27 days Darwin to Broome via Kakadu, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge, Bungle, GRR, Cape Leveque

by Liz and Peter
(Yandina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland)

We are travelling in 23 July - 18 August, and are wondering if you could have a look at our itinerary and give us some advice about 2 points:
1. Day 13 - How far is it from Keep River to Bungle Bungle Purnululu National Park?
2. Day 21 - How far is it from King Edward River campground to Bell Gorge? Is it possible to do this in one day?

Day 1 Arrive in Darwin. Camp overnight in Darwin.
Day 2 Drive Darwin to Kakadu – 280 km, 3.5 hours. Camp at Kakadu – Gagudju Cooinda.
Day 3 Kakadu – Gagudju Cooinda.
Day 4 Kakadu – Gagudju Cooinda.
Day 5 Kakadu – Gagudju Cooinda.
Day 6 Drive Cooinda to Litchfield National Park – 313 km, 5-5.5 hours. Camp at Litchfield National Park at Buley Rockhole.
Day 7 Litchfield National Park Buley Rockhole.
Day 8 Litchfield National Park Buley Rockhole.
Day 9 Drive Litchfield Buley Rockhole to Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge) – 318 km, 5 hours. Camp at Katherine Gorge at Nitmiluk National Park.
Day 10 Katherine Gorge Nitmiluk National Park.
Day 11 Drive Nitmiluk Katherine Gorge to Keep River National Park – 500 km, 6 hours. Camp at Keep River National Park - Gurrandalng or Jarnem.
Day 12 Keep River National Park.
Day 13 Drive Keep River to Bungle Bungle Purnululu National Park – 300 km from Kununurra – 5-6 hours? Camp at Purnululu National Park at Walardi or Kurrajong.
Day 14 Purnululu National Park at Walardi or Kurrajong.
Day 15 Purnululu National Park at Walardi or Kurrajong.
Day 16 Drive Bungle Bungle to El Questro – 344 km, 4.5 hours. Camp at El Questro Station at Black Cockatoo or riverside.
Day 17 El Questro Station – Black Cockatoo or riverside.
Day 18 Drive El Questro to Drysdale River Station – 272 km, 5.5 hours. Camp at Drysdale River Station Homestead camp or Miners Pool.
Day 19 Drive Drysdale River Station to King Edward River campground – 108 km, 2 hours. Camp at King Edward River campground.
Day 20 King Edward River campground.
Day 21 Drive King Edward River to Bell Gorge – 400 km guesstimate, 7 hours? Camp at Bell Gorge at Silent Grove.
Day 22 Drive Bell Gorge to Tumblegoodiron – 294 km. See Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek on the way – 110 km detour. Camp at Tumblegoodiron on the banks of the Fitzroy River, just south of Willare Bridge.
Day 24 Drive to Broome
– 160 km, sightseeing. Drive Broome to Cape Leveque – 206 km, 3-3.5 hours. Camp at Cape Leveque or bush camping at Northern Beaches.
Day 25 Cape Leveque or bush camping.
Day 26 Cape Leveque or bush camping.
Day 27 Drive to Broome – 206 km, 3-3.5 hours. Fly out of Broome.

Many thanks for taking the time to have a look at this plan for us, it is much appreciated. We are sure we will be referring to your excellent Destination Kimberley book every day of our journey.

Comments for 27 days Darwin to Broome via Kakadu, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge, Bungle, GRR, Cape Leveque

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by: Birgit

Hi Liz and Peter,

Thanks for sharing that itinerary! It's an unusual one in that you chose a few bases for your camp, and you stay there and explore from there. Logs some extra miles but saves you all that setting up and packing up camp. A few big chunks of driving, and a very relaxed pace when exploring. You're skipping rather than cramming. I like it!

Re your questions:

1. Day 13:
Keep River NP is about 50 km east of Kununurra, and the Bungles turn-off is 250 km south west, so you have 300 km sealed road, plus the 53 km Bungles access track. So that's about 6 hours by the time you stop to fuel up. On top of that you may have 30 km unsealed road inside Keep River NP if you camp at the far end, (and about 10 km in Purnululu to either of the camps).

2. Day 21:
Yes, that's about right and it's doable though it makes for a long day (I don't know how much time it takes you to pack up and set up camp, and of course there is the wildcard of current road conditions. Make sure you get an early start.)

Thanks for asking that questions! You made me spot a typo in the book. Darn. Hope that didn't cause anyone trouble... (Where I list the distances for campgrounds at the very end of the GRR chapter I wrote that that the King Edward Sites are 108 km from the t/o instead of 168. 168 is the correct distance from the initial Kalumburu Road t/o. 108 is the distance from Drysdale.)
NT school holidays
by: Brian

NT school holidays are from 20 June to 19 July 09 inclusive. This tends to make the limited camping spots in Litchfield go fairly quick, especially Buley.

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