OPINION: McGowan reflects on an eye-opening journey

The Kimberley is an amazing place.

It's beautiful, diverse and interesting, full of characters, culture and environmental jewels.

But I've never seen it in quite the same way as when I drove from Broome to Kununurra the other week.

The usual practice for visiting politicians is to drop in and out of communities by aircraft. But by doing this you only skim the surface of what's going on.

So this time I decided to take a bit more time and experience the communities and towns by road.

Not only did this allow me to get a better understanding of local issues but it also provided me with a taste of local hospitality, the beautiful night skies and the reality of how large the region is.

Still I only scratched the surface.

One of the first things you notice is that the concerns and issues are completely different to those in Perth. The region is a long, long way from the capital city literally and figuratively.

For instance daily problems don't revolve around traffic congestion.

But the worries of the Kimberley are no less real than that of the city.

The cost of living particularly for fuel and fresh food is higher especially in inland towns. Work is more seasonal especially in hospitality, tourism and retail. Housing is scarcer and often more expensive.

It's hard to meet the cost of living especially without a well-paying job.

Concern for the environment and conservation is more palpable and the threats more real and immediate.

The population is around 50 percent indigenous which adds to the appeal.

I was amazed by the number of backpackers, especially Europeans, working in seasonal employment. What a wonderful experience it must be for those youthful travellers.

There needs to be more effort by government in repairing and widening many of the roads and one lane bridges. Many of them simply would not be tolerated in the city.

There also needs to be a greater sense of urgency in lifting aspirations and opportunities in education and employment for everyone but particularly indigenous people. A 70 percent plus unemployment rate in many areas is clearly unacceptable.

A new and more imaginative approach is needed for housing. The endless cycle of people quitting jobs so that they don't lose their house needs to be broken.

I learnt that when it comes to the Kimberley forced policies and solutions imposed from Perth is not the way to go. We need to give more power to locals to decide their own towns' and communities' futures and listen to your advice when it comes to spending priorities.

I thank all those people including local councillors and community leaders who met me and provided me with valuable feedback. I thank the locals in every town for making the trip so enjoyable.

See you next time.