Northern exposure
The Gibb River Road is a must-do for road trippers.
Talk to any keen road tripper about their bucket list of Aussie journeys and “doing the Gibb” will invariably come up. That’s the Gibb River Road, which transects the wild and remote Kimberley region of north-west Western Australia.
The perception of driving the Gibb River Road (GRR) is of a rugged, torturous drive through some of this country’s most inhospitable terrain.
The reality is far different. These days, a fair chunk of the route is sealed and, if you time it right (i.e. after the graders have been through at the start of touring season, from May to September), the unsealed sections are no more rugged than most gravel country roads. You don’t need extra skills to drive this route.
All you do need is a well-prepared four-wheel-drive vehicle (if not your own, you can hire one easily for this journey), good planning (see ‘Touring essentials’, on the next page) and an adventurous attitude.
The rewards that come from the occasional bump and crunch of potholes and gravel are many and include the chance to explore some of Australia’s most spectacular tropical landscapes.
The GRR will take you past innumerable stunning gorges, waterfalls and waterholes (some of which you can swim in; however, be mindful of all crocodile warnings and when in doubt stay out of the water), as well as brilliant Aboriginal art sites and a plethora of immense cattle stations that offer accommodation that ranges from basic campsites through to uber-luxury digs. Simply put, there are very good reasons the Gibb enjoys its lofty position on most road-trip bucket lists: it’s absolutely awesome. Gorge on beauty
You can drive the GRR in a few days, but this would be a disservice to your experience. We recommend seven days minimum. And that’s without the northern side-trip to Kalumburu and/or Mitchell Falls on the northern Kimberley Coast (see page 109).
We suggest beginning at Kununurra. This regional centre allows you to stock up on supplies before heading west and it also means you’ll have the sun behind and beside you for the majority of each day’s drive.
This makes a lot of sense with regard to safety when driving these outback routes. From Kununurra, the f irst road-trip stop is the immense, million-acre,
Airborne tours are a great way to gain an appreciation for the sheer size of this place.
El Questro Wilderness Park, 110km west of Kununurra, via mainly sealed roads. The f inal 16km is on gravel, so caravans should be transported with care.
This former cattle station contains an incredible variety of landscapes, ranging from subtropical rainforests and mountain ranges, through to numerous gorges with pristine waterholes, and tidal mudf lats.
Accommodation at spectacular El Questro ranges from campsites through to luxury digs at Emma Gorge or at the station homestead itself. We suggest the riverside campsites and then getting out and exploring this huge property.
There are plenty of 4WD tracks here – as well as bushwalking tracks – and these will take you to some of this area’s most unspoilt wilderness. Highlights include a swim at El Questro Gorge or Emma Gorge (both of which are equally fantastic) and then washing away any dust and worries in the cascading thermal waters of Zebedee Springs – a desert oasis surrounded by lush Livistona and Pandanus palms.
There are plenty of guided and independent activities at El Questro, including 4WD touring, walking, swimming, barramundi fishing, horse-riding and heli-tours.
These airborne tours are a great way to gain an appreciation for the sheer size of this place. And all this is just the start of the GRR.
The ultimate swimming hole
From El Questro there are numerous accommodation options along the GRR. Home Valley Station is “just up the road” (about 60km), at the foot of the Cockburn Range, and is worthy of a short day’s drive. The resort is run by the Indigenous Land Corporation and provides employment for local Indigenous people. It’s both a working cattle station and holiday resort, with loads of activities available to road-tripping families.
You can camp there, or opt to experience more luxurious digs, all while tucking in to very tasty cuisine. Activity-wise, there are horse-riding treks, riding lessons for children, f ishing (for barramundi, of course) on the Pentecost River, hikes to some magnif icent gorges (where you can swim as well), and airboat rides through the wetlands.
Further west, towards the central section of the GRR, you’ll find Mount Elizabeth Station, which
For those keen to view some Kimberley Aboriginal artwork, there are some fascinating examples.
(in my opinion) contains Australia’s best-kept secret waterhole: Wunnumurra Gorge. The station itself is 29km off the GRR, and about 365km west of Kununurra, so is usually the second or third stop on your GRR journey. Mount Elizabeth is a working cattle station that offers accommodation and camping, but the big attraction is def initely a swim in this stunning gorge. Reached via a 10km 4WD track, then a 1.2km (moderate) walk, Wunnumurra Gorge sits on the Barnett River and has a waterfall f lowing into it, where you can jump off red-rock cliffs into the cool (croc-free) waters of the gorge itself.
