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Major city · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Apr–Oct (dry season)
avoid Nov–Mar (wet season: heat, humidity, road closures)
Airport
DRB
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Derby, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeA$5–7 (≈ US$4–5)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)
  • Budget bedCaravan park powered site, a night, per roomA$45 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedCaravan park powered site, a night, per roomA$55 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedCaravan park powered site, a night, per roomA$70 (≈ US$50)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$90 (≈ US$60) · Mid A$150 (≈ US$100) · High A$250 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Boab Prison TreeMowanjum Culture CentreDerby Jetty and King Sound tidesBarramundi and mud crab fishing
Airports
DRB Derby Airport (About 10 km south of town; Aviair flies from Broome about three days a week (check current schedule).)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Derby: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

35°C

26°C

13 rd

Feb

34°C

25°C

12 rd

Mar

35°C

25°C

9 rd

Apr

35°C

23°C

4 rd

May

33°C

20°C

2 rd

Jun

31°C

17°C

1 rd

Jul

31°C

16°C

1 rd

Aug

32°C

17°C

0 rd

Sep

34°C

20°C

1 rd

Oct

36°C

23°C

2 rd

Nov

37°C

25°C

4 rd

Dec

36°C

26°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Boab Prison Tree and Mowanjum Culture Centre

go

Door to door: Half a day

Drive: boab at the town entrance, Mowanjum on the Gibb River Road

The boab is a 1,500-year-old hollow tree, girth about 14.7 m; the real old jail is 500 m southeast. Mowanjum shows Worrorra, Ngarinyin, Wunambal and Gaambera art.

Derby Jetty

go

Door to door: 1–2 h

Walk or short drive from the town centre

Line fishing and sunset views over King Sound; the horseshoe jetty dates from the 1960s.

Gibb River Road toward Wyndham

caution

Door to door: Multi-day

4WD only, gravel with river fords

Impassable in the wet season; check road conditions before setting out.

Broome

go

Door to door: About 2 h

Drive Highway 1, about 220 km

The Kimberley's largest town, with long sandy beaches.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$90–140 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
A$140–220 (≈ US$95–150) excl. bed
High
A$220 (≈ US$150)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room1 × 1 night × A$170A$170
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × A$150A$300
Mowanjum Culture Centre entry2 × A$5A$10
Memorial Swimming Pool day entry2 × A$6A$12
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$30A$60
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$55
Trip total≈ A$304 per person per day, bed includedA$607≈ US$400

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; fuel and long-distance transport excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$5–7 (≈ US$4–5)
Counter meal (pub or bistro)A$25–40 (≈ US$17–30)
Fuel, per litreA$1.90–2.20 (≈ US$2)
Motel double room, per nightA$140–220 (≈ US$95–150)
Caravan park powered site, per nightA$45–70 (≈ US$30–50)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From mobiles
112
Derby Health Campus (hospital)
08 9193 1100

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

DerbyDerby

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From mobiles112
  • Derby Health Campus08 9193 1100

Embassy

No embassies in Derby; consulates and embassies are in Perth or Canberra.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Derby → Broome by road: about 220 km, 2 h drive
  • Aviair Derby → Broome: about three flights a week, short hop (check schedule and fare)
  • Taxi in town: metered; expect a wait

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?

Tap water is safe to drink. Carry more water than you think you need.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Derby. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Oct (dry season) · avoid Nov–Mar (wet season: heat, humidity, road closures) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources