Gibb River Road.

The Route.

All open!

Ask any caravanner to list their top 3 dream trips, and the Gibb River Road will be right at the top!! Why??? Well, it runs through some of the most rugged and beautiful country in Australia, it seems a remote & unattainable destination, and it is one of the last big adventures, off the bitumen!! We have always dreamed of doing it, me more so than Carolyn, but with our caravan being totally unsuitable for the journey, we had resigned ourselves to just dreaming. But a few months ago, that all changed, when our friends from Perth said they were coming up to Broome to meet up with us, and that they planned to do the Gibb River Road, both couples having serious off road caravans. We were not going to miss such an opportunity! We started to look at options to hire an off road camper trailer, and successfully found Travelabout Camper Hire, so the trip was on!!! We were going for one week, which we know will never be enough time to visit every gorge and station along the road, but will give us a great sample of the major sites. 

Lots to see.

Ready to go.

Unfortunately, Graham & Di had to cancel their caravan trip for health reasons, and as you have already seen, flew up to Broome for ten wonderful days. So the day after we said farewell to Graham & Di, we picked up the camper trailer and headed for Derby with Moira & Geoff, to start our incredible trip. Derby is just a short 280km drive away, and we were there in time for morning tea! After a coffee and an early lunch, we refueled, added some last minute supplies, and headed back down the road a few kilometres to the Gibb River Road turnoff. The journey begins!!

Road Train on The Gibb River Rd.

Reminder of whose land we

are visiting.

The Gibb River Road was built in the 1960's to allow easier access for trucks to get to the various cattle stations that call the Kimberley home, and move cattle to the abattoirs in either Derby (West end), or Wyndham (East end). Today both abattoirs are closed, but the cattle are still moved, for live export from Broome. The thought of meeting a cattle road train on the narrow gravel road is daunting!! All those wheels to throw rocks at you!! Places to buy food and fuel are scarce along the route, and being mostly Aboriginal land, alcohol restrictions apply, and there is nowhere to buy grog. So planning for all those happy hours is essential!! Oh, and of course we don't want to run out of food or water! So, fully provisioned, off we headed. The first 110 kilometres is mostly sealed road, just to get you into a false sense of security!! They were doing quite a bit of roadwork along this stretch of road.

Windjana Gorge

Freshwater crocs at Windjana Gorge.

At the 110km point the bitumen stopped and the dirt and dust began. First job was to stop and drop our tyre pressures right down. With the road literally covered in corrugations and sharp loose rocks, it is essential to have low pressure, pliable tyres. It is a risky game knowing the exact right pressure, as too high means a sharp rock can pierce the tread, whilst too low, can expose the vulnerable side walls to those sharp rocks! It is just a matter of luck!! Not far down the road is the turnoff to our first stop, Windjana Gorge, where we will camp for the night. There is a self registration point, where we paid our entrance fee. The Windjana Gorge camp ground was very good, with flushing toilets and fresh water on tap! We hadn't expected that!! We found a nice shady spot and set up camp. Just as we were settling in, Henry the Ranger arrived to check our registrations, and tell us about what was happening at the park. Happy Hour was most welcome after a dusty day. Tonight's dinner was courtesy of Moira, who did her delicious mini pizzas, washed down with some good reds!! Cool nights made for good sleeping conditions!

Moira & Geoff at Tunnel Creek.

Us at Tunnel Creek.

Winjana Gorge is lovely. The cliffs that climb up to 100 metres above the river and gorge floor, are limestone, and the remains of a huge coral reef that wound its way through the Kimberley some 300 million years ago. They stretch for miles, all the way down towards Fitzroy Crossing. The river is now a series of large pools, and there are lots of freshwater crocodiles, estimated at between 70 and 100. There is also a large fruit bat colony, and every afternoon there is an incredible wildlife show. Sadly, we had arrived too late the day before, and would be miles along the road tonight, so missed the show!! Bugger!! Around 4 to 4.30pm, the bats wake up to start their nightly forage for food. First thing after a hot day hanging in the trees, is a drink and a cool dip in the large pools. It is here that the crocodiles wait below the surface snapping at any bat that comes near!! They say the snapping of jaws is constant, as this fight for survival goes on each day. On our walk, we did see crocodiles sitting in the river or on the banks, with bats firmly clamped in their jaws!!

