Travelling The Gibb River Road
A Kimberley Adventure Trip From Derby To Kununurra, WA
Self-driving the Gibb River Road is not as difficult as it used to be!
Thinking about doing this trip?
The articles, trip reports and reader questions in this section will tell you everything you need to know.
The Gibb River Road is a 660 km track right through the wild heart of the Kimberley and is one of the Kimberley's main attractions. "The Gibb" takes you from Derby on the west coast to Kununurra (or Wyndham) on Western Australia's eastern border...
The famous Pentecost River crossing on the Gibb River Road.
...through a spectacular landscape of intensely coloured ranges, dramatic gorges and lush rock pools and waterfalls, everything the Kimberley is famous for.
Galvans Gorge, one of the countless gorges for swimming along the Gibb.
The trip is still touted as one of the last serious adventures in Australia, a drive through a very remote area where all sorts of dangers loom, an undertaking that requires guts and four wheel driving experience...
Well, not any more!
There is absolutely nothing to be nervous about!
Your Gibb River Road trip can be an adventure, if that's what you want it to be. Or it can be an enjoyable and relaxing scenic drive. (Well, except for the corrugated parts...)
Anybody can drive the Gibb River Road. You need no special skills and experience at all.
Below you find a list of articles and downloadable resources with more information. They tell you all about the road conditions, the distances, attractions, accommodation, camping, the possible detours, the real adventures along the way...
You can also browse through trip reports and questions (plus answers) from other readers.
And if you are totally new here, then don't forget to grab your free Kimberley Pocket Guide, which also talks a lot about both two wheel and four wheel driving in the Kimberley.
Don't worry, you will be well prepared.
Driving The Gibb - Plan Your Trip
Maps of the Gibb
Get an idea where it is, and where everything along it is located.
The Road Conditions
Really, you don't need any 4WDing experience...
Fuel Stops on the Gibb
... but you may need a jerry can or two.
What You Need To Know
The drive is by no means the risky adventure it used to be. However, it still requires some travel planning and equipment. Find info on required permits and passes and on phone communications. Also, a good measure of common sense never hurts...
Gibb River Rd. Route Description
This gives you the kilometres from/to all the turn offs, side tracks, attractions, accommodations, supply points etc. coming from Derby (west to east). The description for a Gibb River Road trip in the other direction is here.
Accommodation on the Gibb Road
All the places where you can buy a cooked meal, have a hot shower and sleep in a real bed!
Campgrounds along the Gibb Road
All the places where you can still pitch your tent. (Many bush campgrounds have closed over the last years.)
Kimberley Gorges
The gorges and waterfalls are the main attractions and the reason for travel along the Gibb River Road. Here they are, with photos, descriptions, and comments (which should always be taken with a grain of salt...).
Gibb River Road Australia Pictures
Just want to look at photos? We have photos!
The FREE Kimberley Pocket Guide
A great introduction to travel in the Kimberley region and along the Gibb. This free resource will answer all the questions you might have in the early stages of planning a trip.
Destination Kimberley
The full Kimberley travel guide shows you how to make the most of your adventure at Australia's last frontier. Destination Kimberley includes the most detailed and most current guide to the Gibb River Road available anywhere. Also called "The Bible" by its readers.
Did you drive the Gibb River Road?
Or know someone who did? Do you have a good story about this? Some tips? A great photo? Come on, share it!
Other readers would love to hear your tips and read about your experiences, so please share your trip reports with us.
It's easy! Just fill in the form below. Upload a photo or four if you like.
(If you'd like to add a video, please say so in your submission. I will need to do that manually.)
See existing reader pages and trip reports from recent years.
(Older trip reports are here.)
Also see the Kimberley trip reports page. Most of those reports also have lots of info on the Gibb.
GRR Trip Reports and Pictures from other Readers
Click below to see what others had to say about "the Gibb".
Gibb River Road June 2019
We've just completed another Gibb River Road trip using your Destination Kimberley guide . Thank you for the excellent information and insight into so …
Dust roads and starry nights
Some tourists find cycling along Amsterdam canals difficult. And indeed it is much more difficult than driving on the Gibb River Road (we experienced …
Broome to Darwin, family of 5, June/July 2016
Hi everyone, we have just finished our wonderful trip from Broome to Darwin. I found this site and Birgit's guides really useful, so I'm posting my …
The Gibb River track in 1968
After working in Melbourne for a year three Dutchmen (ages between 22 and 28) decided to do a Grand Tour of Australia. We bought a 12year old Landrover, …
Beautiful trip marred by hire car problems
We recently traveled from Darwin to Broome, using Australian 4WD Hire. The trip was amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenic walks and swims at the gorges, …
Gibb River Road in a Holden Captiva
Hi Birgit,
I very wisely purchased your Destination Kimberley guide and constantly referred to it.
