The Gibb River Road is one of the two major roads which dissect the Kimberley region the other being the extreme northern section of Great Northern Highway which runs further to the south.
It is a former cattle route that stretches in an east-west direction almost 660 kilometres through the Kimberley between the towns of Derby and the Kununurra and Wyndham junction of the Great Northern Highway.
The road is often closed due to flooding during the wet season, which is typically November through March, although delayed openings have been known to happen, frustrating the tourism industry as well as locals who rely on the road. Since the mid-2000s, the road has been upgraded to a formed gravel two-lane road including a few short bitumenised sections, but 4WD vehicles are still recommended due to the water crossings and numerous heavily corrugated sections.
Here are the places I visited, in chronological order
Windjana Gorge is a gorge in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is located within the Windjana Gorge National Park. The gorge was formed by the Lennard River having eroded away a 3.5 kilometres section of the Napier Range. The range was formed over 300 million years ago and is composed of Devonian limestone. The gorge is over 100m wide and the walls are between 30 metres (9and 10 metres in height.
The area is a popular tourist destination and can be easily hiked through in the dry season. The gorge has permanent waterholes and supports a habitat of monsoonal vegetation. Freshwater crocodiles are known to frequent the area.
Tunnel Creek is a creek located within the grounds of Tunnel Creek National Park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Along with Geikie Gorge and Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek is part of an ancient barrier reef that developed during the Devonian Period.
Tunnel Creek is located 63 kilometres from the Great Northern Highway, between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, and was created by waters from a creek that cut a 750-metre tunnel through the reef. The tunnel is 15 metres wide and up to 12 metres high.
Tunnel Creek was also the hideout for the Bunuba man Jandamarra, also known as Pigeon, who was killed there by police in 1897.
Mount Hart Station, commonly referred to as Mount Hart, is a defunct pastoral lease that once operated as a cattle station in Western Australia. The lands are part of a conservation area and the homestead operates as a wilderness lodge for tourists.
It is situated about 146 kilometres east of Derby and 330 kilometres north west of Halls Creek, in the heart of the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges in the Kimberley region.
The property once occupied an area of 4,047 square kilometres (1,563 sq mi).
Dolerite gorge - Annie's creek trail
Dalmanyi - "Bell Gorge" is located in the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges Conservation Park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Vehicle access is dependent on weather with Bell Gorge most accessible during the months of May through to October.
Bell Gorge is the most famous gorge along the Gibb River Road. It is also supposed to be the most beautiful, and most people agree with that assessment.
What is not usually mentioned is that because of that reputation, Bell Gorge is by far the busiest gorge along the Gibb River Road.
On the road...
Manning Gorge is one of the most beautiful and best swimming spots in the Kimberley. It is located on Mount Barnett Station.
Visiting the gorge involves an adventurous walk of approximately 3 kilometres to the top of the gorge, following the informal trail markers made up of rock cairns, red discs and arrows. The trail begins at the campground, where visitors must first cross Manning Creek to re-join the trail path on the other side. Visitors may swim the 100 metres across, or use the rope guide with floats to ferry belongings.
The trail follows a route overland rather than along the creek with views over the ranges and savannah woodlands along the way. The terrain is uneven, with some rock scrambling and an incline towards the end.
Mitchell River National Park is a national park in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, created in 200. The park is biologically significant, home to over 50 species of mammal, and 86 species of amphibians and reptiles. The area’s tropical savannah habitats are also important for many bird species and over 220 bird species have been recorded.
The four-tiered Mitchell Falls is an iconic Kimberley attraction, and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Australia. Road access is via the 4WD only Kalumburu Road and Mitchell Plateau track. trip over the falls.
Also known as Punamii-Uunpuu to the Wunambal people, the falls were carved through sandstone by the waters of the Mitchell River, producing layers of mesmerising emerald water pools from which the waters tumble from one to the next.
These impressive waterfalls can be viewed by air, or get up close and walk the track to the falls.
Hiking the Punamii-Uunpuu Trail is a moderate to difficult 8.6km return walk, requiring some rock hopping and with some areas with little shade. There are some attractions along the way, including Little Mertens Falls 800 metres along the trail, and Mertens Gorge with its dramatic waterfall, a further 2.3 kilometres along. Some Aboriginal rock art sites are also located close to the trail.
On the way to Drysdale Station
Ellambrae Station and river
Driving to, crossing and camping at Pentocost river "crossing"
El Questro Wilderness Park is a wilderness park on El Questro Station, a cattle station that diversified its pastoral operation to include tourism, located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It remains a working cattle station with a herd of approximately 6,000 head.
The station was first established in 1903. Will and Celia Burrell bought the cattle station in 1991 and developed it into a wilderness park tourist destination.
Emma Gorge: An approximate one-hour picturesque walk over rocky terrain rewards you with a cool oasis and a 65 metre droplet waterfall, surrounded by cliffs adorned with greenery. Refresh and relax by the waterholes shady edge or swim to the waterfall in the deep pool of bracing, fresh, water.