Geoff crossing Bell River.

Set up at Silent Grove Campground.

From Winjana it was 35kms down the road without the van & trailer, to Tunnel Creek. Carol & I have been here before, but it is a real treat. It was a first time for Moira & Geoff. It is a very cool and pleasant walk through the tunnel, that is just over 1km long. Just past half way, the roof has collapsed and  another bat colony has set up camp in both the trees outside, and the roof of the tunnel. You have to cross the creek a few times, and sometimes the water gets above your knees, which is waist deep for Moira!! You need to carry a good torch as it gets pitch black. It is quite eerie, shining the torch into dark corners across the water, and picking out the red eyes of the couple of freshwater crocodiles that call Tunnel Creek home!! This is a fun, and very unique place to visit. We headed back to the campground to collect our camper and van, and setoff for our next stop.

Roast Lamb coming right up!

Bell Gorge from the top.

The road was proving to be pretty good. It is a real pot luck story. The road is constantly graded, and it is just a matter of where the graders have been working. They smooth out the corrugations but expose lots more sharp and lethal rocks! The scenery constantly changes. We start to climb through the King Leopold Ranges. On many of the steep climbs, bitumen has thankfully replaced dirt, as it is the hilly bits that get most corrugations. Whilst it isn't busy on the road, we regularly pass cars headed the opposite direction, showering us in dust, that just hangs in the air. Our destination for tonight is Silent Grove Campground, the gateway to Bell Gorge. The campground is 29kms off the Gibb River Road, and just 10kms before Bell Gorge. There are two water crossings, the first quite wide and flat, the second short and quite a bit steeper. It was another very well maintained campground with new hot & cold showers, and flushing toilets!! We found a quiet spot in a corner and set up camp. Again it was self registration, but here instead of a ranger there was a resident volunteer camp host, who works for part of the season in return for free camping.

Bell Gorge Falls.

Swimming at Bell Gorge.

Tonight we got the Weber out, and decided on Roast Lamb, which drove everyone in the campground crazy. Most people are roughing it. We are doing it with style!! I think a highlight has been when Geoff gets out the generator so Moira can get the Nespresso machine working!! After dinner, there was some real excitement in the campground! All of a sudden there was a huge flash and a scream, and a fireball was rolling across the campground! A German tourist had somehow ignited a gas cylinder!I How it didn't explode was a mystery, but some cool guy just walked over with a fire extinguisher, and put the fireball out! After all the excitement we finished off some more great reds, stargazed for a while, then it was nice hot showers and into bed, after another busy day. The next day started with bacon & egg rolls to get us ready for our walk into Bell Gorge. It was a 10km drive up to the Bell Gorge carpark, from which it was a walk of about 1km each way to the gorge. The walk included some quite challenging, rocky climbs both up and down, but overall it was manageable.

Pool at the top of Bell Gorge.

Refuelling at Mt. Barnett Roadhouse.

The reward at the end of the walk was worth it. Bell Gorge is widely regarded as the prettiest gorge along the Gibb River Road. It is breathtaking enough when you arrive at the river at the top of the waterfall, where there are large cool pools. But it is when you walk to the edge of the gorge and look down over the waterfall into the large deep pool below, that the true beauty is revealed. Magnificent red cliffs cut out by the raging river in flood. There is always water here, and the waterfall was running pretty well. To get to the base of the falls and enjoy the cool waters of that inviting pool, is a most challenging walk. We had to climb up and over a steep trail and clamber back down the other side. We were carrying quite a bit of gear, including lunch, water and all our swimming gear!! But boy was it worth it!! The water was freezing, but we all quickly acclimatized. It was just magnificent, and we had timed our arrival just right, as an APT tour group was leaving as we arrived, and another group arrived as we readied for departure!! We shared the gorge with only a few, for around 4 hours.

Welcome sign.

Not your average school bus!

