follows a quiet 2020 tourist season for the Wunambal Gambeera people, who closed their top tourist attractions last year to protect the community from the threat of COVID-19. Accessible via scenic flight tours from Kununurra and Broome, or by four-wheel-drive via the Gibb River Road, the Mitchell Plateau is one of the Kimberley’s top tourist destinations. The region is home to the iconic Mitchell Falls waterfall, or Punamii-unpuu, and offers a range of camping and fishing opportunities, Aboriginal art sites and cultural activities, guided tours, rock pools, bush walking tracks as well as access to unique native flora and fauna. Its reopening is positive news for tourism operators along the Gibb River Road and in the East Kimberley, after many closed their doors last season due to health concerns and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. Its opening signals some confidence in the region’s 2021 tourist season, which is still surrounded by some doubt as a result of unknown future border restrictions. The traditional owners said the region would be closed if the safety of the region’s people, staff and visitors was again at risk due to the changing nature of COVID-19 in WA. Visitor passes are required for travellers entering the region and are available at the Wunambal Gaambera website.