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Time for a Kimberley trip report, I may have missed one but I couldn’t find one on PP so here goes.
3 weeks is never enough to explore such an amazing area but we picked up the highlights. I realize a lot of PPers have explored out this way, so for you, I hope it’s a welcome trip down memory lane. For those that are yet to make the journey, hopefully it’s the straw the breaks the camels back and you’re off asap.
So, the important facts first, just over a 9,000 km round trip from Perth, the rough itinerary was as follows
Perth to 80 Mile Beach (via two 24hr rest stops provided by Main Roads at Galena Bridge and Robe River)
80 Mile Beach to Broome
Broome to Winjana Gorge (via Derby)
Winjana Gorge to Mt Barnett Roadhouse
Mt Barnet Roadhouse to El Questro
El Questro to Lake Argyle (with a side trip to Wyndhum)
Lake Argyle to Kununurra
Kununurra to Bungle Bungles
Bungle Bungles to Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy Crossing to Broome
Broome to 80 Mile Beach
80 Mile Beach to Newman
Newman to Dalwallinu
Dalwallinu to Perth
I’ll try to keep the report short but if you want any additional info, feel free to ask.
The beginnings:
We loaded up the Prado and headed North, leaving a day earlier than originally planned so that we could make the trip up in 4 days, rather than 3, making it that little bit more comfortable a drive.
Stayed in 24 hours rest stops for the first two nights, these are provided by Main Roads (and published on the Dept of Transport website). If you haven’t discovered them yet, take a look into them, they are free, have toilet facilities and if you’re just trying to cover distance without leaving the main road, are fantastic and you will be surrounded by like-minded individuals (and grey nomads).
Bit about the rig upgrades. As you can see from the below, we opted for the roof top tent option for the trip and given that we rarely stayed in one place for more than one night, this was perfect, it meant no banging in pegs of a regular tent and only 4 wheel placements to worry about on the road (i.e. no trailer). Yes, it acts like a giant air brake and does affect your fuel consumption, but it also gives you a birds eye view with the windows open and sun rising! Other upgrades include fitting BFG A/Ts to both spares (not that either were necessary), a 2 inch lift with polyairs and a custom shelf to store 1 spare under and mount the new 50L waeco DZ on its slide.
At one of the 24HR rest stops.
The way up is still a long drive with some of the distances seemingly relentless. Tried to stop at this pub as apparently it was a “must” but couldn’t get my head through the door. (not for lack of trying).
Back on the road, we were lucky enough to stop at 80 Mile Beach, and yep, for those that were worried after the recent cyclone damage, the caravan park is up and running. Got there too late and left too early to go fishing (the tides were out), but got to enjoy the sunsets and the tidal reflections which pretty special (and put Cable Beach to shame, but that’s a personal opinion).
After a well earned rest, we left 80 Mile, promising to return to this hidden gem and made it to Broome. We had opted to stay in some “solid” accommodation up here to rest up before tackling the Gibb. All the usual, tourist attractions were done, including crocidilian parks and visiting the Broome Bird Observatory (which I might add, had the worst 16 km of corrugations of the whole trip – but the views were pretty good)
Say hello to my little friend.
Then we had to be the ultimate tourist and sit on Cable Beach with the Prado ….
Took the drive up the Cape Leveque road (didn’t make it all the way up as we didn’t have time). Now, I’m not going to buy into the “no gas” debate one way or the other, but for those that are interested, when they talk of James Price point as the future gas hub, this is the coastline they are talking about. Makes the argument a little more interesting once you’ve taken a trip and seen the pure remoteness and pristine coastline.
So after the short stay in Broome, it was off to the main attraction, The Gibb River Road. All roads open, always a good sign considering there was some late May rain.
For those considering tackling the Gibb, we didn’t find it to be the remote outback road its made out to be by some, but realize this depends on the season you hit it in. Our experience was pretty fantastic.
First overnighter was Windjana gorge and Tunnel Creek. Tunnel Creek is a bit spooky - a walk through the flooded cave system with your torch being your best friend. Good fun though and well worth the walk.
