Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

[new driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close new driver]

Hi any helpful hints greatly appreciated heading from Melb. up the Oodnadatta track having a look at lake Eyre on to Alice then on Tanami track to Halls Creek,then on over to Broome, then Derby, Kalumburu, then over to Wyndham , Kununurra, Lake Argyle, over to Katherine , then Port Roper then head home back thru Mt Isa .

[rhs58 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rhs58]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Big trip...I'm envious.
Allow lots of time - at least a couple months, probably double - to experience the best of it.
if finances allow, I'd recommend a trip out to the horizontal falls out of Derby.
Not cheap by any means, but an experience we're glad we had.
We recommend this lot:
www.horizontalfallsadventures.com.au/
Cheers
Ron

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Anything in particular you are looking for advise on, we did much the same trip a few years back except we travelled the Tanami both ways. Plan your fuel across the Tanami as i believe Rabbit Flat is now closed. Yuendemu and Bililuna can be a bit unreliable for fuel and its 1100kms if you go into Wolfe Creek.

The road into Mitchell falls is the worst road i have ever driven on so take it easy. If towing a camper best to camp at King Edward river and day trip into the falls. Elquesto was fantastic, we had one of the private river camps, spent 4 nights could have easily spent a week. Don't miss out on going into the Bungles, they are fantastic.

A plane flight over lake Argyle and the Bungles is great if you have the cash. Get into Broome first thing in the morning if you want to secure a camp spot, we arrived at 10am and couldn't get anywhere to camp, ended up back at Roebuck plains which was OK just a bit of a drive to Broome each day.

You don't say how long you have for the trip, 6-8 weeks would be the go for your Itinery, We spent 14 days just going from Kununurra to Broome and missed half the stuff that we would have liked to have seen. Although that just gives us a good excuse to go back again.

Cheers Andrew

[new driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close new driver]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Big trip...I'm envious.
Allow lots of time - at least a couple months, probably double - to experience the best of it.
if finances allow, I'd recommend a trip out to the horizontal falls out of Derby.
Not cheap by any means, but an experience we're glad we had.
We recommend this lot:
http://www.horizontalfallsadventures.com.au/
Cheers
Ron

we have allowed 3 months cheers max

[new driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close new driver]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Anything in particular you are looking for advise on, we did much the same trip a few years back except we travelled the Tanami both ways. Plan your fuel across the Tanami as i believe Rabbit Flat is now closed. Yuendemu and Bililuna can be a bit unreliable for fuel and its 1100kms if you go into Wolfe Creek.

The road into Mitchell falls is the worst road i have ever driven on so take it easy. If towing a camper best to camp at King Edward river and day trip into the falls. Elquesto was fantastic, we had one of the private river camps, spent 4 nights could have easily spent a week. Don't miss out on going into the Bungles, they are fantastic.

A plane flight over lake Argyle and the Bungles is great if you have the cash. Get into Broome first thing in the morning if you want to secure a camp spot, we arrived at 10am and couldn't get anywhere to camp, ended up back at Roebuck plains which was OK just a bit of a drive to Broome each day.

You don't say how long you have for the trip, 6-8 weeks would be the go for your Itinery, We spent 14 days just going from Kununurra to Broome and missed half the stuff that we would have liked to have seen. Although that just gives us a good excuse to go back again.

Cheers Andrew

thanks for the info . thats exactly what we want to know fuel, roads camping tips and any other tips you can think of , many thanks cheers max

[electron55 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close electron55]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

We also will be visiting the Kimberlys this year as well. Leave Brisbane 1 July for a 4 month trip towing a jayco camper.
Our plan is from Brisbane to Mt Isa, Kununurra, Broome, down the west cost to Perth, east to Adelaide and home to Brisbane through Broken Hill.
I will continue to monitor this post for all the helpful tips that will be posted.
Ron

[dreamon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dreamon]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

I've just spent 3 years living in Kununurra and absolutely loved it, though I still didn't get to see everything there is to see up there. We were out camping, boating and fishing most weekends and had a ball. Just remember that July will be in the height of the tourist season so there will be people everywhere all the time and the price of everything goes up. If you get over to Broome a great spot to stay is Barn Hill, but as far as Kununurra is concerned it is all great with so much to do and lots of great 4wd tracks

[new driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close new driver]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