Back at camp, we were straight into the showers and settled into Happy Hour, talking about the wonderful day we had experienced. Tonight, the Weber got another workout, this time cooking up some Teriyaki Chicken to go with a delicious salad the girls had prepared. It was after dinner and over some more of that good wine, that we realized we had not had contact with the outside world for 48 hours, but no one cared!! There is no coverage along the Gibb River Road. We took a quiet walk around the campground, and stopped beside the glowing embers of a campfire. Carolyn said wouldn't it be great if we had some marshmallows, and Moira replied, "Oh I've got marshmallows", and moments later returned with a bag full and four long skewers!! Is there nothing that girl is not prepared for??? In the morning we were up early, and on the road. We are slowly getting used to the camper trailer! It looked so easy to put up and down parked on Colin's driveway!! We are so thankful to be travelling with Moira and Geoff. Moira seems to have everything in that caravan! We are just using the camper as a bedroom!!

The river near Manning Gorge

Campground.

Pulley boat across the Manning River.

Back across the Bell River, and turning left towards our third stop at Mt. Barnett Roadhouse, gateway to Manning River Gorge. We wanted to be early here, as we need to get on the trail to Manning Gorge as quickly as possible, to avoid getting back in the dark! The Roadhouse is an opportunity to top up fuel, at a not too bad $1.80 per litre, and get some late brekkie!! Manning Gorge Campground is privately owned, run by the roadhouse, and situated 7kms behind the roadhouse. The track in was OK, and the campground is huge! Situated right on the Manning River, it is popular with day visitors who don't want to trek into the gorge. We found a couple of good sites side by side, and decided not to set up until we got back from the gorge. So a quick change into the swimmers, loaded up with water and off we went!!

Manning Gorge.

Relaxing at Manning Gorge.

The river near the campground is just lovely, with sandy banks and clear water. No wonder the day trippers love it. The first challenge is getting across the river without getting wet! They have set up an ingenious pulley system that allows you to pull yourself across the river in a tinny!! Once across the river it is a slow climb and challenging walk of 2.4kms each way. The last kilometer is very tough, as you wind your way down and up out of two gullies! The time estimate was 1.5 hours each way, which we were just under. Looking down at that large pool, once we made it to the top of the second gully, spurred us on!! It was 34 degrees and we just wanted to be in that water!! We made it down to the pool, and plunged into the icy water! After getting used to the temperature, we swam across this huge pool, walked over some smooth rock shelves, and found the main deep pool under the waterfall, and plunged in again! Whilst not a high waterfall, and with only a trickle of water, the setting was just so beautiful. It is such a reward to find these wonderful places hiding in the wilderness. Again there were only a few hardy souls who had made the trek in. We settled in for a couple of idyllic hours, watching the birds swoop in for drinks and just soaking up the amazing scenery.

Mavving Gorge.

More Manning Gorge.

By the time we had made it back to the river and the pulley boat, I had decided I needed a Manning Gorge swim, so I helped Geoff pull the boat across to our side. It was hard going, and when it arrived we understood why. The kids had been playing with the boat and filled it with water and sand!! Little buggers!! So Geoff and I bailed it out, and he got the girls moving, as I took to the water! We were pretty stuffed when we got back to camp, and now I had to put up the camper. Thankfully, my experience was starting to kick in and it wasn't long until Happy Hour was in full swing. Boy did we deserve a cold beer!! The girls had the nibblies out, and tonight whilst the smell of tinned curry and baked beans wafted around the campground, out came the Weber for another round of tantalizing smells!! Tonight was steak night, and I swear the guy across from us was attempting to inhale our steaks from 50 metres!!! Bad luck buddy, only enough for four!!!

Maybe next time?

Entrance to Ellenbrae Station.

We decided on an early start, so we were back at the Roadhouse as the doors opened, having decided their cooked brekkie would be quick and tastier than our cereal!! Today we were doing 180 kms, a quick 1.5 hours down a freeway, but a likely 4 hours on the dirt. On this part of the road it was a mixture of flat plains and sharp "jump ups". But all in all, the road was still pretty good, and nothing like the horror stories we had been fed!! At this stage we were convinced that there is a huge amount of ego in the descriptions of the road conditions people give. It is as if "Önly I can do It!". We stopped at the main intersection along the road. This is the Kulumburu Road, which takes in Drysdale River Station, then forks to go to the Mitchell Plateau and Kulumburu Aboriginal Community. It has been widely reported as the worst road in the Kimberley! It is unfortunate that our schedule doesn't allow a visit to Drysdale Station, which is an icon of the Kimberley. We came across a young couple, travelling with their 8 & 10 year old kids, and on their way to Drysdale Station. They had taken the kids out of school, and were self schooling for a year, to take the kids around Australia. What an education for these lucky kids!! What an introduction to this wonderful country. The kids were confident and full of stories of their adventures.