Camped at Windjana overnight
Windjana Gorge is a good walk and one of the best places we found along the Gibb to see these little guys in their natural habitat.
Next stop was Lennard Gorge, which had a fair bit of water running following the recent May rains
The creek crossings started from here on in, nothing major at this point, just enough to wet the hubs! Given we weren’t in a convoy, there is very little in the way of “action shots!”
Manning Gorge was a lot of fun and very picturesque. This guy agreed (he spooked me as I jumped down a rock ledge, then worked out he wanted to share it).
Manning Gorge view from the top
Driving along to the next Gorge we missed this guy by a very short distance which involved some swerving
Next was Galvins Gorge, which is a short walk from the main road.
After all this, I could use a seat, luckily, nature (or some crafty station owner) provided…
<
Here’s us parked up for the longest, but not the deepest crossing, the much anticipated Pentecost River, which ended up being a simple stroll across.
After crossing the Pentecost, we headed into El Questro station. I could rave on about this place for hours (but won’t). Fair to say, I suggest it would be a fantastic place for a pradopoint GTG given the hospitality, beauty and 4x4 tracks around the place. (just a suggestion =))Their gorges alone rival any others on the Gibb.
There was Moonshine Gorge
and Amalia Gorge
and Emma Gorge
just to name a few….
…. as well as El Questro Gorge itself and Zebedee Springs (hot thermal springs) as well as some fun driving and water crossings all over the place. Good fun, but the sheer number of them can lead to feeling like a drowned rat….as we will soon find out…
Out of El Questro we headed straight for Kununurra (with a short detour to Wyndym), and ended up going a little further to Lake Argyle. An inland sea of its own right (man made by controlling the Ord River). Very spectacular and reminded us of the Sounds in NZ.
So…about those water crossings in El Questro, well it was about the morning we went to leave Lake Argyle that they decided to take their toll on the starter motor, who obviously drank a bit too much the day before and just went “click” for about 3 hours till the sun passed over the bonnet and dried everything out. Still, got out of that one by lunch time and in to Kunnunurra to visit the Mirima national park (mini bungle bungles). And its good to know RAC is available in Kununarra
Took this one as a “so close and yet so far” photo – the Lake Argyle turnoff is only 7 kms away from the NT border, and believe me… very tempting to just keep going…
From kununurra it was time to drive to the bungle bungles (Purnullu NP). Its not till you have seen the whole park and understand how it got created that the individual bits seem all the more special. .p.s. for me, the drive in wasn’t the big hoorah its made out to be, it was a slow drive, but not technical or difficult.
Mini palms and cathedral gorge were special
Mini palms below (with some interesting conglomerate rocks)
Off to see some domes. Very nice.
Camping in the trees (with the full set up including awning and skirt on the tent)
In the morning we took to the skies by helichopper, which was well worth the rather large price tag to see the enormity of the park.
Out of the bungles, we headed to Fitzroy crossing, staying at the Fitzroy river lodge (highly recommended) and an early morning cruise on Geike gorge which is run by the DEC guys, and was a great cheap tour option.
Finally it was time for the trip home, we spent one more night in broome to rest up ready for the drive home. Wanted to head up to cape leveque but it was booked well in advance (hint: book early)
For the drive home, we took a relatively short day 1 back to 80 Mile Beach, and arrived just in time for the tides to have a fish, which was a very relaxing hour or so spent. Even though the short elderly woman next to me caught the huge mullaway (which I still believe I was meant to catch). A windy night saw the first real test for the roof top tent in the wind and im happy to say, whilst it was possibly a bit more noisy that the umpteen caravans around it didn’t move around or feel uncomfortable.
Again, sunsets at 80 mile rival most I’ve seen throughout WA.
So that’s the trip in a nutshell.. It’s not easy to provide a snippet or a taste of Kimberley experience in limited words and 30 odd photos (my full hard disk attests to this) but hopefully this had helped those that needed a prompt, and for those that have made the trip in the past, remember fondly. I know one thing for sure, I could spend months up there doing the bits we didn’t have the time for and will definitely be back…
Now, I will to attempt to wash some more of that bulldust off of the prado, for the 3rd time.
