Kimberley info please

Thanks for the info. Think we'll get a helo ride in and out rather than find we have a miserable hike with the kidlets. Agree with your comments on Cape Leveque...it is one of our all time favourite spots so we'll definitely be incorporating 2 or 3 nights there on our trip.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

Thanks Cam, I think we'll take your advice and get a ride in and out.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

I would have thought your travelling companions would have been convinced re tyre pressures...after they stuffed 5 to your none. Recently we travelled around Birdsville/Innaminka/Boulia one guy destroyed 3 tyres running high psi, while we drove with low psi and all tyres survived the trip.cya
Graham

Exactly.
I used Goodyear MTR's & the moment I hit dirt roads I knock 10psi out all round. Lower psi softens the bang on the suspension and gives a better footprint on the dirt - drive in 4WD-H and stay away from the edges. I reacon some drivers must aim at the rocks to see how many they can hit.
We did 13950 kl, a lot of it in the NW in tough country and didn't get a flat.
Melissa I'll put you on the list for a copy of my trip through a lot of the country your interested in, plus I'll send some notes as an addendum to this post when I get the map out.
Please pass on your emil address to
Carpe Diem

Don't know what happened there, I put in in but it didn't come out.

Try again - cocka2000@optusnet.com.au Carpe Diem

Big John,

Thanks for your answer...just the sort of first-hand info I was after. Agree with your comments re: lower tyre pressure. This has been our approach for many years now and we've only ever had 1 blowout.

I bought the Moon's guidebook late yesterday and it seems very, very good. Lot of detail and pertinent info.

Any particular reason why so many choose to camp and leave trailers at King Edward rather than taking them in? Is the campground at the Falls noisy with helo's coming and going all the time or are they sufficiently far away?

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

Hi Melissa
I'll get that diary started later tonight. It'll be is sections over a few weeks starting from Syd.
Having just been in the K for 6 weeks its interesting reading other's views and opinions. Like this forum it is so diverse. I try not to beat up my experiences too much as we each have different expectations. The K was so different to what I had expected, the image I had in my mind. I often find that when people say "you just have to go there, its incredible" it somehow seems less than I then expect. We are all different.
A lot rave about El Questro, we popped in for a day visit without buying a "park pass" and found it terribly touristy and very expensive, sure it was nice but not what we wanted, helicopters, tourist buses, hundreds of people etc. We did go down to Emma Gorge just to eat at the restaurant (good quality/service). We also discovered that where we were camped down on the Pentecost River we were on El Q land ( and that was forbidden, tut, tut), but there was just SWMBO and me, the campfire, fishing and sunset.

We did not haul a trailer but with your (assumed) experience that wont be a prob. I'm not sure how you adjust to the corregations with a trailer. Do you just carry on at the same speeds ?? Anyhow, the roads in the Kimberley ie GRR, Kalumburu R + side rds are always being graded somewhere. It's the luck of the draw. We went up to Mitch Plt and it was wicked, so much so that I canned the rest of the trip to Kalumburu. A week later all those roads were graded. Damnnn, if only we knew.
I found that once I got to harmonic speed the corregations were not a problem. Except that damn Mitchell Plat rd. The caretakers at KingEdward Riv camping area told us that the week befor we were there, there had been over a 100 campers in the grounds. We were lucky, there were only about 12. They are all there for one reason, to go up to Mitch Plat, hence the rough rd.
We took 3 hrs to drive the 75 Kl. & left at 6.30am.
How you do things with the kids might depend on the weather, it was 40deg + and we walked in/out. $60 each way / 15 mins /PP I thought more than the budget (no, I was being mean, I thought that was expensive also). You always see more on the ground.
Depending on the flow, take the swimmers & picnic, its a relaxing spot to cool off.
BTW, the campground up there is pretty ordinary.
Dinners ready, got to go.

Thanks for that Cocka. Looking forward to getting your trip journal but I know how long it can often take to actually get them finished. In the meantime, the info you just provided is handy.

We've been towing an offroad trailer for over 5 years now and have never had a problem. Our approach is slow and steady which applies as much to the car as the trailer. We don't have any hard and fast rules of same speed or slower with the trailer; we just take each bit of road as it comes and adjust our speed accordingly. My husband spent most of his life on the land and as such has great sympathy for machinery. I believe this is a lot to do with why we tend to have little or no trouble whilst other have no end of trouble. Hope I haven't just jinxed ourselves by saying that, LOL.

Re MP, we'll make our final decision when we get there and talk to other travellers though at this stage I think we'll plan to take the trailer right in. Reason being that I think it will just be too big a day for the littlies to make it a day trip from King Edward. Will definately helo one-way to or from the falls but will budget for 2-way trip just in case. The problem is the 3 yr old not the baby. At 3 he'll be just a bit too big and heavy for the backpack carrier but his little legs may tire on a long walk, even if we break it up with a picnic and swimming. Have decided to wait and see how he copes with the shorter walks at other gorges before the MP. If there's one thing I've learned since having Matty, it's be flexible!

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

Troopie,

I think we'll probably miss you as we are planning on being back home by end of June. Want to get the trip done before bulk of school holidays and end of financial year (work commitments). Sounds like a great trip you have planned though.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

Fair enough - have a good one!

When are the WA school holidays?

Cheers

Troopie,

WA school hols are 10 Jul-25 Jul. You can see school terms for all states at:
School Terms

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

G'day Again
Thanks for that - should have checked, but hadn't even got that far - only really crossed my mind when you mentioned it. Our holiday dates are pretty much set by other factors - but knowing when the hols are helps avoid the obviously crowded places & times.

Cheers

Hi Allan,

Appreciate your comments. We are very conscious of not wanting to be too rushed. It just isn't worth it, particularly with such a young family. We really want to have the flexibility to spend an extra night or two here or there if we want to and importantly, not spend every day in the car or breaking camp.

We felt 8 weeks should give us 6 weeks in the Kimberely allowing a week each way to get from/to Perth. As we have spent plenty of time around Broome, Dampier Peninsular, Kununurra and Wyndham in the past we aren't planning on spending much time in these places (just re-supply basically) prefering instead to spend the time in between. I would love to go back to Cape Leveque but if our itinery doesn't accommodate it in the time frame, we'll pass on it.

So given that do you think we we'll come home relaxed or is there still too much in the time frame?

:o) Melissa

Melissa

Sounds as if you have it all sussed out and having been through the area before you will know whats what and what you want to see etc.etc . - I would not have past the "rushed" comment if I had known you had previously spent time in the Kimberleys. I'm sure you will come home relaxed and with many great memories.
I must admit by the time we got home I was sick & tired of putting the camper up and down and after a week back at work I wanted to get out there again... - but you get that.

Regards

Alan

Thanks Alan,

I was a bit worried about our timeframe after you first lot of comments. We so don't want to be rushed. Having said that, the more I research our route and hear from others about "must see" spots, I'm beginning to appreciate just how much there is to see and do. One good thing seems to be that along the GRR most of the sights are regularly spaced so I don't think our limited daily travel time (because of our son) is going to be an issue on this stretch. Particularly with all the swimming for him to look forward to.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper

Thanks Blackie, I'll check it out. Can always get the 2004 version for the updates just before we leave if its available. In the meantime, the 2003 version will certainly help with our planning.

:o) MelissaPetrol 4.5L GU Patrol &
Camprite TL8 offroad camper