Brolgas.

Crane on the Cambridge R. Crossing.

There are so many side trips along the Gibb River Road that you can do. Most of them involve a Cattle Station on a property that has its own wonderful gorges and scenery. The best know of these are, Mt. Hart Wilderness Lodge, Charnley River Station, Mornington Wilderness Camp and  Mt. Elizabeth Station. They are all 30 to 90 kms off the road, and we just don't have the time to do them. There are also a number of other gorges, which we have researched and found that many are dry. The only one we were disappointed to miss was Galvans Gorge, which even though there was no waterfall, the pool at the base was still stunning. 

Famous scones at Ellenbrae Station.

Very Rustic at Ellenbrae!!

We pulled into Ellenbrae Station, a working cattle property of around 1,000,000 acres!! They supplement their earnings with tourism during the dry season, and have created a niche as being renowned for their home made scones with cream & jam!! The Homestead is like a green oasis, with tables under shady trees, and some very rustic facilities!! The toilet wasn't the flushing kind. You just threw a ladle full of lime powder onto the festering mess!! I warned Carolyn & Moira not to have a second cuppa!! The scones were excellent. In the gardens, were the remnants of a huge Boab Tree, that blew over in a bad storm last May. It was estimated to be over 1,000 years old! We paid for our camp sites and headed off to find the campground. It was soooo dusty!! Couldn't find a blade of grass !! The best corner in the campground had been completely commandeered by a greedy couple, who had parked and set up in such a way that no one else could get in!!  We found a spot and set up, and headed down to the swimming hole. The water was beyond freezing!! Coldest we have found. I went fully in, the girls waded and Geoff sat on the sidelines!! The amenities were very rustic indeed. It had an old Donkey hot water system, that you had to stoke the fire to get hot water! The shower and the toilet were side by side and unisex to boot, and to make it all more cosy, the partitioning walls were only shoulder high!! Very quick visits with a guard!! Moira was in the kitchen tonight, and cooked up a delicious Green Thai Curry. God it is tough in the wilderness!!

Dusty camping at Ellenbrae.

When ya gotta go!!!

Next morning we had a very unique breakfast. The sign at the station had said toasted sandwiches and snacks, so we decided to have a quick toastie for Brekkie. Turned out the menu consisted of scones, scones or scones. If you didn't like scones you could have no scones!! What the heck!! Scones with cream and jam for brekkie!! We were now on our way to Home Valley Station, our final stopping point for our last two nights. This is a world renowned resort on the Kimberley, with accommodation for all levels from 1 to 5 star. The property is huge, and runs along the banks of the Pentecost River. You can camp on the banks of the Pentecost River, but we decided we needed powered sites and real showers, so checked into the caravan park right at the Homestead. The section of road heading up to the Home Valley turnoff, was the worst we had encountered, corrugated and thousands of sharp rocks, and so much dust!! The dust is incessant! It comes in red, white and every colour in between, and is the consistency of talcum powder. It gets in everywhere and everything you touch is coated. I have visions of "Pig Pen" from the Peanuts cartoon, all the time!! Just before the turnoff to Home Valley, we arrived at a magnificent lookout, and the Phone pinged. We quickly realized, that everyone at the Lookout was on the phone!! That magnificent view of the Cockburn Ranges was going to waste!! 

The Cockburn Ranges near

Home Valley Station.

A signal at last!!!

We checked in at Home Valley Station. The Reception area, the shop, and the dining area/bar, were such a contrast from where we have been. Manicured girls in crisp, starched uniforms, and no dust!! We booked into Dusty's Bar & Grill for dinner, to give the girls a break, after all their amazing culinary efforts, and headed off to set up the camper for one last time. In the afternoon, we headed for the pool, for some quiet, relaxation time. Even the water in the pool was cold!! We watched as a constant flow of people arrived to check in, some in tents, some in campers or caravans, and a few tour buses. We couldn't help but notice that the tour groups look decidedly weary!! They go at a cracking pace from 6.00am, and are often first at the gorges to beat the heat. We expected it to get busy around the pool, but in the end most of the tour groups must have collapsed in their 5 star rooms!!