I've just spent 3 years living in Kununurra and absolutely loved it, though I still didn't get to see everything there is to see up there. We were out camping, boating and fishing most weekends and had a ball. Just remember that July will be in the height of the tourist season so there will be people everywhere all the time and the price of everything goes up. If you get over to Broome a great spot to stay is Barn Hill, but as far as Kununurra is concerned it is all great with so much to do and lots of great 4wd tracks

Thanks for the tips cheers max

[madrod Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close madrod]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Hi guys,

We too will be watching this topic with great interest as we will be doing a similar trip from Melbourne soon. One question I have to ask is in relation to when to go... the wife had her heart set on Oct/Nov but after doing some research it appears it's the bulid up to the wet season, and could be uncomfortable? So we are are now thinking July/August. Is this better?... any advice and tips greatly appreciated.

Cheers, regards Kristen & Rod.

[dreamon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dreamon]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Probably Oct Nov won't be the most comfortablest as you are right it is the build up and if you have never experienced one you won't enjoy it. It's a great time to go in July / August but remember it is the tourist season and there will be people everywhere. I love this time of year in the wet when there is so much water around and all the waterfalls are flowing. Its definately a person opinion when to go but if it is your first time I would recommend in the dry

Hi guys,

We too will be watching this topic with great interest as we will be doing a similar trip from Melbourne soon. One question I have to ask is in relation to when to go... the wife had her heart set on Oct/Nov but after doing some research it appears it's the bulid up to the wet season, and could be uncomfortable? So we are are now thinking July/August. Is this better?... any advice and tips greatly appreciated.

Cheers, regards Kristen & Rod.[/quote]

[luked Member Find all posts View Profile Close luked]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

Drove the Tanami in November, Rabbit Flat ($2.40/L petrol) was going to close in December as AJ120 says. I was told by the owner that the nearby community, the granites, was going to supply fuel but you'll have to look into that. We had no trouble with fuel at Billiluna ($1.80/L from memory) or Yuendemu (cant remember price but was cheaper than the others). The road was noticably worse on the WA side of the border but you'll still see locals sitting on 100km/h in falcons.

We were in the Bungles in November when the heat got a bit too much but we loved touring up there in the heat without heaps of tourists. Gotta take one or the other by the sounds of it...

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

I've taken my camper trailer into Mitchell Plateau TWICE. Don't let the weak hearted talk you out of it. BUT, it is an arduous journey. Lots of bulldust on the Kalumburu Road, rocky sections into the falls and a couple of good muddy sections. But you'll have your gear for comfort. Alternatively you can camp at Drysdale Station or at the campsite on the corner where the Kalumburu Road meets the track into Mitchell Plateau. Or, you could just take the chopper.

Nothing much to see along the Tanami that makes it "special" other than a short cut to Wolfe Creek Crater from the Alice. But you will love those famous corrugations and the absolute loneliness.

[Doctor Dog Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Doctor Dog]

See you out there

Jane & I will be heading west from Mt Isa around July 18 . Might have work to get to in Exmouth early Sept but looking forward to exploring the Gib River Rd thru second half of July and August . Will keep looking at this thread to catch up on all the tips. Bungles and Lake Argyle sound great -- don't know if budget will stretch to include Horizontal falls flts as well
Cheers
Doctor Dog

[electron Member Find all posts View Profile Close electron]

Finally we are off on our 4 month trip to the Kimberleys and WA. Head out of Brisbane north to Mt Isa, then onto Katherine, then across to Kununurra for 20 days in the Kimberleys, including the GRR, Mitchell Falls, Bungle Bungles, King Leopold Ranges,etc, a week in Broom (site already booked) then south through the rest of WA, back across the Nullarbor , Broken Hill and back to Brisbane. @15,000kms with out side trips. Will be towing a Finch Outback and taking it where ever we can, (I know it does have some limitations) with our Toyota 150 Prado auto diesel.

happy travels Ron

[new driver Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close new driver]

Well our day has come we set off on monday 4th july first stop pinaroo then to lake eyre , the prado has new tyers fridge and drawers in the roof rack on thats all the missus would let me spend at this stage after buying the kakadu we need to save some for the trip look foward to seeing others out there we will be the silver kakadu venturing into the unknown our biggest trip yet , we keep monitoring for updates thanks to all for there advice will post an update once we are on the road on conditions and fuel if we have internet signal max