The Gibb River Road back in 88
by John Wheatley
(Perth, Western Australia)
A Boab tree in the shade of the beautiful Cockburn Ranges
Our Gibb River Road adventure started from our home in Perth traveling through the Pilbara region of WA, but the real adventure and the reason for our trip was about to begin leaving the black top and hitting the corrugations of the unsealed part of the Gibb River Road.
We passed the Windjana Gorge turn off and drove through to Mt Barnett Station for overnight camp and also to fill up with fuel witch was hand pumped filling our vehicle and jerry cans. This was done by an Aboriginal lady watched on by her shy young son who hid behind the pump peeping at us around the corner of the pump. Our fuel was unleaded and we had to phone ahead so they could arrange for it to be delivered for us. Back in 1988 not everywhere stocked unleaded fuel.
We spent a couple of nights at Mt Barnett Station and explored the gorges and lakes in the area.
After leaving Mt Barnett the road went from poor to darned near imposable, the roads were dry but hadn't been graded for ten years it was very slow going but it didn't take away from the breathtaking scenery and beautiful gorges.
The view of the Cockburn Ranges was one of the highlights of the trip and the colours in the photo are very true.
The cost of the Gibb River Road was one CB antenna, one spot light, and the four bolts securing the top to the base of our off-road camper trailer had sheered off.
My toolbox which was in the trailer contained a small glass jar filled with screws and on opening the toolbox the jar was gone, the screws were loose in the toolbox and there was a fine white powder. I also had a steel ruler which was polished to just a strip of shining metal. The corrugated road had broken the glass bottle, causing the powdered glass to take all the markings off the ruler.
After six hundred kms and six days of dirt road we were onto the Wyndham to Kununurra sealed road. In Kununurra we made our repairs ready to continue our journey to Darwin.
--
Related Reader Pages:
Gibb River Road by sports car
Gibb River Road: A Great Trip
Adventure of a lifetime: the Gibb River Road
Return to Gibb River Road Trip Reports and Photos (Archive).
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