Entrance to Home Valley.

Happy hour by the Pentecost River.

For Happy Hour we headed the 4 kms down to the Pentecost River, to watch the sunset over the river and nearby Cockburn Ranges. The river campground was dry and dusty, and we found a nice spot right on the river bank. At this point, the Pentecost is tidal, and not safe for swimming, as there are saltwater crocodiles. We didn't see any, but the campers told us they had seen plenty. Kimberley sunsets are simply stunning! This was a unique sunset, as we were facing away from it, focused on the mountain ranges. The changes in colours as the sun goes down, are incredible. Red gives way to yellow and orange and purple. A real privilege to see such beauty in this vast wilderness. Up here, there is no twilight!! Darkness falls with a flurry!! Within 20 minutes of sunset it is dark!!

At Pigeon Hole Lookout.

Just 30 kms away, is the even more famous El Questro Station. Almost everyone knows of this amazing 5 Star Resort, but few realise that the place is a complete Wilderness Destination. The privacy of the pampered guests at the Homestead is rigorously guarded, but people of all budgets can enjoy the facilities, which include budget accommodation in cabins and tents, powered and unpowered caravan sites, and private camping sites along the Pentecost River. There are also some wonderful gorges and lookouts that can be reached by either guided tours or self drive in your own 4WD. We are going to spend the day exploring El Questro. The Gibb River Road between these two places is by far the worst we've experienced, corrugated and so many rocks! Not far from Home Valley Station, the road crosses the Pentecost River. Depending on tides and the amount of water flowing down river, it can present some real challenges. For us though, it was a piece of cake, with just a puddle of water!! It was quite wide, but just lots of smooth river stones.

Crossing the Pentecost into El Questro.

The famous, exclusive Homestead.

The 16km drive into El Questro was a good road, and in fact we came across the grader at work! There are two water crossings, the last, the Pentecost River, being long, and about 400mm deep. It is a lot of fun! First stop was the El Questro Shop, as we had to buy a Day Pass to be on the property. We had a good look around the shop. The café looked good, so after buying our passes, we started the day with coffee and cake!! Back across the river, our first destination was the unique Zebedee Hot Springs. They are situated in a beautiful Livistonia Palm Grove, and the water is a warm 33 degrees. It is only a short walk from the carpark, which has a great sign that says "If the Carpark is Full so are the Springs. Come back later!" Luckily we found space!! The springs are only open to the public from 7.00am until midday. After that it is closed for exclusive use of the "special guests"! It is pretty rocky and very natural, so you just have to squeeze into any water hole you can find! Still, it was nice change from all those icy pools!

Zebedee Hot Springs.

Relaxing at Zebedee.

From Zebedee we went 4WDriving, first up to Saddleback Ridge and Lookout. The drive was posted as challenging, and it was, very steep, very rocky and quite a heart in the mouth drive! The big Toyota's were doing what they are made to do, and doing it with ease!  At the top, the views out over El Questro were stunning. After Saddleback Ridge, the next lookout we headed for was Pigeon Hole Lookout, an equally challenging climb for the two Toyota's, but with unbelievable views of the Pentecost River. The scenery is just stunning, with the river cutting through the ranges. It is very high above the river, and we could make out movement of objects in the river. The binoculars revealed we were looking at some large saltwater crocodiles! They also revealed that the white thing we could see in the water, was a cow carcass, being jealously guarded by a huge crocodile!! As another smaller croc headed for the carcass, the big guy just launched himself at it, and there was a very fast retreat!! Spectacular to witness.

View from Pigeon Hole Lookout.

At Branko's Lookout.

