Planned trip to the Kimberly July 2011

[dermie75 Member Find all posts View Profile Close dermie75]

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.

Camping in the build-up would be quite uncomfortable for most people, including myself. I have just gone through the GRR and there were already quite a few people on the road. Jul / Aug will mean even more I imagine.

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.

Cheers Andrew

They have just had the grader through on the road out to Mitchell Falls, it seemed to take all day to get out there. I wasn't towing anything but my mate and his better half were towing a camper trailer. Neither of us had any real dramas with it. If you don't hammer it through there, you should be okay. The falls were definitely amazing!!

You won't be able to get up to Kalumburu as the road is closed at this stage until early next year. The Mitchell Falls road only opened on the day that we got to Drysdale Station!

El Questro station's private campsites on the river are definitely the way to go. Sleeping under the stars with only the sound of the river, the nearest campsite to where we camped was about 100 - 150 meters! Would loved to have had a look at the Homestead up on the cliffs, but you can only get up there if you are paying bookoo dollars a night.

I'm off to Karijini on Tuesday for a couple of weeks, would love to be back in Broome for the Stairway to the moon but will depend on how I am going at Karajini.

When you get to Broome, see if you can get up to James Price Point. As you have probably seen in the news recently, they have just signed off on a gas processing plant here. Touchy subject amongst many people. Someone told me that they are planning on putting a deep harbour in there as part of it. Apparently Port Headland has the infrastructure in place already. Not sure on the truth of any of this though. I slept up there on the cliffs the first night I arrived in Broome. Beautiful area.

Well, enjoy your trip and stay safe.

Dermie

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

thanks for all the tips all taken note off and used we have returned the Prado has performed perfectly only issues have been other Prado drivers during the schoolhols who were in to much of a hurry on the dirt towing those dreaded jayco campers lost the sun roof expensive and only 2 in Aus . had to flown to Darwin then transprted to Alice there are some real cowboys all you have to do is lift the foot off the gas ...
also have a cracked windscreen to be replaced .. not happy... Prados are everywhere they were the most popular by far , but beware Prados on school hols they are reckless.
the rest went well we put the kakadu through its paces water , mud sand climbs and imm hooked cant wait to get out again , Mithchell falls was spectacular rough drive but worth it will endevour to put some photos up when i work out how .
the prado has been to the detailer and service looks like new again and unfortunatly the around town fourby

[StormyKnight Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close StormyKnight]

...beware Prados on school hols they are reckless.

Good advice for sure! I'm going to Flinders in the first week of the NSW/Vic holidays (which is 1 week before the SA ones!) - still I expect quite a few New South Welshmen & Victorians doing the same....