The original low level crossing at Fitzroy Crossing

Fitzroy Crossing (including Noonkanbah, Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge)
Fascinating destination in the wilds of the Kimberley
Located 2686 km north of Perth, 258 km from Derby and 110 metres above sea level, Fitzroy Crossing is one of those places which sprung up for a single very good reason. It was a suitable place to cross the huge Fitzroy River which, during the wet season, was capable of stranding travellers for weeks. Once a decent bridge was built the town's raison d'etre vanished. It is now a small, predominantly Aboriginal settlement, on the banks of the Fitzroy River with very little to commend it to the visitor apart from the beautiful Geikie Gorge which lies 15 km to the north of the town and the unusual Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge which lie 63 km and 95 km, respectively, from the town on the alternative Derby-Fitzroy Road.

The Fitzroy River was first explored and named after Captain Robert Fitzroy (a former commander of the HMS Beagle) by Captain Stokes in 1838. However its upper reaches weren't explored until Alexander Forrest travelled through the area in 1879. Forrest's reports on the pastoral potential of the area resulted in Solomon Emanuel (a grazier and banker from Goulburn, NSW) founding the Gogo station 20 km downstream from the present day site of Fitzroy Crossing.

The local Aborigines resisted incursions from European pastoralists and the area around Fitzroy Crossing was the subject of some particularly bloody battles including one which resulted in the Aborigines retreating into Geikie Gorge followed by posses of police.

Like so many of the towns in the Kimberley, Fitzroy Crossing sprawls. Without an identifiable town centre, and with some kilometres separating the new highway from the old river crossing, the town is more like a series of loosely connected small settlements that a single community.

The Fitzroy Crossing region is full of interesting stories but there is perhaps none more ironic and telling that the battle over Noonkanbah Station southwest of the town. In 1979-80 local Aborigines gained control of the station but were almost immediately faced with a claim for mining rights on the property. They opposed a request by Amex to search for oil and the government, instead of respecting the rights of the new owners, brought police into the area to ensure a safe passage for drilling equipment. The issue was widely publicised as an example of the government's refusal to respect Aboriginal lands. The result: Amex wasted a lot of money and the government were made to look very silly. The rigs found that there was no oil in the area.

Things to see:  

Crossing Inn
Undoubtedly the town's most famous building is the old Crossing Inn (turn off the Highway near the roadhouse and continue down Forrest Street before turning right at Sandford Street - a dirt road) which, in spite of the fact that it is well distanced from the banks of the river, has still been the subject of numerous floods. In the wet the river has been known to rise over 10 metres and to spread out from its banks for a distance of up to 15 km.

The Crossing Inn was originally built by Joseph Blythe in the 1890s as a store and pub for passing stockmen, prospectors and bullock team drivers.

Old Fitzroy Crossing Towns
A few kilometres out of town (on the Geikie Gorge Road) is the old Fitzroy Crossing townsite which is now no more than a few disused buildings. Nearby is the old low level crossing of the river which, while serviceable in the 'dry', obviously had limited use in the wet season.

Geikie Gorge where you can swim with crocodiles

Geikie Gorge National Park
Fitzroy Crossing's premier attraction in Geikie Gorge National Park. Lying 18 km north east of the town it was named after Sir Archibald Geikie (a noted British geologist) by Edward Hardman who travelled through the Kimberley region in 1883.

Geikie Gorge, Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge are all part of an ancient 'barrier reef' which developed during the Devonian Period about 350 million years ago. It is estimated that the reef, which started to the east of Kununurra and swept around in a huge arc to the north of the Kimberleys before crossing the current land mass near Derby and becoming exposed to the south and north of Fitzroy Crossing, was 20 km wide and over 1000 km long. The waters of the Lennard and Fitzroy Rivers have cut through these ancient reefs exposing them and forming beautiful gorges.

Geikie Gorge abounds in wildlife which includes the harmless Johnson crocodile as well as Leichhardt's sawfish and Coach-whip stingrays whose saltwater ancestors swam up the Fitzroy River millions of years ago. The gorge has good camping facilities. Swimming and bushwalking are catered for.

The Nature Trail at Geikie Gorge

Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge
It is 63 km to Tunnel Creek and 95 km to Windjana Gorge from the main Derby-Fitzroy Crossing Road. Tunnel Creek is a unique formation created by waters from the creek cutting a 750 metre tunnel through the ancient reef. The tunnel is 15 metres wide and up to 12 metres high and offers visitors an excellent opportunity to see the ancient 'barrier reef' from an ideal vantage point.

There is a 3.5 km walking trail at Windjana Gorge which allows visitors to experience the beauty of the gorge.

	Tourist Information
	Fitzroy Crossing Tourist Bureau Flynn Dve Fitzroy Crossing WA 6765 Telephone: (08) 9191 5355 Facsimile: (08) 9191 5085
	Motels
	Fitzroy River Lodge Motel/Hotel 102 Great Northern Hwy Fitzroy Crossing WA 6765 Telephone: (08) 9191 5141 Rating: ***
	The Crossing Motor Inn Motel/Hotel Skuthorp Rd Fitzroy Crossing WA 6765 Telephone: (08) 9191 5080 Facsimile: (08) 9191 5208 Rating: *
	Caravan Parks
	Tarunda Caravan Park Forrest St Fitzroy Crossing WA 6765 Telephone: (08) 9191 5330
	Fitzroy River Lodge Caravan Park Great Northern Hwy Fitzroy Crossing WA 6765 Telephone: (08) 9191 5141 Email: (08) 9191 5142 Rating: ***
	Restaurants
	Fitzroy River Lodge Motel/Hotel 102 Great Northern Hwy Fitzroy Crossing WA 6765 Telephone: (08) 9191 5141