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Mitchell Plateau
Difficulty:
Suitable for:
The major attraction of the northern Kimberley region is the majestic Mitchell Falls. Access by 4WD is challenging on both vehicle and occupants as this is a remote area. No food, fuel or mechanical services are available at Mitchell Falls itself.
Start
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark
Finish
Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd
Distance
252.3 km
Minimum Days
1
Average Speed
54.72 km/hr
Driving Time
4 hr 36 min
Article By: ExplorOz Team Updated: 23 Apr 2008
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Description
Environment
Interactive Route Map
Driving Directions
Permits
Trek Feedback
Things to See & Do
Related Pages
Preparation
Recommended Reading
Camp Sites & Accomodation
In this Trek Note
Description
Mitchell Falls
, a spectacular series of 4 waterfalls, is the main natural attraction of the
Mitchell Plateau
region. It is accessed via the
Mitchell Plateau
Road that heads in a westerly direction off
Kalumburu
Road in the northern
Kimberley
. The main walk to the head of the
Mitchell Falls
is 5km one way, taking about 1½ hrs from the campground. The walk is not difficult, but quite long given that once you've made it there you have to turn around and come back. Along the walk, you can stop to swim in Little Mertens Falls (now renamed to Mertens Falls), Big Mertens Falls (now renamed to Mertens Gorge) and other rockpools.
The alternative is to walk one way, and take a helicopter flight the other (bookings are required and can be made at the campground). Although there are no permanent buildings or infrastructure, the level of tourism is so high that during the 4 month peak season a heli-flight service operates from a temporary base, giving 4WDrivers the opportunity to get up above the trees and escarpment to view this incredible area from the sky. No trip to the
Kimberley
should be done without getting up in the air, whether by plane or helicopter. The unique aspect of this particular heli-flight however, is that it is a "no-door chopper", giving unobstructed views and an exhilarating 'wild thrill’. Flights by plane are also available from
Kununurra
and
Drysdale River Station
Homestead.
Interactive Route Map
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark
National Parks visitors parking and camp-sites. Camp-sites in 2007 were $6.50 per person. Lots of room at beginning of season. Would be crowded in July. Unfortunately camp-site itself is also the base for constantly operating group of helicopters.
Features:
Position: 125.7169ºE 14.8220ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Mitchell Falls Road & Port Warrender Rd
Distance:
15.38km
Average Speed:
40.88km/h
Mitchell Falls Road & Port Warrender Rd
Mitchell Falls walk track and camp ground located a further 18km from here. Port Warrender Road leads to Surveyors Pool - 27km; Port Warrender Coastal Access - 44km; Mitchell Plateau Airfield - 1.2km.
Features:
Position: 125.8231ºE 14.8021ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Kandiwal
Distance:
4.92km
Average Speed:
32.81km/h
Kandiwal
No description entered.
Enter description or photos
.
Features: Place Name
Position: 125.8450ºE 14.8203ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
King Edward River Crossing
Distance:
57.16km
Average Speed:
48.95km/h
King Edward River Crossing
The King Edward River Crossing has a rocky bottom, but water often remains right through the dry season and can be quite deep early in the dry season. Numerous spots to pull over for a lunch break are nearby.
Features:
Position: 126.2017ºE 14.8998ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Kalumburu Rd & Port Warrender Rd
Distance:
5.54km
Average Speed:
42.96km/h
Kalumburu Rd & Port Warrender Rd
This junction is well signed and provides the only access to the Mitchell Plateau region (allow at least 3 hours one way driving). Sites of interest on the Mitchell Plateau are Mitchell Falls, Surveyors Pool and Port Warrender.
Features:
Position: 126.2350ºE 14.9290ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Drysdale Crossing
Distance:
106.19km
Average Speed:
68.36km/h
Drysdale Crossing
Major waterway with concrete causeway, although prone to major flooding and often impassable in the wet season. A beautiful area to explore, however this is private property and there is strictly no camping allowed.
Features:
Position: 126.3791ºE 15.6860ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access
Distance:
1.84km
Average Speed:
73.2km/h
Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access
The Drysdale River Station Homestead and its tourist facilities is just 1km from this junction along the signed access track. This is a working cattle station however it's undoubtedly the most visited of all the stations on the Kalumburu Rd.
Features:
Position: 126.3854ºE 15.7089ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Drysdale River Station
Distance:
1.79km
Average Speed:
49.65km/h
Drysdale River Station
Phone: (08) 9161 4326 Mailing Address: PMB 9 Kununurra, Western Australia 6743. Location: 59kms north of the Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd junction and 1 km off the Kalumburu Road.
