including all tourism infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"an](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f6edad54a49ad519b62e61b59a90e0c4.jpeg\")
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Fitzroy Crossing and surrounding communities were devastated by the floods. (Supplied: Shoal Air)<\/p>\n
Lengthy process<\/p>\n
DBCA operations manager Elise Nelson said the restoration and rehabilitation had been an arduous process.<\/p>\n
“It’s different to how it used to be,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a long process of accepting that and understanding that, and finding a way to move forward with the way the park is now.”<\/p>\n
![\"two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/849db492dac4d7948895d686d8793e39.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Kerry Wallis (left) and Elise Nelson say the long journey has been worthwhile. (ABC Kimberley: Vanessa Mills)<\/p>\n
More than 12,000 tonnes of concrete, fencing, cabling and other debris had to be removed, along with the shattered remains of more than 100 trees.<\/p>\n
Ms Nelson said despite all this clearance, massive amounts of debris remain.<\/p>\n
“We had the park closed to build an access ramp down to the water and use an amphibious excavator to remove the debris that still lies in that water,” she said.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/420e3025c867f437c8bc75349f7a2192.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
A freshwater crocodile swims in the Fitzroy River as it flows through the gorge. (ABC Kimberley: Sam Tomlin)<\/p>\n
“The arborist works are ongoing; they still continue every year because the impact of those floods is still seen on the riverbanks despite revegetation. It’s a huge job.”<\/p>\n
A feasibility study is underway to assess when and how boat tours, one of the more popular past attractions, can resume.<\/p>\n
The entire park is now open, excluding water access, and will remain open throughout the northern wet season.<\/p>\n
![\"gorge](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/55218d25481a6fd0321c647b72ef044d.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
DBCA hopes that boat tours could return to the gorge as early as next year. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)<\/p>\n
‘Hurts a little less’<\/p>\n
The flood destroyed significant cultural sites for Bunuba traditional owners, who manage the park with DBCA.<\/p>\n
Danggu Bunuba traditional owner Kerry Wallis said it had been a tough three years.<\/p>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f3651047155d70716ef295e288442342.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The gorge has long been a drawcard for grey nomads and backpackers. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)<\/p>\n
“It was a sad sight to see after the flood; we had such a beautiful park there, and it was a site for everybody to come, sit and enjoy; now it’s a little bit different,” she said.<\/p>\n
“So a bit heartbreaking; but also it’s been a long road to try and fix what we can.<\/p>\n
“(But) you can’t repair what nature has torn away, hectares of country gone with that.”<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/feccc3e773fc62e150b30763c3fecebe.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The walls of the gorge show the high-water mark from heavy flooding in previous years. (ABC Kimberley: Sam Tomlin)<\/p>\n
There was feedback and collaboration with traditional owners throughout the restoration process.<\/p>\n
Ms Wallis said the hurt was still “raw” for many, but each time she went back to Danggu Geikie Gorge, it hurt a little less.<\/p>\n
“It’s feeling more stable, feeling more and more (like) home,” she said.<\/p>\n
She urged visitors to be respectful and to remember the park is on Danggu Bunuba country.<\/p>\n
“We understand a lot of people come up to the Danggu and love to fish and camp,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Just make sure you’re still following the park rules.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A popular tourist attraction and major cultural site in Western Australia’s Kimberley has reopened three years after serious…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":917616,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[64,63,485658,46285,485660,75,70979,67316,485667,200217,17331,35216,485661,485668,485659,22561,485664,485662,24514,485663,128,485666,485665,45],"class_list":["post-917615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-danggu-geikie-gorge","tag-dbca","tag-elise-elsons","tag-environment","tag-fitzroy","tag-fitzroy-crossing","tag-fitzroy-crossing-attractions","tag-fitzroy-flood","tag-fitzroy-river","tag-flood","tag-geikie-gorge","tag-gibb-river-road","tag-kerry-wallace","tag-kimberley","tag-kimberley-attractions","tag-kimberley-gorges","tag-kimberley-news","tag-kimberley-tourism","tag-science","tag-things-to-do-kimberley","tag-visitor-attractions-kimberley","tag-wa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/917615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=917615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/917615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/917616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=917615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=917615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=917615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fa86964af6d09d43b5cd6cc5045a741f.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n