Down we went and onto the last of our lookouts, and probably the most famous, Branko's Lookout. The drive to get there is unbelievable in itself. We had to cross the Cambridge River, at the point where it meets the Pentecost. The crossing, which is about 200m wide, takes 15 to 20 minutes, as we bounced over the smooth river stones of every shape and size. The crossing starts at the Durack Boab Tree, a point where the famous family came with their cattle drives. As we crossed, we found a young couple fishing!! On their way across they had seen three big Barramundi swimming right up to the edge! They obviously weren't successful, as we saw the same three fish on our way back!! From the crossing, you get a great view of the famous Homestead perched on the cliffs above the Cambridge River. The climb up to Branko's Lookout is short but very steep! In fact, at one point we thought we'd reached the lookout, only to find it was a turning point for a sharp left turn!! We were greeted by more absolutely stunning views and more huge crocodiles slowly meandering up and down the river. What a unique property El Questro is. Such diverse scenery and attractions. We have had a very special day, and were most pleased that we had decided against another gorge walk, in favour of the sightseeing.

A big Saltwater Crocodile.

One Shredded tyre!

We headed back out to the Gibb River Road, and on our trip back to Home Valley Station, our good luck with the tyres ran out with a bang! One, $400.00  Cooper Tyre, literally shredded!! Geoff was such a huge help. We had the wheel changed in no time. No calling the NRMA or no quick visit down the road to get a new tyre! Out here, we were faced with a trip home without a spare! Thankfully the Gods were with us, and we got back to Home Valley, and in fact all the way back to Broome, without a spare! We were too late to get down to the river for a final Pentecost River sunset, so we hit the showers, and headed up to the restaurant for our last dinner on the Gibb River Road.

Ernie Dingo was a real good sport!

Margaritaville!

Our last night was fantastic. The food in the restaurant was very good.The previous night there had been no entertainment, so we had a quiet dinner. This night ,we had a guy called Chris Matthews doing some good Country Music. There was also a good, fun crowd in, including Ernie Dingo, who was staying with his TV crew, doing a show called Low Range, a Lifestyle show about travels in the outback. You know how when you see someone famous in person, you almost feel as if they are your friend?? Well, as Ernie walked past, I just said, "Hey Ernie, what are you doing here?" to which he responded "I'm just lost"! Next thing I was asking if he'd mind doing a photo with the girls, to which he said it would cost a Corona or 4, so I bought Corona's and the night just got bigger and bigger!! The Bus tour groups had all gone to bed, but those of us left had a ball!! Moira finished up on stage as a back up singer, a couple of Ernie's crew did some very acrobatic and entertaining dancing, the Corona's were flowing and Ernie finished up buying the girls more Maragarita's. Talk about an incredible last night!! Eventually, the manager called last drinks, and poor old Chris Matthews left the stage an hour after his scheduled finishing time!!

Colours of the Kimberley.

Parked beside the Durack Boab.

We were all up very early (5.00am), the next morning, as we both faced long days of travel in opposite directions. Carolyn & I were driving 1,000km back to Broome, whilst Moira and Geoff were aiming to get as close to Darwin as possible in one day. Our week on the Gibb River Road had been all and more than we had hoped. Moira & Geoff had been such wonderful travelling companions, and we are sure to be travelling together again in the future. They are very special people to us, and we have only known them for 3 short years, yet it is as if we have always known each other. It was sad to say goodbye, but we know it will only be for a short time.

Here's to a wonderful trip.

A Home Valley local!

So, with the shredded tyre strapped on the front of the camper, we headed out to the Gibb River Road for the last time. We breathed a huge sigh of relief when we reached the bitumen at the El Questro turnoff, where we got out the compressor and pumped the tyres back to normal road pressures, for the trip back to Broome. With a camper and not a caravan on the back, we were able to make much better time. First stop was Doon Doon Roadhouse for a great Outback breakfast, then we did a refuel at Hall's Creek, a couple of roadside stops for snacks and drinks, and the miles and time just flew by. We were glad to be back home. Carolyn kissed the walls of the caravan as she entered!! We both just wanted a nice shower and our own bed!! The camper had done a good job for us, but we were very glad to return it to Colin!!

Pentecost River at El Qhestro.

Our Gibb River Road adventure was over. What a fantastic experience it has been. So many sights, and so many memories. It was a wonderful time, made all the more special by the companionship of Geoff & Moira. Our dream had been fulfilled, and we will be left wondering, will we ever get back to do the things we missed on this journey? The Kimberley is such an incredible part of Australia. I can understand why people come here, and stay. Even if we don't get back, we have done what so many others dream about. We drove the Gibb River Road from end to end!!