Best way to enjoy the Kimberley ?????

Hi Waza & Wend
Sorry you're leaving paradise!
-Windjana Gorge is easy and a must-see. Can do overnight
-Bells Gorge would have to be a must as well. Take two nights
-Mitchell Plateau/Mitchell Falls/Surveyer Pool also a must - just be sure that your CT will take the corrugations of the Kulumburu road. Take a day to get there, 3-4 days in, and a day out to the main GRR.
-Old Mornington is excellent, esp if you have an inflatable craft to explore the Dimond Gorge, but they will rent canoes anyway. Allow 3 days
-If down that way, enquire before leaving home with Mt House station about staying at Moll Gorge. They used to rent out this gorge (not cheap) but you have the place to yourself for that time. Truly magnificent camping under shady Cadjeputs with a million-dollar view across the gorge. Again, an inflatable will get you about 5km up the gorge. Crocs and nice fishing as well. Allow as long as you can take it.
And at the other end, El Questro isn't cheap, but you can get nice private spots along the river, and lots of gorges to see. Allow 3-4 days.
Bungles is a must. Allow 2-3 days. Take a helicopter ride if funds allow. Worth every penny.
If up Wyndam way, Parry Lagoon is similar to Kakadu with some wonderful lakes and birdlife. Allow 2 days.
Gotta start planning to go again....
rgds
Gerry

W & W

Three weeks will give you a bit of a feel for the area. You have to wait till the rivers have gone down and roads opened, so hopefully you are looking at May onward?

My top choices include:

Bell Gorge
Old Mornington Station
Mitchell Falls
Kalumburu (have a look at the museum at the church there and camp at Honeymoon Beach)
Drysdale River

Avoid El Questro unless you like tourist traps.

Bet you get lots of conflicting views but they are my abiding memories of a great region.

Happy planning

Max

Three weeks should be plenty to cruise along the whole Gibb River Road - that would allow quality time in all of the gorges etc - a trip up to Kalumburu would be good, but can be very taxing on the hardware. A 2 hour flight out of Drysdale River Station, north over the gulf was our choice and turned out a total winner (even at $250 a seat). Tunnel creek and Wyndjana gorge etc were good too (but they take you a bit "out of your way". El Questro have an office in Kunnunurra - on seeing their prices for a simple bush camping stay, I resolved that they can bugger off ! The Bungles are well worth the time if you can wangle it - 2 full days there to walk some of the good spots would be the min I guess. The 5 rivers lookout at Wyndham is wonderful - well worth the trip if the weather is nice - don't expect much else there but :-o)...... Kununurra has a lot of places to access in that nearby region - see the tourist mob - the Zebra rock gallery was great - the 100k round trip out to Lake Argyle was worth the trouble too. If you budget allows it, a flight over Argyle is said to be worth every cent. Might do that one myself next time. Have a good 'un.

Interested to hear replies for this question. I am heading up there in 3 months and was going to ask the same question.

Barnesy

Gday Waza and Wend

Most have covered the good bits......not a lot too add. Send a MM when your close, I need very little encouragement to grab a few beers and put the boat in the water......

Personally, I don't think ELQ is a rip off. Last time I camped out there it was about $10.00 pp, in a very nice private camp by the river. To me it was a good bush camp, but also had just a 10 min drive to the station for a hot shower, a feed, or spend a bit of time at the bar. When we were there last, the meal at the restaraunt was excellent and a similar price for the quality you pay in a lot of city places.

On whether 3 weeks is enough, I'd say no, but thats not a bad thing, its impossible to see it all (I definately haven't in 8 years), but you will see most of the good bits. The best IMO is now, rain and storms, waterfalls, sometimes fish. The road closures are the limiting factor in the wet, and a late cyclone can see them closed 'til June.

Have fun, Cheers Andrew

We've been to the Kimberley area twice - personally we feel that El Questro is worth the visit for the $ and we would go back there as you do get many facilities and access to many places for your $ but Old Mornington station was more expensive in our opinion and not very good value. The impression we got was that it was set up more for the bird watching guests in accommodation with campers just an 'add on'. I'd skip Old Mornington and spend time elsewhere as it takes a long time to get in to Old Mornington and the entrance fee and hire costs of canoes etc push the price way up.

One of our favourite camps is at Home Valley station. They have a great bush meals/bar area and that most superb camping down on the Pentacost river where the view at sunset is incredible. Camping fees were very reasonable for such a view. (Also loos & cold showers at the river side camp - hot showers up the top but i'd choose the riverside view any day!). Very friendly people.

Mitchell falls is also one of those truely magic places. The Bungle Bungle national park still remains one of the best national parks we've been too.

If you have the time you could look at the Walcott inlet track .... . quite rough and 'full on' but defintely gives you that remote feeling like no where else we have been.

Enjoy!

All of the above answers just about cover the GRR, but i'm surprised no one has mentioned a flight out of Derby to the Horizontal Falls (depends on spending money available), we did it in 2006 and paid extra $100 per head to stay on the mother ship over night. Great fun and you get extra trips through the falls.

Enjoy the Kimberleys, great part of north WA.

Baz