Features:
Position: 126.3774ºE 15.7088ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access
Distance:
1.79km
Average Speed:
49.65km/h
Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access
The Drysdale River Station Homestead and its tourist facilities is just 1km from this junction along the signed access track. This is a working cattle station however it's undoubtedly the most visited of all the stations on the Kalumburu Rd.
Features:
Position: 126.3854ºE 15.7089ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Gibb River, Kalumburu Rd
Distance:
54.64km
Average Speed:
73.2km/h
Gibb River, Kalumburu Rd
The Gibb River is wide and very sandy at this point but travellers will find the crossing of the Kalumburu Road has a concrete causeway, although this is often covered with water.
Features:
Position: 126.5123ºE 16.0960ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place:
Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd
Distance:
3.06km
Average Speed:
67.51km/h
Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd
This junction is located 415km east of Derby and 290km west from Kununurra. This is a major intersection of 2 heavily corrugated dirt roads in the Kimberley. Both roads are subject to seasonal flooding and occasional closure during the monsoonal wet season.
Features:
Position: 126.5210ºE 16.1185ºS (GDA 94)
Route Control
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Permits
Permits
are only required if you want to visit the Aboriginal town of
Kalumburu
. The CALM managed
camping
ground at
Mitchell Falls
is a large, well spaced out area with plenty of decent camps with large shady trees and a few long-drop ‘Eco-Toilets’. The campground backs onto the main walk to the falls near a shallow, quiet section of creek where fresh drinking water is currently available for collection and swimming is allowed. Please note that dogs are not allowed.
Road conditions
are not mentioned as these vary greatly and are very subjective. Generally, the track is heavily corrugated with washouts and sudden obstacles. Please read for detailed reports and submit
feedback
.
Things to See & Do
King Edward River Crossing
The King Edward River Crossing has a rocky bottom, but water often remains right through the dry season and can be quite deep early in the dry season. Numerous spots to pull over for a lunch break are nearby. Various access tracks and almost unlimited room for campers under trees, along banks of river about 500m away.
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark
National Parks visitors parking and camp-sites. Camp-sites in 2007 were $6.50 per person. Lots of room at beginning of season. Would be crowded in July. Unfortunately camp-site itself is also the base for constantly operating group of helicopters. These provide taxi service to the fast tourist - but forget the serenity. Water can be collected from nearby river.
Gibb River, Kalumburu Rd
The Gibb River is wide and very sandy at this point but travellers will find the crossing of the Kalumburu Road has a concrete causeway, although this is often covered with water. This major causeway allows local traffic (cattle trucks and supply trucks) to access Drysdale and other stations north towards Kalumburu.
King Edward River Crossing
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark
Gibb River, Kalumburu Rd
Other things to see and do are:
Mitchell Falls
, Mertens Falls, Mertens Gorge, Miners Pool, Surveyors Pool, Crystal Creek, scenic flights over region and unique tourist-friendly cattle station at Drysdale offering full facilities and
tours
.
King Edward River
The CALM managed
camping
ground at the King Edward River has been reported to be equally, pleasurable, although it is almost a 2hr drive back from the
Mitchell Falls
car park.
Preparation
It's quite an effort to get to the
Mitchell Falls
so plan to stay 2 nights if you can. You should also have a contingency plan if you encounter vehicle problems and are stuck making repairs. Unfortunately, this is quite common. The most common problem tends to occur to shock absorbers on the vehicle - there are no facilities here so take at least 2 spares. (Drysdale Station advise us that they do attempt to stock and fit common shocks). Shocks are a very important spare to take on any 4WD trip, but particularly through the
Kimberley
.
All travellers should read the
4WDriving
Topic for related articles and checklists for
vehicle setup
and driver awareness. In regards to remote travelling, we advise that you refer to the our
Communications
and
Navigation
articles for safety tips.
Fuel Supplies & Usage
Drysdale River Station
Diesel
4cyl 24 litres *
ULP
4cyl 41 litres
LPG
4cyl 50 litres
6cyl 39 litres
6cyl 45 litres
6cyl 44 litres
8cyl 41 litres
8cyl 42 litres *
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel
(* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Drysdale River Homestead (diesel and ULP)
Best Time To Visit
May to November would be the best time to visit
Mitchell Plateau
since very heavy rains occur during the summer months. Please note that the falls may dry up before October - each season is different.
