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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Warmun
Warmun (Turkey Creek)
Treat Warmun as a 1-night fuel-and-art stop on the Great Northern Highway, not a base: the roadhouse, the art centre and Purnululu's turnoff are the whole visit.
Warmun is a Gija community of about 400 people on the Great Northern Highway in the east Kimberley, 860 km from Broome and 200 km from Kununurra. It exists for travellers as a roadhouse stop, a fuel point before the Purnululu turnoff, and the home of an Aboriginal art centre that has been painting since the 1980s. You cannot walk into the village; the art centre needs a phone call first. One night is enough, and only if you are already driving this highway.
- Country
- Australia
- Local name
- Warmun (Turkey Creek)
- Best months
- Apr–Sep (dry season)
- Avoid
- Oct–Mar (wet season: humid, 40°C, side roads cut by flooded creeks)Oct–Mar (wet season: humid, 104°F, side roads cut by flooded creeks)
- 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$60–110 excl. bed · Mid A$110–200 excl. bed · High A$200+ 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 a mobile 112 · Non-emergency police (WA) 131 444
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Unpowered campsite, per night | A$25 |
| Powered site with hook-up, per night | A$40 |
| Roadhouse motel unit, per night | A$150 |
| Roadhouse fast food meal | A$15–25 |
| Fuel, per litre | A$2.00–2.40 |
| Art centre entry | Free, by prior permission |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KNX · Kununurra Airport
- Nearest commercial airport, about 200 km north; daily Broome–Darwin flight stops here. Warmun's own airstrip is 2 km south of the roadhouse, sealed in 2023, light aircraft only.Nearest commercial airport, about 124 mi north; daily Broome–Darwin flight stops here. Warmun's own airstrip is 1.2 mi south of the roadhouse, sealed in 2023, light aircraft only.
Typical fares
- Greyhound Broome → Warmun (Turkey Creek)
- departs Broome 06:00, Derby 08:30, arrives about 17:25departs Broome 6:00 AM, Derby 8:30 AM, arrives about 5:25 PM
- Greyhound Warmun → Kununurra
- arrives Kununurra about 19:30arrives Kununurra about 7:30 PM
- Greyhound Darwin → Warmun
- departs Darwin 15:20, Kununurra 00:40, Warmun about 03:50departs Darwin 3:20 PM, Kununurra 12:40 AM, Warmun about 3:50 AM
Get around
You need a vehicle. The roadhouse, the art centre and the Purnululu turnoff are a few km apart on the highway and there is no local transport. Greyhound coaches stop here daily in both directions, but they will not get you between the three points.
See and do
Known for
- Warmun Art Centre and Gija painting
- Rover Thomas and the east Kimberley art movement
- Roadhouse stop on the Great Northern Highway
- Gateway to Purnululu National Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles) | Drive the Great Northern Highway to the park turnoff, then about 53 km of unsealed road to the visitor centre; the last stretch is rough and often closed in the wetDrive the Great Northern Highway to the park turnoff, then about 33 mi of unsealed road to the visitor centre; the last stretch is rough and often closed in the wet | About 1.5–2 h to the visitor centre |
| Kununurra | Great Northern Highway north, about 200 kmGreat Northern Highway north, about 124 mi | About 2.5 h |
| Halls Creek | Great Northern Highway south, 161 kmGreat Northern Highway south, 100 mi | About 2 h |
| Wyndham | Great Northern Highway north then east, about 300 kmGreat Northern Highway north then east, about 186 mi | About 3.5 h |
Sleep
- Warmun Roadhouse caravan park and motel
- The only beds. Powered and unpowered sites, a pool, a shower block, and basic self-contained donga units with double and single beds. Secure storage if you leave a caravan behind for Purnululu.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Gija country — English is the everyday language herehello |
| Thank you | Englishthank you |
| May I visit the art centre? | Englishmay I visit the art centre |
| Where is the fuel? | Englishwhere is the fuel |
| Is the Purnululu road open? | Englishis the purnululu road open |
| I have no phone signal — where can I call? | Englishwhere can I make a call |
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
- You may not enter the village except by invitation; the community is private, and residents are cautious about outsiders when flu is around.
- The art centre needs prior permission to enter — a phone call from the roadhouse is usually enough.
- Warmun is a dry community: no alcohol is sold, and drinking here would be disrespectful.
- No mobile signal in Warmun or on the approach highway (as of 2024).
- Fuel gaps: next fuel north is Durack, 93 km; next south is Halls Creek, 161 km. The filling station at the Purnululu turnoff has closed and there is nothing inside the park.
- Wet season (Oct–Mar) floods side roads and has damaged the town before; the highway itself stays open.
Warmun is a small, private community, not a town you wander. The real risks are heat, no mobile signal, long fuel gaps and unsealed roads in the wet; ask before entering the art centre and stay out of the village.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Warmun yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Warmun Art Centre and Gija painting
- Rover Thomas and the east Kimberley art movement
- Roadhouse stop on the Great Northern Highway
- Gateway to Purnululu National Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Warmun Art Centre: www.warmunart.com/
- Warmun Roadhouse: www.warmunroadhouse.com/
- Greyhound Australia: www.greyhound.com.au
- Wikivoyage: Warmun, revision 4916319 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4916319
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
WarmunWarmun (Turkey Creek)
Warmun Roadhouse, Great Northern Highway, Warmun WA 6743
To the Warmun roadhouse, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in the Kimberley. Nearest consular help is in Perth (about 2,200 km south) or Darwin; for emergencies call 000 first.
No mobile signal in Warmun or on the approach highway (as of 2024). Carry water, a paper map and cash; the roadhouse is the only service point.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/warmun). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.