Kimberley fossils – Go Fossil Hunting

Introduction

On the tidal rock platforms of Gantheaume Point and along roughly 80 kilometres of the Dampier Peninsula coastline near Broome in north-western Western Australia, the footprints of at least 21 distinct types of dinosaur are preserved in Early Cretaceous sandstone. No other stretch of coastline on Earth has produced a comparable diversity of dinosaur track types in a single region. The tracks are between 120 and 130 million years old and include the largest known sauropod footprints, individual circular depressions up to 1.7 metres across. They also include three-toed theropod prints, broad ornithopod tracks shaped like a squashed clover, and the prints of armoured thyreophorans. At the main visitor site at Gantheaume Point, the tracks are accessible on foot at low tide without any guide or fee. The same rock surface also holds plaster casts installed above the high-tide mark so that visitors can examine track morphology when the lower platforms are submerged. The tracks carry deep cultural significance to the Aboriginal custodians of the Dampier Peninsula, who connect them to the Marala creation story. This guide covers how to find and access the main track sites, what you can expect to see, the geological context, and the strict rules that protect these irreplaceable features.

Location and Directions

Address

Gantheaume Point Reserve, Gantheaume Point Road, Broome, Western Australia 6725. The main dinosaur track viewing area is at the base of the red cliffs approximately 200 metres west of the Gantheaume Point Lighthouse car park.

Directions

From central Broome, drive south along Kavite Road and then Gantheaume Point Road for approximately seven kilometres to the signed car park at Gantheaume Point. The road is sealed and accessible to all vehicle types. A free car park with space for multiple vehicles is located adjacent to the lighthouse area. From the car park, walk west along the clifftop path and then descend to the rock platforms via the signposted access track. The dinosaur tracks are visible on the flat sandstone platforms at the base of the cliffs when the tide is below approximately 2.16 metres at the Broome tide gauge. Check the Bureau of Meteorology tide predictions for Broome before visiting to confirm that the tracks will be exposed. Plaster casts of selected track types are installed on a concrete platform above the high-tide line near the cliff base and are always accessible regardless of the tide.

For the wider trackway sites along the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome, a high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle and local knowledge are required. Several tracks require access via Broom’s James Price Point, Middle Lagoon, and Coulomb Point areas. Tour operators including Broome Adventure Cruises offer guided access to sites beyond Gantheaume Point.

What Fossils You’ll Find

The tracks at Gantheaume Point and the broader Dampier Peninsula represent the highest diversity of dinosaur track types documented at any single location globally. Research published in the journal Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology in 2021 formally documented the full range of morphotypes.

Sauropod tracks are the most visually striking. These are large, roughly circular depressions left by the front and hind feet of enormous long-necked dinosaurs. The largest examples reach 1.7 metres in diameter and represent animals of extraordinary size. Parallel trackways at some locations suggest sauropods moved in groups.

Theropod tracks are three-toed and elongate, left by the two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs that shared the environment. Track sizes range from small to very large, suggesting multiple species were present.

Ornithopod tracks have a characteristic broad, three-toed shape with a rounded heel, sometimes described as resembling a squashed clover. These were left by bipedal plant-eating dinosaurs.

Thyreophoran tracks, left by armoured dinosaurs such as ankylosaurs, are broader and more symmetrical than theropod prints. Their presence at Broome is notable as they are rare in the Australian Cretaceous record.

No fossil bones have been reported from the Broome Sandstone. The track record is exceptionally rich, but the geological conditions that preserved the footprints were not conducive to bone preservation.

Geologic History

The Ancient Environment

The tracks are preserved in the Broome Sandstone, a fine- to medium-grained sandstone of Early Cretaceous age deposited approximately 120 to 130 million years ago during the Valanginian to Barremian stages. At that time, the area that is now the Kimberley coast was a broad coastal plain crossed by river systems that drained into shallow deltaic and estuarine environments on the western margin of the early Australian continent. The climate was warm and seasonally humid. The sediments preserved in the Broome Sandstone were deposited in a series of fluvial, deltaic, and coastal settings, with fine-grained muddy layers interbedded with the sandstones. It was on these muddy coastal surfaces that dinosaurs walked, leaving footprints that were subsequently buried by successive sand layers and lithified over millions of years.

The current exposure of the tracks is the result of ongoing coastal erosion of the Broome Sandstone cliffs and platforms by wave action, combined with tidal stripping of softer overlying sediment. Each major cyclone season potentially exposes new sections of the trackway horizon. The tracks at Gantheaume Point are at or near sea level because the Australian continent has been relatively stable tectonically, and the original surface is now exposed in the intertidal zone.

How Broome Became a Dinosaur Track Viewing Site

Dinosaur tracks at Broome have been known to European settlers since at least the 1930s and were documented in scientific literature from the 1990s onwards. Systematic survey work by palaeontologists from the University of Queensland in collaboration with the Western Australian Museum expanded the documented track inventory significantly from 2005 onwards. In 2021, researchers published a comprehensive analysis in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology formally identifying 21 distinct track types from sites distributed across the Dampier Peninsula, establishing the region as globally exceptional. Access to the main site at Gantheaume Point requires no booking or fee, and the site has been managed as a public reserve for many years. Interpretive signage at the site was updated following the 2021 research publication.

Visiting Rules and Regulations

Is Fossil Collecting Allowed?

No collecting of any kind is permitted. The tracks are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA). The tracks are connected to the Marala Dreamtime song cycle of the Aboriginal custodians of the Dampier Peninsula and carry significant cultural heritage value. Touching, walking on, hammering, or in any way physically interacting with the tracks is prohibited. Visitors must remain on designated viewing areas and should not climb the cliffs above the track surfaces. Traditional owners ask that visitors respect designated paths and viewing areas.

Recommended Equipment

Tide tables are the single most important planning tool. Download the Bureau of Meteorology tide predictions for Broome at bom.gov.au before visiting. The tracks at Gantheaume Point require a tide below 2.16 metres and are best viewed at low tide when the full platform surface is exposed. Bring footwear suitable for wet, slippery rock surfaces; the sandstone platforms become slick with algae when wet. A camera with a wide-angle lens is useful for capturing the full scale of the sauropod prints. Sun protection and water are essential; the site is fully exposed and the Kimberley sun is intense year-round.

Safety

The rock platforms at Gantheaume Point are uneven and can be extremely slippery at the tide edge. Waves can reach the platforms suddenly, particularly during the cyclone season between November and April. Do not turn your back on the ocean when on the lower rock platforms. The Kimberley climate is strongly seasonal: the dry season from May to October is the recommended visiting period. During the wet season, Broome experiences monsoonal rains and occasional cyclones, and access to some Dampier Peninsula sites becomes impossible. Saltwater crocodiles are present in tidal waterways throughout the Kimberley region; do not enter water in areas that are not clearly signed as safe.

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Broome Dinosaur Trackways: 21 Track Types on the Kimberley Coast, WA