Cape Leveque or Middle Lagoon?

Hi Lance, just returned from Broome.
We camped at the Palm Grove Holiday Resort caravan park for 5 days, short walk to Cable Beach and only about 2 blocks from the entrance to drive on Cable Beach.
Very nice park and people.
Contact details:
Phone - 1800 803 336 or 08 9192 3336
www.palmgrove.com.au

Are you planning on doing some fishing along the way, if so are you bringing a boat? If i was you i would probably stay one night at Port Smith or Barn Hill, and the other 3 in Broome. Plenty of things to see and do around Broome.

If fishing is your thing then i would stay at Middle Lagoon and just do a day trip to Cape Leveque. But Cape Leveque is a very nice place to stay, lovely beaches. Though Middle Lagoon is also faboulous.

I would prefer to stay at El Questro then Hidden Valley as there is much more to do at El Questro. Plus its got beautiful camping grounds, a little crowded sometimes but excellent. Probably the best place in the Kimberley for things to do and places to swim.

And yes i would do a trip to Kalumburu staying at either Honeymoon or McGowans, but would have to spend 2 nights to make it worthwhile. Excellent fishing around there also.

Lance.

Q1. I stayed at Cable Beach Caravan Park. Wherever you stay in July will be crowded so book it early.

Q2. I prefer Leveque as I'm not a fisherman. Beaut area but again, make sure you book early. The unpowered camp sites at Leveque are on top of a small cliff and overlook the beach and point. Great at sunset.

Q3 EQ for sure. But of a rough track in due to the amount of traffic but as said above, the facilities are great, there's heaps to do and the bar area is a great place to meet a few like mided souls in the evening during happy hour.

Q4. Wouldn't bother with Kalumbaru unless you're a mad keen fisherman. It's gone to the pack. Go into Mitchell Plateau instead.

My thoughts. Cheers. Mick

Hi Lance

Q3. Stay at El Questro. You have to pay to go there anyway, so pointless staying somewhere else where the camping fee will be similar. Don't miss Zebedee Springs (mornings only) and Emma Gorge. Choose other walks and drives according to what you prefer; they have leaflets at the office/shop. The El Questro Gorge walk was quite good, but the Moonshine Gorge was harder and not near as nice. We did an afternoon boat cruise on the Chamberlain Gorge, and sunset at Branco's Lookout. The other lookout is good in the mornings. We stayed in a 'private' riverside camp - costs the same as the crowded campsite but no facilities other than an eco toilet at some camps, but lovely secluded riverside bush camping. Can use amenities block at main camp, or just bathe in the river (and watch out for crocs although it is fairly safe). We stayed three very full-on days.

Q4. We stayed at McGowans Island Kalumburu which is equally as popular as Honeymoon Beach. Went fishing with the camp proprietors (you can only take what you can eat while in the Kalumburu area) and you should have seen the size of the fish we were throwing back! Stayed three days there too. Also did the Mission Tour back in Kalumburu on the morning we left - highly recommended. Check the times and days at the Mission Office as you go into Kalumburu. You have to get a Permit from the Aboriginal Corporation and be aware that if you arrive around lunch time you may have a long wait.

These places are not cheap - but neither is the cost of fuel to get to the Kimberley, so make the most of it. Three weeks sounds like a good time budget. We took it easy and were 3½ weeks touring the Gibb River Road, including Mitchell Falls and Kalumburu, without including the time then spent at and around Kununurra and Purnunulu. This was a total of 9 weeks in the North West and the region was certainly the highlight of our trip.

Trip report won't make it to MyBlog for a few months.

Motherhen

Cape Leveque and Middle Lagoon are very different. Both lovely. At Cape Leveque, make sure you do a low tide walk right around the rocks at the Cape.
We enjoyed the camping at Middle Lagoon much more. More pleasantcamp sites and much less wind. While it is a great spot to camp, relax and fish, I'm not sure it is worth a quick day trip. We gat a heap of whiting off the beach and some good mud crabs at Middle Lagoon.Cape Leveque could be done in a day trip from Middle Lagoon if you don't want to shift camp.

If you go to Middle Lagoon, ask about the back road down to Beagle Bay. A good change of oad for variety on the way back to Broome.

If you don't have a boat, I'm not sure that it is worth the extra KMs to Kalumburu for just one night. And if you do have a boat, one day is not enough. Others might have a different view on this one. If you have an extra day to kill up there, King Edward RIver is a great place to stop and relax on the way to or from Mitchell Falls.

El Questro is well worth the time and money. Can't be done in a day trip - far too much to see and do. Worth 3 days here I reckon, but it is more expensive than most other places you will go in the area.