Ryan
3 weeks is never enough to explore such an amazing area but we picked up the highlights. I realize a lot of PPers have explored out this way, so for you, I hope it’s a welcome trip down memory lane. For those that are yet to make the journey, hopefully it’s the straw the breaks the camels back and you’re off asap.
So, the important facts first, just over a 9,000 km round trip from Perth, the rough itinerary was as follows
Perth to 80 Mile Beach (via two 24hr rest stops provided by Main Roads at Galena Bridge and Robe River)
80 Mile Beach to Broome
Broome to Winjana Gorge (via Derby)
Winjana Gorge to Mt Barnett Roadhouse
Mt Barnet Roadhouse to El Questro
El Questro to Lake Argyle (with a side trip to Wyndhum)
Lake Argyle to Kununurra
Kununurra to Bungle Bungles
Bungle Bungles to Fitzroy Crossing
Fitzroy Crossing to Broome
Broome to 80 Mile Beach
80 Mile Beach to Newman
Newman to Dalwallinu
Dalwallinu to Perth
I’ll try to keep the report short but if you want any additional info, feel free to ask.
The beginnings:
We loaded up the Prado and headed North, leaving a day earlier than originally planned so that we could make the trip up in 4 days, rather than 3, making it that little bit more comfortable a drive.
Stayed in 24 hours rest stops for the first two nights, these are provided by Main Roads (and published on the Dept of Transport website). If you haven’t discovered them yet, take a look into them, they are free, have toilet facilities and if you’re just trying to cover distance without leaving the main road, are fantastic and you will be surrounded by like-minded individuals (and grey nomads).
Bit about the rig upgrades. As you can see from the below, we opted for the roof top tent option for the trip and given that we rarely stayed in one place for more than one night, this was perfect, it meant no banging in pegs of a regular tent and only 4 wheel placements to worry about on the road (i.e. no trailer). Yes, it acts like a giant air brake and does affect your fuel consumption, but it also gives you a birds eye view with the windows open and sun rising! Other upgrades include fitting BFG A/Ts to both spares (not that either were necessary), a 2 inch lift with polyairs and a custom shelf to store 1 spare under and mount the new 50L waeco DZ on its slide.
At one of the 24HR rest stops.
The way up is still a long drive with some of the distances seemingly relentless. Tried to stop at this pub as apparently it was a “must” but couldn’t get my head through the door. (not for lack of trying).
Back on the road, we were lucky enough to stop at 80 Mile Beach, and yep, for those that were worried after the recent cyclone damage, the caravan park is up and running. Got there too late and left too early to go fishing (the tides were out), but got to enjoy the sunsets and the tidal reflections which pretty special (and put Cable Beach to shame, but that’s a personal opinion).
After a well earned rest, we left 80 Mile, promising to return to this hidden gem and made it to Broome. We had opted to stay in some “solid” accommodation up here to rest up before tackling the Gibb. All the usual, tourist attractions were done, including crocidilian parks and visiting the Broome Bird Observatory (which I might add, had the worst 16 km of corrugations of the whole trip – but the views were pretty good)
Say hello to my little friend.
Then we had to be the ultimate tourist and sit on Cable Beach with the Prado ….
Took the drive up the Cape Leveque road (didn’t make it all the way up as we didn’t have time). Now, I’m not going to buy into the “no gas” debate one way or the other, but for those that are interested, when they talk of James Price point as the future gas hub, this is the coastline they are talking about. Makes the argument a little more interesting once you’ve taken a trip and seen the pure remoteness and pristine coastline.
So after the short stay in Broome, it was off to the main attraction, The Gibb River Road. All roads open, always a good sign considering there was some late May rain.
For those considering tackling the Gibb, we didn’t find it to be the remote outback road its made out to be by some, but realize this depends on the season you hit it in. Our experience was pretty fantastic.
First overnighter was Windjana gorge and Tunnel Creek. Tunnel Creek is a bit spooky - a walk through the flooded cave system with your torch being your best friend. Good fun though and well worth the walk.
Camped at Windjana overnight
Windjana Gorge is a good walk and one of the best places we found along the Gibb to see these little guys in their natural habitat.