Closest Climatic Station
Doongan
Distance from Trek Mid Point 22.64km NE
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Mean Max. °C
33.4
32.7
33.1
33.2
31.1
29.1
29.6
31.5
35.3
37.1
36.7
34.5
Mean Min. °C
22.8
22.6
21.8
19.0
14.5
11.4
10.5
12.3
18.0
21.4
22.9
23.0
Mean Rain mm
280.6
221.9
194.1
44.3
10.7
6.5
0.4
0.4
4.3
33.0
119.3
202.0
Best time to travel
Ok time to travel
Travel NOT recommended
Services & Supplies
The following locations have various services and supplies:
Drysdale River Station
No supplies available elsewhere on Plateau except Drysdale Station -
accommodation
, tourist info,
camping
, counter meals, bar, general store, diesel and ULP. Credit cards accepted. No cash out.
Camp Sites & Accomodation
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark
National Parks visitors parking and camp-sites. Camp-sites in 2007 were $6.50 per person. Lots of room at beginning of season. Would be crowded in July. Unfortunately camp-site itself is also the base for constantly operating group of helicopters. These provide taxi service to the fast tourist - but forget the serenity. Water can be collected from nearby river.
Drysdale River Station
Phone: (08) 9161 4326 Mailing Address: PMB 9 Kununurra, Western Australia 6743. Location: 59kms north of the Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd junction and 1 km off the Kalumburu Road.
Environment
The Mitchell River is a massive channel of water that flows through an ancient gorge from the Admiralty Gulf and there are a number of good waterfalls that can only be accessed on foot or by air.
The plateau is rugged with slopes, escarpments and eroded joints that have created narrow and deep gorges containing waterfalls and permanent pools. The most striking living feature on the rugged
sandstone
and volcanic plateau is the Livistona Palm, evidence of a past rainforest period. From the air, you can see the varied terrain of the
Mitchell Plateau
as it changes from dense valleys, 200 metre-high escarpments, narrow gorges, rivers and falls and slopes that run out to tidal mudflats along the coast.
From the ground, the
sandstone
plateau and tropical climate makes vehicle access challenging and seasonal in a remote and rugged area with little facilities. It's important to note that firewood is not to be collected within the boundaries of the national park reserve. Signs indicate where firewood can be collected on the way in and there's plenty of it! Bring an axe.
Driving Directions
Time
Direction
Distance
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark to Mitchell Falls Road & Port Warrender Rd
15.38 km
E
79°
22 min
Mitchell Falls Road & Port Warrender Rd to Kandiwal
4.92 km
SE
131°
8 min
Kandiwal to King Edward River Crossing
57.16 km
E
103°
1 hr 10 min
King Edward River Crossing to Kalumburu Rd & Port Warrender Rd
5.54 km
SE
132°
7 min
Kalumburu Rd & Port Warrender Rd to Drysdale Crossing
106.19 km
S
170°
1 hr 33 min
Drysdale Crossing to Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access
1.84 km
S
165°
1 min
Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access to Drysdale River Station
1.79 km
W
271°
2 min
Drysdale River Station to Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access
1.79 km
E
91°
2 min
Kalumburu Rd & Drysdale River Station Access to Gibb River, Kalumburu Rd
54.64 km
S
162°
44 min
Gibb River, Kalumburu Rd to Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd
3.06 km
S
160°
2 min
Mitchell Falls Campsites & Carpark to Gibb River Rd & Kalumburu Rd
252.3 km
4 hr 36 min
Distance is GPS recorded driving distance (not straight line), Direction is straight line from start to end, Time is calculated from actual GPS driving data.
Trek Feedback
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What Others have Posted
Member - reggy 2 (VIC) : 28 Mar 08 20:23
has anyone any info on wether you can park your offroad c/van at dry...
has anyone any info on wether you can park your offroad c/van at
drysdale river station
cheers reggy 2
Read Full Thread...
Latest: 30 Mar 08 21:10 Replies:
6
FollowUps:
3
Views:
663
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Page Sponsors
Drysdale River Station
As the gateway to the Mitchell Falls by road or air we are the service point on road to Mitchell Falls and Kalumburu. Service availability times vary. We offer something for everyone. Available as soon as the road opens = Fuel, Diesel & ULP. Small shop, vehicle and tyre repairs. Small range of new tyres, springs, shock asorbers etc. Coin phone.
PMB 9. (GIBB RIVER / KALUMBURU ROAD) VIA KUNUNURRA, WA, 6743
Phone: (08) 9161 4326
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