Norm C

1. Broome: you will need to book well ahead at that time of year to get into a caravan park. You will find parks full, sites small, but usually they have good amenities etc. Broome is very geared to tourists with money to spend and is an expensive place to stay and visit. That said, there are some good experiences to buy: flight to Horizontal Falls, camel ride on Cable beach, hovercraft on Roebuck Bay etc. If you do not like crowds and locals geared to extracting the maximum tourist dollar, then I would recommend Barn Hill as base. More "natural", great beach walking and rock scenery, friendly place to stay.But may need to book ahead there, too.
2. Middle Lagoon is IMHO, the best. Good camp spots, some powered. We were fascinated by walking on the reef there at low tide - magic. Also fishing and mud crabbing.
3. This is a hard one. The "bush" camp area at Hidden Valley overlooks the Pentecost and Cockburn Range - magic scenery and sunsets. Excellent bush amenity block. Can see large salties sunbaking on river mud flats at low tide. Barra in the river there. But ElQ offers many great experiences and their "private" river campsites are lovely - if on expensive side to stay there. Can you re-jig the schedule to do both?
4. If you are going Kalumburu way will need more than one night! It can be a pretty corrugated, dusty drive for only one night and you would not get time to see or do anything when there. That said, Honeymoon has deteriorated from what it used to be (based on visits 2000 and 2007), but the reverse for McGowans, which we think is the best place to stay, up that way. If you are time limited, would suggest "saving up" that area for a longer, later trip, because it is really more of a "veg out" area than a place you dash into and do tourist stuff. Suggest you go to Mitchell Plateau/Falls, though, preferably camping in there for a couple of nights; some camp at King Edward River and so a long day trip to Plateau - and they sometimes come to grief from trying to hurry it on the atrocious track.

Lance hi,

Q1: We planned to stay in Broome for 4 days, it ended up being home for nearly 3 weeks. Start saving now for a 3 night boat trip to the Buccaneer Archipelage. It is one of the best experiences you can have. Blew our budget by a million miles, but the photos and memories are priceless.

Q2: We did Cape Leveque for 2 nights, but could have spent 4 there. The Cape is a great base as every thing is so close. One Arm Point was fantastic, Beagle Bay has the church with the Pearl Shell Alter. The area is just beautiful, except for the locals front yards.

Q3: El Questro is nice, spend at least two nights there.

Q4: Can't comment.

Do the Gibb River Road if you can, it is not as bad as it is made out to be if you let your tyre pressure down and drive sensibly. We towed a van up it and never had a problem. If your are a seasoned 4wder, you will be fine.
Email me if you want some pics, it is some of the best land on earth. Have fun.

Hi Lance,
1. Loved Port Smith. Nice people, laid back, we didn't fish (paddled our 'sit-on-top' instead) but it is obviously a good place to fishwith out a boat.

2. No experience but based on conversations would choose Middle Lagoon because of cramped conditions at Cape Leveque. Can't stand being on top of other people.

3. Didn't go in to El Questro or Hidden Valley.

4. Took a day flight in a fixed wing from Kununurra and stopped at Kalumburu and did a tour. Also stopped for lunch at Drysdale R. Station. Had great views along the Kimberley coastline.

A couple of days later drove the GRR and Kalumburu Rd as far as King Edward River and camped there for several days. Left the camper set up and took a tent and basics to Mitchell Plateau for overnight. Walked out to the Falls and took the chopper back to the camping area. Sensational.

Also enjoyed Mornington Camp and, from there, Sir John and Diamond Gorges and Cadjiput (spelling?).

Hope to get back soon to see the bits we missed.

We were up that way several weeks back.
1. Port Smith is a wonderful coastal marine environment, and the cp is excellent overall (great bird park nearby too - worth doing the $10 pp tour), but if this is a first trip to the area, a family would have a much better time in Broome IMV. Our plan was to drift into Broome with our campertrailer in tow at about 10am (from Port Smith) and look for a site - got an excellent spot first try (Tarangau CP) - all other cp's semed to be full as a goog - Tarangau had 6 or so sites free at that time.
2. Didn't go up to the Cape but Middle Lagoon campground was excellent - quiet, good hosts, lovely marine environment, walks, birds and whales off the coast every day.
Can't comment on 3 and 4, but while on the Gibb..... we found Mt Elizabeth Station to be the ants pants ..... quiet, great campground, excellent ablution block, firewood, birds, walks, 4wd tracks, gorges, local tours etc.... the Miner's Pool campground at Drysdale River Station was great for us too - once again, quiet, birds, a few freshwater crocs to see in the deep holes, safe swimming etc. Instead of driving up to Kalumburu / Mitchell falls, in 06 we did a 2 hour flight out of Drysdale up over the coast - top shelf ! Was with Alligator Air in 06 - they now use Slingair - prices per seat were 'up there' due to fuel hikes but they may be on the way back down next year (says he hopefully).
Have a good 'un.

