Gibb River Road camping, a search for Kimberley photos, and new reader submissions.

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Gibb River Road camping, a search for Kimberley photos, and new reader submissions.
October 23, 2008

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23 October 2008, Issue #011
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In this issue:

** Gibb River Road Camping
** What Other Readers Say
** Can you help Jenny out?

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Hi all and a warm welcome to all new subscribers.

I am sorry that some of you had to wait for a looong time for your first issue. As those who have been with me for longer know, I have been away, first in Europe and then in Tanzania, all in all a nearly three months long trip. (Yes, mom made it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and she didn't even think it was that hard. She loved every minute of it!)

As far as I'm aware everybody who did need urgent help with something during that period did get help. I don't think I missed any important emails. If you sent a request for help and did NOT receive an answer, then please write again now, because either I did not receive your question, or you did not get my answer.

(I had trouble with a couple of emails where people submitted a misspelled email address... Malcolm?
I know I figured out your correct address in the end, but you never responded. So please, if you read this, get back to me.)

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Gibb River Road Camping
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I already reported this change in the last issue. However, I have not been able to access and change the ebook itself from overseas. So for any people who bought Destination Kimberley since August:

There is no more free bush camping along the Gibb River Road! This is bad news for people who were hoping to stay at free campsites as much as possible: a "no camping" sign now adorns the bush campsites at the Barnett River Gorges. And with that the last previously authorised bush campsite along the Gibb River Road has been closed. You are only allowed to camp where there are toilet facilities:
Windjana, Bell Gorge, Mt. Barnett etc.
(In case you wondered: the King Edward River sites on the way to the Mitchell Plateau do have toilet facilities.)

As a dedicated bush camper I was sorry to hear this, but looking at the big picture I have to say it is a good move, necessary and inevitable. I am afraid we will see more and more closures, restrictions and regulations in the coming years. I think they call it progress...

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What Other Readers Say
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Here are some of the stories and photos that were submitted while I was away. (It seems the Dampier Peninsula leaves a bigger impression on people than anything else. It sure elicits the most submissions...)

Paradise on Earth https://www.kimberleyaustralia.com/paradise-on-earth.html

Best Beaches on the Cape https://www.kimberleyaustralia.com/the-best-beaches-on-the-cape.html

Don't Miss the Dawn https://www.kimberleyaustralia.com/dont-miss-the-dawn.html

Well, the tourist upgrading that Stefano fears is well under way. Upgrades on the Cape Leveque Road are moving ahead faster than originally anticipated. Only about 60km of unsealed road are left.

Whether it will be fully sealed in 2009 is a political question, as the Aboriginal owners of the area would prefer to leave things as they are and not have their land swamped with tourists. I don't blame them.

And two more reviews:

El Questro https://www.kimberleyaustralia.com/el-questro.html

Mornington Wilderness https://www.kimberleyaustralia.com/mornington-wilderness.html

Thank you to everyone who has been writing, submitting reports or reviews or commenting on others. And to everyone else, if you have photos, videos, reviews or trip reports, go ahead and share them with us!

And now I have an important plea for help from one reader to all of you...

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Can you help Jenny out?
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Jenny has visited the Kimberley in July this year and loved it. She also took a lot of pictures but unfortunately she lost her memory card. Can you imagine that? If you've been up here you know what a heartbreak that is. So please, if you can, help Jenny out.

Someone else's pictures are not the same, but they are certainly a lot better than no photos at all. So if you do have some good photos of the places below, please be so kind to email them to Jenny at hoopcat@etheridge.qld.gov.au.

What Jenny is looking for is the following:

* Bungle Bungles – Cathedral Gorge, Echidna Chasm, Mini Palms Gorge and The Domes
* Wyndham – Lookout, Five Rivers, The Port, Historic Buildings around town
* Kalumburu Mission – Inside the Church and Father Anscar’s Museum
* King Edward Falls
* Mitchell Falls
* Drysdale Stn
* The Hoochery
* Hidden Valley

Put yourself in her shoes and if you have shots of some of the above places, please send them to hoopcat@etheridge.qld.gov.au.

Thank you!

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That's it for today. Things are back to normal here. (At the moment that means packing, drying and freezing mangoes. The mango season is well under way.)

I will be near my computer on most days, so all your questions should be answered promptly and submissions published straight away!