Kimberley's April - May 2005
Submitted: Friday, Nov 19, 2004 at 23:28
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Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen)
We are planning to go to the Kimberleys in 2005 for about 8 weeks. We are driving from
Melbourne to the Kimberleys and after about 8 weeks will leave
Broome by plane and fly back to
Melbourne. Have organised for my folks to fly to
Broome and drive our Rig back and they can have a holiday at the same time!
I have a couple of questions. Firstly I gather that it can still be quite wet in the Kimberlies in April and I guess that it can be quite hot and humid. Does anyone have experience of the area at that time of year.
The second thing - if anyone has a bit of an itinerary that I could have a peek at I would appreciate it. Always good to find out what others have done and any feedback that you might have in the way of "Go to...."s and Don't go to......"s. We will obviously play it by ear pretty much when we are there and would like to go to the out of the way sorts of
places given that we will have about seven weeks in the region. I reckon that going to out of the way sorts of
places or less known
places or private properties can really make these sorts of trips. Travel all over the countryside.....what beaut and interesting place are we going to today Mike?
If you have any secret hints that you can share with me.....I won't tell anyone so email me at mcdfamilyatiprimusdotcomdotau and I will share some hints with you. (Hints like.... clean the air filter on your garden mulcher before it clogs up the carbie - spent the night pulling the carbie apart......)
Andrew
Reply By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Friday, Nov 19, 2004 at 23:31
Friday, Nov 19, 2004 at 23:31
>Kimberleys
You're in trouble...big trouble
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Bob of KAOS - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 11:51
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 11:51
Will he be travelling through the "mallees" (or even worse - "mallies") on the way? Just tell Bob to shove it up his chimley.
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Follow Up By: Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 16:28
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 16:28
I tried Kimberlies; Kimerley's; Kimberleys' and 'Kimberleys'. Had a look at my map and it said it was 'The
Kimberley'...... It don't sound write writ like that so I just said Kimberleys. Maybe I should go to Myers and buy a spelling book....and go to St. Johns
ambulance for a
first aid kit.
Andrew
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 16:29
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 16:29
Oooops - I did mean there to be a 'b' in my second
Kimberley's.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 21:37
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 21:37
you've got good company Andrew. Slim Dusty in one of his songs mentions "the Kimberleys". If anyone should know better.....Good song although the name escapes me.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Coops (Pilbara) - Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 09:27
Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 09:27
it's definitely
Kimberley and not Kimberleys (for search engines).
N-W residents like you to get it right but everyone knows what you're talking about so I can't see as it matters a whole lot
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Reply By: Willem - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 10:15
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 10:15
Dear Andrew and Jen( Doc Holiday and Mrs Holiday)(hahahahaha)
Having lived in Northern Australia for nigh on twenty years I can tell you now that April is definitely too early to be in the north. Normally the last wet season rains fall around the last week in April. Seasons vary however. It could have stopped raining by then or you could have a cyclone pass by in that time. The floodwaters have to recede and the roads have to dry out. It may be unlikely that you will be able to cross the
Pentecost River on the GRR for starters. Then there is the
Drysdale River to negotiate as
well.
I would suggest you leave
Melbourne around end of May to arrive in the
Kimberley before the crowds and to savour the beginning of the cooler months.
Travel through the
Kimberley is
well documented on this site and on the internet. So when you get a spare moment go and search for it.
You have my email address so just ask any question you wish to and I will give you and aswer..one way or the other lol
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Collyn R (WA) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 12:20
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 12:20
As a
Kimberley resident I'd like to back Willem's comments.
April is hot, sticky, still prone to cyclones, massively full of mozzies, and the probability (not possibility) of all but the main highway being closed (and even the main highway is far from certain).
Apart from that it's a great time to be here, and many residents actually prefer it!
The build-up to the wet (Sept-Nov) is a bit hot but a better time to travel - ideally second week of September until mid-October.
Most people prefer May-September, but the number of people travelling up here in June-August is exceeding the
infrastructure's ability to cope (especially
Broome). Early booking is essential - already most of he town's caravan parks are fully booked.
Trust this helps
Collyn Rivers
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Follow Up By: Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 12:49
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 12:49
Fairly convincing you lot! Another person from work is going away in August - September so I cannot get away then.
I guess we will make it 30th April to 23rd June 2005 - I will have to be back by 24th June coz one of the others is going away too for those school holidays.
Andrew and the gorgeous Jen
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Follow Up By: Squizzy - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 12:59
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 12:59
Andrew,
Wife and I will also be travelling the GRR leaving from
Kununurra late April.
After
Kununurra we intend to visit the Bungle Bungles first, then off to the GRR,
Mitchell Plateau,
Tunnel Creek, Geike Gorge then
Broome.
After
Broome, it's on to the
Pilbara, Gascoyne, etc before
Perth and then across the Nullaboor to home in SA.
Maybe we will cross paths somewhere.
Geoff.