We're just back from 3 weeks touring around …
Jayco Fantastic on the Gibb
We have traveled from the East Coast of Australia from Innisfail straight across to the West Coast doing the Savannah Way and the Gibb River Road , to …
Gibb River Road - Did it with no Jack !
We rented a Pajero from Europcar in Broome complete with 2 spares etc. Lo and behold - on our first puncture at Bells Gorge we discovered the jack was …
A Guide to the Gibb River Road and Pentecost River by Motorbike
If you were like me and wanted to ride your motorbike / motorcycle across the Gibb River Road and especially the Pentecost River, you would have done …
Tyre pressures on the Gibb River Road
Your story about people and their tyre problems reminded us when we went to the Gibb River Road / Mitchell Falls some years ago. We met two Polish …
Two Dutchies in a BIG 4WDrive (!!!) on the Gibb River Road
In July/August 2010 my sister and me (58 and 65) rented a 4WD campervan in Broome to do the Gibb River Road . I must confess that I was veeeeeeeery anxious …
The Gibb - Adventure of a Lifetime
In August 2008 my wife had a chat with a Ranger called Brendan in Kata Tjuta, having just driven the wonderful Mereenie Loop from Alice Springs. He said …
The Gibb River Road in a Hi Ace Van
Hello B, I want to thank you for your great Newsletters. The information they provided was a tremendous help in forward planning of our recently completed …
Gibb River Road is a must do!!
We left Darwin on 29th July and had to be in Cable Beach on 12th August. We travelled to the Bungle Bungle then to Wyndham and via the back road across …
The Gibb River Road: A short trip - A fantastic experience
We have recently travelled along the Gibb from Broome to Kununurra and on to Darwin, as part of a larger trip through Australia. This website was so …
Cockburn Ranges alternate view (Karunjie Road)
We have just completed a whirlwind "snapshot" tour of Kakadu, some of Kimberleys and the WA coast in Aug/Sep 2010. 10, 400km from Melbourne including "The …
Our Muddy Adventure Down the Gibb May 2010
We decided last year in 2009 that we had to do a driving trip up north to explore our beautiful country, now or we'd probably never get around to it! We …
Conquering the Gibb River Road and Mitchell Plateau with two young kids
My wife, our two girls (aged four and one) and I set out on the trip of our lifetime in April this year. Destination? Kimberley! Coming from Brisbane …
If you can take time to enjoy the GRR experience - we did - end May/early June 2010
Brigit your Kimberley Pocket Guide is a must for anyone planning a trip in this wonderful region. It contains so much common sense and helpful information. …
A muddy Gibb River Road adventure - May 2010
We had planned our trip since last November (2009) and had been anxiously watching the weather for the month prior to going to Broome. It looked great …
Gibb River Road with the whole family
Dear Birgit, hereby some links to our website and the route we did in Sept/Oct 2009 from Darwin to Perth via Kakadu, Purnululu and the Gibb River Road …
Gibb River Road Adventure with Jayco Outback Swan
We completed our Kimberley Adventure in mid August this year as part of our long service leave trip (with 3 children) around Australia. When I mentioned …
The Crocs 2009 - Gibb River Road
We drove the Gibb River Road in August 2009 in a hired 4wd which we hired in Broome . We are country people used to dirt roads and we were suprised …
Charnley River Homestead
We spent just on 3 weeks doing the Gibb River Road which included lots of walks and gorges. One of our favourite gorges was Dillie Gorge at Charnley River …
Our trip with a van down the Gibb
Just completed a Gibb River Road trip (July 09) with our van and the corrugations are the worst of it. We enjoyed all the river / creek crossings and …
Adventurous Kiwi's take on the Gibb
My husband and I travelled the Kimberley and Gibb River Road May 2009. What a great holiday. We arrived in Broome and picked up our 4wd Camper and …
Female and single? Go for it! From Shark Bay to Kununurra and everywhere in between...
We (my 8yo son and I) have just arrived home from 6 weeks on the road; starting from Shark Bay (WA) through Karijini NP, up to Kununurra via the Gibb …
King Edward River Crossing (and great Kimberley slide show)
Hi Birgit, thanks for all the great info in your Kimberley guide . As part of our Kimberley trip we went up to the Mitchell Falls in late May and our …
The Gibb River Road is well worth it!
My husband and I have just returned from a trip on the Gibb River Road. Absolutely awesome. I am 67 ys old, my husband is 69, and we are both well traveled, …
(You can find more trip reports that also talk about the Gibb among the general Kimberley Trip Reports, Reviews and Experiences.)
GRR Related Reader Questions
Click below to read questions from other readers, and the answers and comments they received. (All pages open in new window.)
If you have a question yourself please see the questions page. Thank you.
Do I really need a 4WD for the Gibb River Road? Hey, I just have a really simple question. Is it possible to drive with a two wheel drive through the Gibb River Road or is it really necessary to have ...