Next stop was Lennard Gorge, which had a fair bit of water running following the recent May rains
The creek crossings started from here on in, nothing major at this point, just enough to wet the hubs! Given we weren’t in a convoy, there is very little in the way of “action shots!”
Manning Gorge was a lot of fun and very picturesque. This guy agreed (he spooked me as I jumped down a rock ledge, then worked out he wanted to share it).
Manning Gorge view from the top
Driving along to the next Gorge we missed this guy by a very short distance which involved some swerving
Next was Galvins Gorge, which is a short walk from the main road.
After all this, I could use a seat, luckily, nature (or some crafty station owner) provided…
<
Here’s us parked up for the longest, but not the deepest crossing, the much anticipated Pentecost River, which ended up being a simple stroll across.
After crossing the Pentecost, we headed into El Questro station. I could rave on about this place for hours (but won’t). Fair to say, I suggest it would be a fantastic place for a pradopoint GTG given the hospitality, beauty and 4x4 tracks around the place. (just a suggestion =))Their gorges alone rival any others on the Gibb.
There was Moonshine Gorge
and Amalia Gorge
and Emma Gorge
just to name a few….
…. as well as El Questro Gorge itself and Zebedee Springs (hot thermal springs) as well as some fun driving and water crossings all over the place. Good fun, but the sheer number of them can lead to feeling like a drowned rat….as we will soon find out…
Out of El Questro we headed straight for Kununurra (with a short detour to Wyndym), and ended up going a little further to Lake Argyle. An inland sea of its own right (man made by controlling the Ord River). Very spectacular and reminded us of the Sounds in NZ.
So…about those water crossings in El Questro, well it was about the morning we went to leave Lake Argyle that they decided to take their toll on the starter motor, who obviously drank a bit too much the day before and just went “click” for about 3 hours till the sun passed over the bonnet and dried everything out. Still, got out of that one by lunch time and in to Kunnunurra to visit the Mirima national park (mini bungle bungles). And its good to know RAC is available in Kununarra
Took this one as a “so close and yet so far” photo – the Lake Argyle turnoff is only 7 kms away from the NT border, and believe me… very tempting to just keep going…
From kununurra it was time to drive to the bungle bungles (Purnullu NP). Its not till you have seen the whole park and understand how it got created that the individual bits seem all the more special. .p.s. for me, the drive in wasn’t the big hoorah its made out to be, it was a slow drive, but not technical or difficult.
Mini palms and cathedral gorge were special
Mini palms below (with some interesting conglomerate rocks)
Off to see some domes. Very nice.
Camping in the trees (with the full set up including awning and skirt on the tent)
In the morning we took to the skies by helichopper, which was well worth the rather large price tag to see the enormity of the park.
Out of the bungles, we headed to Fitzroy crossing, staying at the Fitzroy river lodge (highly recommended) and an early morning cruise on Geike gorge which is run by the DEC guys, and was a great cheap tour option.
Finally it was time for the trip home, we spent one more night in broome to rest up ready for the drive home. Wanted to head up to cape leveque but it was booked well in advance (hint: book early)
For the drive home, we took a relatively short day 1 back to 80 Mile Beach, and arrived just in time for the tides to have a fish, which was a very relaxing hour or so spent. Even though the short elderly woman next to me caught the huge mullaway (which I still believe I was meant to catch). A windy night saw the first real test for the roof top tent in the wind and im happy to say, whilst it was possibly a bit more noisy that the umpteen caravans around it didn’t move around or feel uncomfortable.
Again, sunsets at 80 mile rival most I’ve seen throughout WA.
So that’s the trip in a nutshell.. It’s not easy to provide a snippet or a taste of Kimberley experience in limited words and 30 odd photos (my full hard disk attests to this) but hopefully this had helped those that needed a prompt, and for those that have made the trip in the past, remember fondly. I know one thing for sure, I could spend months up there doing the bits we didn’t have the time for and will definitely be back…
Now, I will to attempt to wash some more of that bulldust off of the prado, for the 3rd time.
Ryan
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