A Kimberley experience worth relating

by Scott
(Maroochydore, QLD)

We thought our Kimberley experience worth relating. Three couples & two ladies (most of us senior citizens, three of the drivers 70 plus) in mid June set off from Broome in four Britz 4wd bushcampers for a 22 day trip around the Kimberleys.

After stocking up with supplies we spent the first night in Derby followed by stops in Windjana Gorge, Fitzroy Crossing, (Geikie Gorge should not be missed, just stunning on the early morning boat trip), then on to Halls Creek.

Advice to us from some fellow travellers we met at the camp grounds at this time was that the roads are terrible, you will be lucky to make the Bungles, let alone the Mitchell Falls.

We spent three nights camped at the Bungle Bungles, did all the walks plus part of the way to Piccaninny Gorge & took in a helicopter flight as well.

Restocked after over nighting at Kununurra & set off for the Gibb River Road. A couple of nights at El Questro were good fortune for us as a couple we met who were returning to Qld after 3 months holiday gave us their well used copy of "Destination Kimberley". We wished we had had it at the start of our journey.

Next stops Ellenbrae & King Edward River. We spent half a day exploring the two Aboriginal art sites, both quite exceptional. (We would never have found them without your journal.) The rest of the day spent driving to the Mitchell Falls for a two night stop, more art sites & another helicopter trip over the Mitchell Falls and back to the camp site.

After a night at Drysdale River Station we set off for Manning Gorge under a gloomy sky, just some very light rain, enough to damp the dust at first then light rain by the time we reached Mt Barnett Roadhouse. By then the Gibb River Road was closed due to trucks being bogged. The rain had been much heavier south of there which also closed Mornington Station.

From there we had a two night stop at Charnley Station and the Mt Hart, a final dinner out in Derby then back to Broome.

Overall we had no problems at all.
It was not as hard as we thought it would be with the weather or rough roads. We did not lower our tyre pressures as had no way of pumping them back up, no punctures. We planned not to drive to great a distance each day so we could arrive and have time to get our camp site set up before dark.

We visited & swam in nearly every gorge except Lennards. The Imintji Store is the best stocked on the Gibb River Road.

Our advice is to plan it well. Give yourselves plenty of time to do it all, we wished we had five more days as we could have got to Mornington Station when the roads dried out.

Also when we booked with Britz we informed them we wished to travel to Bungles & Mitchell Falls and permission was granted when we picked up the 4wds.

Regards,
Scott