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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Derby
Stop one night en route Broome–Darwin or for the Boab Prison Tree and Mowanjum art; skip as a standalone destination — no beach, no swimming.
Derby is a small Kimberley service town on King Sound, 220 km east of Broome, known for a 1,500-year-old hollow boab and the Mowanjum Aboriginal art centre. The sea is turbid mud flats with a 12 m tidal range, so there is no swimming or snorkelling. Most travellers use it as a one-night break on the long Highway 1 run, or as a fishing and birdwatching base in the dry season.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry season)
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (wet season: heat, humidity, road closures)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$90–140 excl. bed · Mid A$140–220 excl. bed · High A$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112 · Derby Health Campus 08 9193 1100
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$5–7 |
| Counter meal (pub or bistro) | A$25–40 |
| Fuel, per litre | A$1.90–2.20 |
| Motel double room, per night | A$140–220 |
| Caravan park powered site, per night | A$45–70 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DRB · Derby Airport
- About 10 km south of town; Aviair flies from Broome about three days a week (check current schedule).About 6.2 mi south of town; Aviair flies from Broome about three days a week (check current schedule).
Typical fares
- Derby → Broome by road
- about 220 km, 2 h driveabout 137 mi, 2 h drive
- Aviair Derby → Broome
- about three flights a week, short hop (check schedule and fare)
- Taxi in town
- metered; expect a wait
Get around
The town centre, visitor centre and jetty road are walkable, but everything else needs a vehicle. A taxi service operates in town; expect a wait. Fuel is available 24 hours on Loch Street.
See and do
Known for
- Boab Prison Tree
- Mowanjum Culture Centre
- Derby Jetty and King Sound tides
- Barramundi and mud crab fishing
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Boab Prison Tree and Mowanjum Culture Centre | Drive: boab at the town entrance, Mowanjum on the Gibb River Road | Half a day |
| Derby Jetty | Walk or short drive from the town centre | 1–2 h |
| Gibb River Road toward Wyndham | 4WD only, gravel with river fords | Multi-day |
| Broome | Drive Highway 1, about 220 kmDrive Highway 1, about 137 mi | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Loch Street and town centre
- Walk to the visitor centre, bus stop, shops and jetty road; motels and the caravan park cluster here.
- East side (Sutherland St)
- Dumbara Burru caravan park; quieter, needs a vehicle to reach town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the visitor centre? | Where is the visitor centre? |
| Is it safe to walk out on the mud flats? | Is it safe to walk out on the mud flats? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Tides here reach about 12 m: mud flats flood fast, so check tide times before walking out.
- The wet season (Nov–Mar) brings extreme heat and can close unsealed roads, including the Gibb River Road.
- Mobile coverage is patchy 4G in town and often absent on the approach highways; download offline maps.
- No beach swimming: the water is turbid and the mud flats are dangerous under a rising tide.
Derby is a small, quiet town and generally safe for visitors. The real risks are environmental: extreme heat, fast-flooding mud flats under a 12 m tide, and long remote drives with patchy phone signal.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Derby yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Boab Prison Tree
- Mowanjum Culture Centre
- Derby Jetty and King Sound tides
- Barramundi and mud crab fishing
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Derby Visitor Centre: www.fitzroycrossingtourism.com.au/derby.aspx
- Mowanjum Arts and Culture Centre: mowanjumarts.com/
- Shire of Derby-West Kimberley — Memorial Swimming Pool: www.sdwk.wa.gov.au/facilities-recreation/leisure-centres/derby-memorial-swimming-pool.aspx
- Wikivoyage: Derby (Western Australia), revision 4867868 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4867868
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Derby
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance000
- From mobiles112
- Derby Health Campus08 9193 1100
No embassies in Derby; consulates and embassies are in Perth or Canberra.
Tap water is safe to drink. Carry more water than you think you need.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/derby-western-australia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.