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Follow Up By: Member - John- Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 17:49
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 17:49
As another
Kimberley resident I back Collyn and Willem's comments. Stay away until mid-May and then enjoy up until end June before the hordes arrive in July via qld and NT. Us locals like to keep the immediate post Wet to ourselves as it is really great with everything green and plenty of
water still about. We use local real time knowledge to know where we can go in April-May as it depends upond how the Wet wraps up and it can vary accross the
Kimberley.
My LROCofWA trip late May last year into varous
Kimberley backwoods had plenty of mud but nothing that actually caused problem, BUT we had no camper trailers (Rule #1 if conditions are unpredicatable). This year's trip will be moved into early June.
John Schmidt
Derby,WA
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Follow Up By: Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 23:12
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 23:12
Thanks for the advice everyone - thinking of putting it back to mid - May now though not sure......
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Follow Up By: Des Lexic - Monday, Nov 22, 2004 at 15:10
Monday, Nov 22, 2004 at 15:10
( Doc Holiday and Mrs Holiday)
Willie, so very true and accurate.ROFLSHI'm in Tears
Andrew, Willem the all knowing should be around and I'm very sure he is quite capable to fill in for you whilst your away. At least the bedside manner would improve.
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Reply By: Member - Nick (TAS) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 13:01
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 13:01
Gday Guys,may see you up there,we leave Tassie on the 9 May and work our way up and across the
Gary Junction Rd then onto the Kimberly.(Weather depending)
AnswerID:
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Reply By: jenkie - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 22:50
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 22:50
Might see you on the road, we leave
Brisbane approx April 11 heading towards
Perth unsure which way yet then up towards the Kimberleys, Back in
Brisbane for the 3rd July. Stile to plan which and what way we are going to do the trip
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Rick (S.A.) - Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 23:40
Saturday, Nov 20, 2004 at 23:40
Andrew & Jen
Re the discussion about singular or plural name of theat region:
Tradition has it that this location is referred to as ' The Kimberly '.
However, it has been referred to as the Kimberlys/Kimberleys/ies for, I suspect, 30 to 40 years. It is only a supposition of
mine, but this pluralising may have commenced about the time it srtarted to become fashionable to drive around Oz. (In my case, I visited the Kimberly for about 6- 8 weeks in 1974 & still have crystal clear memories of it. Including seeing the bush turkey - as distinct from all the turkeys dressed in ponchos...hahahaahaha, sorry, couldn't help myself).
Interesting to note that the two locals & Willie refer to it in the singular.
It certainly would be an interesting point to research while doing your pre trip reading. I'll see if I can come up with some titles for you.
Cheers from an enviuos Rick.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Collyn R (WA) - Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 09:41
Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 09:41
Mid-May makes every sense - there could still be track closures but you should be fine for going into Purnululu - leave yourself at least two days - it's a magic place.
Re The
Kimberley. I love Slim Dusty - but I feel he got it wrong. The Macquarie dictionary gives 'the Kimberleys' as an alternative to The Kimberely, but the only people who actually call it that are Slim Dusty and most tourists. Locals invariably use the singular.
The area is believed to be named after
Kimberley in the northern Cape Province of South Africa. Both areas have 'kimberlite' which is a bluey/green
rock that is the matrix of diamonds that are found in cylindrical 'pipes'.
The rock was named 'Kimberlite' by Professor Carvill Lewis. In his 'Papers on the Diamond '(1887) he says ... "It is now proposed to name
the rock 'Kimberlite' ...Kimberlite is a
rock suis generis, dissimilar to any other known species".
The above quote is from Volume 8 of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary 2nd edt - which following buying it a few years back necessitated the total rebuilding of my work area to house it.
Collyn Rivers
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Collyn R (WA) - Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 09:44
Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 09:44
Re above. My stupid computer mistyped
Kimberley as 'Kimberely' in second paragraph.
Have beaten it accordingly!
Collyn
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Reply By: Tessysdad - Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 17:55
Sunday, Nov 21, 2004 at 17:55
Hi Andrew and Jen,
Please take into consideration what Collyn and Willem had to say as you read my reply as their advice will probably eliminate most of the things you may encounter if you leave too early.
We left
Derby for the GRR at the end of the first week in May this year. We were told at the time by Main Roads that the road had just been graded. If given this advice when you travel take it to mean that the main obstacles have been remedied, as it does not mean that the road has literally been graded from one end to the other. We spent three glorious weeks travelling in and about the GRR. We then spent a week in
Kununurra checking out that area. It rained the whole week, not heavy there, but elsewhere in the
Kimberley it bucketed down. Yes you guessed it, the GRR was closed, but that was OK because we had done it. One of the great things about having gone as early as we did was that it was just so beautiful, and we missed most of the hoards. Back in
Broome in mid June was extremely busy - not good. We went to Middle
Lagoon - great. The only problem we encountered was that it was all TOO SHORT. You'll experience more of the
Kimberley if you take your time, even if it means missing the odd "must see". The wildlife and scenery are breathtaking. Enjoy.
Happy camping
Mike and Jan.
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