While the Ord Valley Muster is the East Kimberley’s biggest music, arts and food festival, this is a region where culture thrives all year round.
Feature by Carolyn Beasley
In the East Kimberley, the practice of culture has been witnessed by ancient, weathered landscapes for millennia. Deep, shady gorges hosted vibrant storytelling and the voices of singers rippled over savannah grasslands like cascading rivers. For modern-day culture-seekers, the Ord Valley Muster, held in Kununurra (Goonoonoorrang), is the area’s greatest celebration. It combines music, arts, rodeo, comedy and dining; the perfect catalyst for a visit. Take a leaf from the book of WA Dreamer Amberley Lobo: come for the festival, but stay for the culture of this incomparable region.
“There's just excitement everywhere during the Ord Valley Muster,” says Amberley, of the 10-day festival held each May. “If you’re planning a trip to Kununurra, it's the best time to go because there’s additional pop-up events and experiences you can do.”
Kimberley Fine Diamonds Dinner
The headline event is the Kimberley Moon Experience, a dynamic, open-air concert under a starry night sky. Tickets are sold in three categories: picnic rug-friendly general admission, special Muster Bar seating, or as chosen by Amberley, the all-inclusive, black-tie dinner event.
“Everybody is dressed up, and you’re under the stars eating this incredible food,” she says. “Because Kununurra is remote, and it still has this untouched, friendly vibe, it feels like you're sharing something quite special with all the people there.”
In 2026, the performers at the Kimberley Moon Experience included Tina Arena, Boy & Bear, and Coodjinburra man, Budjerah.
“Budjerah was a crowd favourite for sure, everyone really got around him when he was performing,” Amberley says. “He was on quite early, but we went straight for the dance floor.”
Aboriginal traditional dance, Ord Valley Muster / Kimberley Fine Diamonds Dinner meal
For Amberley, the showcasing of Aboriginal artists and performers at the Muster was significant.
“Indigenous culture isn't something that's added to the program,” she explains. “It was woven throughout, whether you were listening to stories or meeting artists or spending time on country with Traditional Owners. Understanding the stories behind the place just made the travel experience so much richer.”
Gourmet Camp Oven Experience / Aerial view of the Bungle Bungles, Purnululu National Park
Beyond the Muster, Amberley took the opportunity to explore the rich culture of the East Kimberley, starting with a unique outback-inspired feast that is available all dry season (April to September). The Gourmet Camp Oven Experience, part of the Dream Collective showcasing WA’s best experiences, sees guests transported to a secret, off-grid location, nestled amid boab trees and rocky cliffs that glow orange in the sunset. At a long-table, beneath solar-powered chandeliers, Josh Melville cooks up a locally sourced feast over campfire coals.
“There was just so much attention to detail, I enjoyed every single moment of the experience,” Amberley says. “Josh cooked this beautiful fresh barramundi, and he even performed an acoustic guitar set for us.”
No visit to Kununurra is complete without a visit to Waringarri Aboriginal Arts, Western Australia’s first wholly Aboriginal-owned art centre. While the centre is open for drop-ins, the best way to experience Miriwoong culture is to join a tour.
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts Centre, Kununurra / Infinity Pool at Lake Argyle Resort, near Kununurra
Book the shorter Art Centre Tour, or the extended Mirima National Park Walk, which includes the park’s spectacular rocky domes, tasting bush tucker and homemade damper. Make time to peruse the shop with its unique artworks and souvenirs.
On Amberley’s visit, she was particularly taken with the ceramic boab nuts, a modern take on the traditional carved nuts from the culturally significant Kimberley tree. Amberley explains that these ornamental ceramics are made from a mould, with multi-coloured layers of porcelain.
“They then carve patterns into that, and it reveals the different colours beneath,” she says.
Traveller swimming at Emma Gorge, El Questro / Aerial view of Ord Valley Muster
Exploring further afield, Amberley visited the ecotourism hub of El Questro, just 110 kilometres west of Kununurra. Here, she joined Ngarinyin Traditional Owners for the cultural healing experience Injiid Marlabu Calls Us. Using fire, smoke, earth, water, and air, dreamtime stories and cultural insights from this wild landscape were revealed.
From here, Amberley joined the Munbula Cruise hosted by Ngarinyin guides including Nelson O’Reeri. The tour boat glided through the Chamberlain Gorge beneath ancient, blocky cliffs, where rock wallabies appear to defy gravity.
Lake Kununurra, Ord Valley Muster
“Uncle Nelson had his guitar and he started singing this beautiful song that he had written about his connection to the land and his mum,” Amberley says. “I remember just tearing up. Everything was silent and still except him singing, it gives you goosebumps.”
In the East Kimberley, culture runs deep, and the ten-day festival is just the introduction.
“I think the Ord Valley Muster might be what gets you to Kununurra, but it's everything around it that makes you fall in love with the Kimberley,” Amberley says. “It's one of those places that stays with you long after you've gone home.”
Published August 2026