Comment: August/September 2009 Trip - Kununurra, The Duncan Road, Purnululu and

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August/September 2009 Trip - Kununurra, The Duncan Road, Purnululu and Halls Creek

Its not difficult to spend a few days in Kununurra. We wandered around visiting Ivanhoe Crossing, driving through the farming areas, then stopping at the Hoochery Rum Distillery which is so

Leah C1

Hi Vivien,

Enjoyed reading your blog, especially about the Duncan and Marella Gorge. We are looking to do a lap this year from Townsville and will be in the area late Aug early Sept like you guys but in '10.

We intend to turn off just north of Dunmarra on the Buchanan to Top Springs then on the Buntine/Duncan through to Halls Ck taking our time as we go and not missing Marella Gorge. do you think these roads would be too rough on the van? I noted you are travelling with a camper trailer.

The rig is an 80 Series Cruiser paired with a so called off road Windsor Rapid (a little one, basically a kitchen on wheels with fold out bed's each end). We opted not to take it on the Gibb River Rd and went into King Leopold Ranges with the vehicle only but towed it no probs from Fitzroy, Tunnel Ck, Winjana Gorge then on through to Derby.

We are pretty much newbies at the off road stuff but comfy towing. Your experiences in this area were a great read. Getting exited now.

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Reply By: vivien C (V - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2015 at 00:56

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2015 at 00:56

Dear LCC,

First of all thanks for the blog comment and good luck with your trip.

We've travelled on the Buchanan, Buntine and Duncan road from Dunmarra through to Halls Creek a few times and found it to be a reasonable outback, dirt road with its share of corrugations etc. but overall quite ok. I don't know much about the Windsor Rapid but think that if you've been on the road from Fitzroy Crossing through to Windjana Gorge ok then you will have no worries with the Duncan/Buchanan etc.

The road in to Marella Gorge is fine, a bit winding and several different tracks going off as you near the gorge. We took the track to the right and found a good cleared camping area but if you went to the left it gradually wound around to another smaller area that was ok too.

The turn off to the gorge is between five and ten kms past the junction of the Buntine/Duncan as you head towards Halls Creek and you will find a star picket on your right...with a track leading off beside it. I think if you call into Nicholson Station and ask them they will let you know how to get there. We had directions (which I can't find at the moment) from someone from there that we met along the Duncan at the Negri River as well as from a friend in Kununurra.

Good luck with the planning and I'm sure you're going to have a great trip

Best wishes

Viv

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