AUSTRALIA - West Kimberley

The west Kimberley is one of Australia's very special places. It is a vast area of dramatic and relatively undisturbed landscapes that has great biological richness and provides important geological and fossil evidence of Australia's evolutionary history.

With sheer escarpments and pristine rivers that cut through sandstone plateaux and ancient coral reefs to create spectacular waterfalls and deep gorges, the region's remoteness has created a haven that supports plant and animal species found nowhere else on the Australian continent.

Against the backdrop of this extraordinary landscape is woven a remarkable account of Aboriginal occupation over the course of more than 40,000 years and the story of European exploration and settlement.

The west Kimberley was added to the National Heritage List in 2011.