Hi, we left late July and have just got back from 10weeks in the Kimberley & Pilbara W.A. I would recommend to start in May as July is starting to get Hot!! We went up to Cape Leveque including Middle Lagoon. We stayed at Cape Leveque but Middle Lagoon is a very nice place and if I did it again I would stay there instead of Cape Leveque or Koojaman resort as it is known. Koojaman offers many varieties accomodation and you need to book well in advance if you can plan that far. The Highlight spots of our trip were 80 mile beach and 14 mile beach. The fishing was great at 80 mile beach(anyone can throw a line in) and now I am addicted as I caught so many fish off the beach. You need to start fishing an hour or so before high tide. The caravan park there was great and the atmosphere fantastic. The other spot was 14mile beach near Coral Bay. You can camp right on the beach with your van or whatever - $5 per person per night and you can't go wrong. Many people just spend the whole winter season there.

G'day Lance

1 & 2 Havent been to Port Smith, Middle Laggon or Cape Leveque so cant answer that question. Personally I think Broome is overrated (Think beach, which can only be swum in for 6 months a year and a whole heap of touristy stuff that costs a lot of money, not much else. I am sure that will cause a couple of arguments.)

3) Do you mean Hidden Valley or Home Valley.

Hidden Valley is a caravan park in Kununurra, similar to the others that are there.

If you mean Home Valley (I am surprised this hasnt already been picked up) that is a whole different ball game.

Home valley is on the Gibb about 9 kms from the Pentecost River. They only re opened a couple of months ago after spending millions of dollars (I have heard up to 20 Mill) on the place completely rebuilding it. And they have done a great job with it as well.

Home Valley is a great place to stay, great food, accommodation and surroundings. If you want somewhere to stay, where all you want to do is sit back, relax, enjoy a beer or three and a swim then I would stay at HV.

If you want to go somewhere where you can see all the gorges, go swimming in a couple of waterholes and have a look at a couple of great lookouts then I would choose ELQ.

Both are great places to stay, have good food and a good atmosphere.

ELQ costs a bit more to stay there plus you have to pay the entry fee which is $15 per person which lasts 7 days. Once you pay this, if you want to, that is all you will pay. All the gorges, walks, info, etc is included (unless you want guided tours). Home Valley is a bit cheaper to stay at but everything costs you money to do. Ie fishing, tours, walks etc. You can easily spend a week at ELQ and not see everything, but Home Valley there really isnt a lot to do unless you want to spend a small fortune doing stuff. I have been in the East Kimberley for about 3 years, regularly head out to and camp at ELQ and still havent seen everything. Also stayed at HV but that is more to do the relaxing, swimming and beer drinking part of the lifestyle up here (should be out there in about 2 weeks for a night or 2)

Yes you can stay at HV and then go to ELQ. You still have to pay the entry fee and it is about an hour each way to drive in and out, which includes crossing the Pentecost.

4) Kalumburu and Honeymoon are also great places, but wouldnt head up there overnight as it wouldnt be worth the drive in. Need to spend a few nights up there to appreciate it. Some of the best countryside around. Some great waterholes and Aboriginal Art, but the locals wont tell you much about them ( do you really blame them). Great fishing. You need a permit to enter, about $35-40 per vehicle.

Mitchell Plateau is a must. King Edward River camp is a great place to stay at but I personally wouldnt camp there, head to the Mitchell for a day and come back that evening. Think about it this way. A 2 hour corrugated, rough as guts drive in, followed by a very nice relaxing day at the falls swimming and enjoying life, followed by a 2 hour corrugated, rough as guts drive out when you are completely knackered, missus and kids have had enough etc etc. Much better to drive in the night before, camp at the Falls Campground, (which costs a bit, $10 I think, water and toilets, no showers), wake up, do the falls, spend as much time as you can there and 2 minutes after you get off the chopper, you are at your campsite and 30 secs later, the beer is opened and life is great.

Do the walk in first, can take about 45 mins if you push it, but 3 hours is a good time, if you take it easy, have a couple of swims, enjoy the scenery. Chopper it out, worth every cent and some great views and do you really want to spend 1 - 3 hours walking over rocks after enjoying a nice relaxing day swimming etc or would you prefer to spend the 18 mins sitting down and then 2 minutes walk back to camp. (If you want to chopper it out, I would try and book it a few days prior as we made the mistake of booking it the day before and having to leave by 1.30pm, to be able to get the flight.)

A couple of other places worth going to are Drysdale - good camping, people and food, Ellenbrae - good camping and great people, Charnley River Station - great place to stay and one of the best, if not the best gorge in the Kimberley - Grevillea Gorge.

Enjoy the trip, I have done it 4 times already and looking forward to the next trip.

My 2.2 cents worth (Inc GST)

Cheers

Chook2706

Cape Leveque is very nice but if it's windy I would prefer Middle Lagoon as you access the water from both sides of the raised camp area, the 'inside' being sheltered.