For those keen to view some Kimberley Aboriginal rock art, there are some fascinating examples at the waterhole’s western end, reached either by swimming to the western shore, or walking around the waterhole from the eastern side.
The rock art is essential viewing and well worth the 20-minute walk or swim. Visitors looking for that truly remote 4WD touring experience can also ask Mount Elizabeth’s owners, the Lacy family, for advice and information on the Munja Track that heads north from here to Walcott Inlet, via the Gardner Plateau. It’s a 460km, three-day adventure but well worth it if you have the time.
Where the wild things are
Leaving Mount Elizabeth Station, there are numerous scenic highlights on the way to Windjana Gorge camping ground. These include: King Leopold Ranges Conservation Park, which houses the striking Bell Gorge (another brilliant swimming hole, reached via a short walk); Mt Hart Homestead (a great camping option); Lennard River Gorge; and, if you’re a keen birdwatcher, a side-tr ip (and over night stay) to Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, which has more than 180 species of bird. It is through this section of the GRR that you will come close to gorge overexposure but thankfully each has its own unique identity and history – and all are well worth exploring. Even though it’s not very far from Mount Elizabeth to Windjana, it is easy to spend a few days exploring this part of
the Gibb, with Windjana Gorge and the nearby Tunnel Creek def inite highlights. Windjana Gorge, off the Gibb, on the Fairfield-Leopold Downs Road, is the remnant of an ancient barrier reef, and runs for 3.5km. The gorge itself is beautiful, and the camping ground superb, but what makes it a must-stop destination is the chance to see freshwater crocodiles up close.
These shy animals come out of the waters of the Lennard River and bask in the sun as it hits the bottom of the gorge. From the camping ground it’s about a 15-minute walk to the start of the path that leads through the river’s gorge. Time your walk here for around midday and you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic wilderness experience.
The strength to resist
Nearby Tunnel Creek is actually another part of the same ancient reef system from which Windjana Gorge formed and, at only 24km from Windjana, is a mustsee – for a few reasons. Not only is the tunnel itself amazing, running for 750m through the Napier Range (you can walk it, with a bit of wading through some waterholes – do bring a torch), but the history of this cave system (believed to be WA’s oldest) is intriguing. The tunnel and cave system is famous for being the hideout of Aboriginal resistance leader Jandamarra.
This Bunuba man waged battles against European settlers for three years, garnering a reputation for being near mythical in his ability to evade capture by pursuing parties in the Tunnel Creek area. (He used an undiscovered collapsed section of the tunnel roof to evade search parties.) Jandamarra was eventually shot dead by an Aboriginal tracker called Micki in 1897 after being cornered at Tunnel Creek.
Walking through the tunnel is a wonder ful experience, especially when you reach the end and it opens up into a lush, fertile landscape. It’s a huge contrast to the dry, rocky terrain at the tunnel entrance to the east.
Another world
From Windjana Gorge camping ground, there are two options: for those keen to check out the pearling town of Broome, continue west along the GRR.
If you’re interested in prolong ing your wi ld Kimberley experience, you can drive south-east along the Fairf ield-Leopold Downs Road to join the Great Northern Highway, backtracking east to the town of Fitzroy Crossing, and nearby Geikie Gorge National Park. For those continuing west, it’s not far from
What makes it a must-stop destination is the chance to see freshwater crocodiles up close.
Windjana Gorge that you’re back on bitumen road again. It’s worth making a brief stop at the famous Boab Prison Tree – for which there is no actual evidence of it ever being used as a prison, although its hollowed-out trunk is large enough to house six to eight adults. Then it’s on to Derby.
This town sits on the shores of King Sound and offers marine-oriented adventurers access to the awe-inspiring Buccaneer Archipelago, where the tidal phenomenon known as the Horizontal Waterfalls occurs. From Derby, you join f irst the Derby Highway, then the Great Northern Highway that leads west to Broome and journey’s end.
The ‘big city’ feel of Broome is quite a shock to the system after a week or more exploring the ancient landscape that the Gibb transects, but getting out and exploring this pearling town – and discovering its rich natural and multicultural history – is a great sign-off from this memorable road trip. And, of course, there are few more quintessentially Kimberley activities than joining a sunset camel ride on Cable Beach, and f inishing off with a nice cool ale to wash away the last of the dust – but none of the memories – from your Gibb River Road adventure.