Packing for Gibb River Road with children? Great site Birgit! Our family is planning to travel from Darwin to Broome, taking in Kakadu, the Gibb River Road and the Bungle Bungles. We are travelling ...
Rodeo Suitability for Gibb River Road My question relates to the suitability of our vehicle for the Gibb River Road, particularly as you point out the importance of your vehicle's clearance ...
Gibb River Road in Subaru Forester TNT magazine just had an article about a couple of backpackers who did the Gibb River Road in a VW Combi. I'm planning to do it this July (I'll have 3 ...
Buying a Suzuki for Gibb River Road We're in the process of buying a new car, and we were interested in getting a medium sized 4WD like a Suzuki Grand Vitara, so we could get about the NT ...
Gibb River Road with camper trailer? We are thinking to do the Gibb River Road in June next year, towing a camper trailer. We are travelling from Victoria around Oz with a Jayco Outback trailer ...
Towing Jayco Outback to Gibb River Road In reading the stories I see you are saying it is accessible to most areas. Does that include the Mitchell Falls area or would it be advisable to leave ...
Off-Road Caravans on the Gibb River Road I'm contemplating towing a 16 foot Regal Off-Road van (single axle - independent suspension)on the Gibb River Road, with the option of heading out to the ...
Towing a caravan on the Gibb River Road We are planning a trip from Darwin to Perth in July 2009 and have been told we could tow our 20ft full van with our Prado on the Gibb River Road. We would ...
Caravans On The Gibb River Road (Storage) Obviously you would not want to take a caravan on the Gibb River Road. However, is there place to leave our van on the eastern end as we make our way across ...
Travelling through the Gibb River Road area with dogs We plan to do the Gibb River Road with our dogs. Do you see many people travelling with a dog through the Gibb River Road area? I know our plan will have ...
Gibb River Road In June We're nervous about doing the 4WD roads - the Gibb itself and all the roads off it - given that we're 4WD virgins! We are thinking about coming ...
2wd for road to Drysdale River Station? My wife & I will be leaving Victoria in 4 weeks time to begin an around Australia adventure lasting 18 months. We will be travelling in a 2wd bus (Nissan ...
Silent Grove - Bell Gorge camp sites Birgit, I have your excellent 'Destination Kimberley' (I wish I'd known about it years ago ... I can now throw away all the printouts from tens of websites ...
El Questro I am writing in response to the negative comments regarding El Questro. The impression given is that the Homestead is the only style of accommodation ...
Mobile, internet reception along Gibb River Road My parents are travelling the Gibb River Road leaving Kempsey NSW 10 May. They would like to watch ABC news and speak to us occasionally. Can you tell ...
Here is the full list of all Gibb River Road questions
Videos
Driving the Gibb: Broome to Wyndham and Kununurra to Broome
Darwin to Broome via Gibb River Rd.
Kimberley/Gibb Adventure In A Rental Troopy
Two Kimberley Videos
Broome to Wyndham via Gibb on motorbikes
Gibb River Road and Pentecost River by Motorbike
Great Kimberley Slide Show
Adcock Gorge
Travelling to the Kimberley?
The FREE Kimberley Pocket Guide
A great introduction to travel in the Kimberley region and along the Gibb. This free resource will answer all the questions you might have in the early stages of planning a trip.
Destination Kimberley
The full Kimberley travel guide shows you how to make the most of your adventure at Australia's last frontier. Destination Kimberley includes the most detailed and most current guide to the Gibb River Road available anywhere. Also called "The Bible" by its readers.
Travelling to the Northern Territory?
Destination Top End offers the same comprehensive, detailed insider information for the tropical regions of the Northern Territory. Be the best informed traveller in the Kakadu, Litchfield and Katherine Gorge national parks and beyond!
A must have if you travel to or from Darwin.
NEW! Destination Red Centre is the latest addition in this popular series. Monica Coleman takes you through Australia's red Outback heart, offering all the detail and insider tips that you have come to know and love about our guides. With special emphasis on Aboriginal communities and culture.
A must have if you travel to or from Alice Springs/Uluru.
Thanks for visiting! Have you
requested your free guide book yet?
I offer a free guide to the Kimberley plus a free, very popular newsletter.
If you plan to visit the Kimberley, you can't afford to miss either.
Don't believe me? Learn more about the free pocket guide here and see the newsletter archives here.
SUBSCRIBE ABOVE TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE KIMBERLEY POCKET GUIDE!
DESTINATION KIMBERLEY, ALSO KNOWN AS "THE BIBLE".
DESTINATION TOP END, YOU NEED THIS IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO OR FROM DARWIN
DESTINATION RED CENTRE, THE LATEST ADDITION TO THIS POPULAR SERIES, COVERS THE OUTBACK AROUND ALICE SPRINGS AND ULURU