Old Karunjie Road or King River road, Kimberley.

Yes. The track between the King river crossing, (prison tree) and the Pentecost crossing is the Old Karunjie road. The road from the GT Northern Highway to the King river crossing is known as the King River road. Its all the same road. It would be open by now, just have to take the high road along the marsh. You dont actually go into Diggers Rest station, but you pass along the boundaries. But if i was you i would pull in and spend a day or two there. Great barra fishing there, and good horse riding and sunsets. Spent alot of time there and all around that country. Thats my home.

When we were there in 2008, i wanted to take the King River Road, but information at both El Questro and Wyndham was that it had been closed by the person running the station and gates had been locked. We were told at Wyndham that it was a private station road put through by the station and not a public road so they could close it. There were several station gates in the vicinity of the King River on the Gibb River Road but i had no idea which one lead to the King River Road. The leaflet on the loop drive around the Cockburn Range via Old Karunjie and King River Road was no longer available at El Questro because of this closure. The Old Karunjie Road was open, but not suitable for our rig when towing, so we went to Wyndham via the main road and found it to be a lovely drive. The status of the King River Road section may have changed again since then.

Motherhen

Hi from Kununurra where the info sheet in the van park office says it's closed between the GRR north up to Diggers Rest and is waiting to be graded. OK to go from the Wynham end down to Diggers. Get up here soon before all the water drains away. The country is as green as due to the May rains...W

Went on that track back in 07 I think - great fun - had to negotiate some really deep fine white bulldust in one spot.
The range view below is getting around toward the Pentecost crossing end.
The other is a vast pan nearer the Wyndham end.
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We were at the Boab tree in July last year and met some people who had come up the "road" to Diggers Rest.

I asked was it possible to get to the GRR from here He said yes the way we came is the long way but there is a track called the Karjinii track which is the short way.

The north end was a gate by where the Diggers rest sign was.
Wasnt locked.

We went down for about an hour and didnt seem to be making much progress and it wasnt exactly smooth especially the creeks.

Dont think it would know what a grader felt like

By this time it was 4pm so we retreated back to Wyndham.

Very glad we did as about 3 weeks later there was a post on here that said it was 130km which would have had us on it stranded in the dark.

Apparently the salt flats at that time were wet and drive off the track and goodbye nurse.


Oh for some maps and preplanning. We made sure we did after that.

Here is a document I put together for our club on the Karunji/Cockburn/King River track:

Cockburn Range Circuit - The Karunjie Track
The Cockburn Range is one of the northernmost localities in Western Australia. Just West of Wyndham. It is an extensive sandstone escarpment, shaped like a vast round fortress of high orange cliffs, it rises to over 600 metres above the surrounding plains. The formation is cut by rivers that form steep sided gorges. The Cockburn Range was named by Philip Parker King after Vice Admiral Sir George Cockburn.

There is a lookout on the Gibb River Road a few Kms west of Home valley that gives magnificent views of the range and immediate flats with the Pentecost River running through it. It has been said that Baz Luhrmman got the inspiration for the movie Australia from that lookout and the Cockburn Range. As you drive around the range it is so easy to imagine “King Billy” up on the tip of the escarpment with his fire and spear. So real!. And as you drive across the dry marsh flats its easy to imagine the old truck driving up to the homestead. Then you have to get out and open the gate and the image disappears!!!

The Karunjie Track in early years was the original route from Derby to Wyndham and on to the Northern Territory. Landholders and drovers brought thousands of cattle along this route to the meat works in Wyndham. Breed included Brahman and Shorthorn. You should see plenty on the drive.

One of the northernmost localities in Western Australia, the Cockburn Range is an extensive sandstone escarpment. Shaped like a vast round fortress of high orange cliffs, it rises to over 600 metres above the surrounding plains. The formation is cut by rivers that form steep sided gorges.

This drive is a 133km 4WD circumnavigation of the spectacular Cockburn Range. This slow but easy route combines the Gibb River Road, the Old Karunjie track and King River track. The latter tracks being managed by the El Questro Wilderness Park, which has an information sheet on the drive. You will need a “Wilderness Park Permit” to access the track from El Questro to do the drive. You may also be able to get the pass from Emma Gorge resort. Most of the track is on private property.

The track is just like a typical run across one of the big stations. Mainly two wheel marks in the rocks, sand, bull dust or dried mud. There are sections that are quite rocky and sandy and there are some parts with a bull dust holes. The main worries are the deep bull dust holes. One option is across a dried up marsh. They call it the Marsh Road Shortcut and it is recommended for dry weather only. The track across the marsh looks as if it disappears during each wet so it can be hard to follow at the start of the dry until more traffic (preferably local) has been across it. It’s not a graded road just some wheel tracks across the dry mud. Leave your trailer/van back at El Questro or Emma Gorge.

There are three access points; two ways in from the Gibb River Road and one road from the Great Northern Highway near Wyndham.

For the whole circumnavigation of the Cockburn Range you start and end on the Gibb River Road.Gibb River Road entries are from either right next to the eastern bank of the Pentecost River at the crossing on the Gibb River Road, or alternately, at a gate on the northern side of the Gibb River Road at a point 12.3Km from the Great Northern Hwy and 11.8Km from the Emma Gorge turnoff.

For a shorter version; From Wyndham you head south on the Great Northern Hwy then west to Diggers Rest Station. This half-hour drive from Wyndham features shimmering tidal flats, views of the Cockburn Range and an ancient boab once used as a police lockup. You can camp at the homestead, which offers horse treks and great saltwater fishing. At 30km from the Wyndham a gate on the left marks the entry to the King River Track, which is a 31.5 Km drive south to the Gibb River Road. The road “straight” ahead is the Karunjie Track, around the northern parts of the range

There is an option to take a “shortcut” around the northern of the range. The shortcut is recommended as it takes you across the flats where, I have been told, the “homestead” parts of the movie “Australia” were made. A unique run with magnificent unimpeded views of the range and a difficult to follow track as it is a series of wheel marks on the dried out mud.

The track gives you superb views of the Cockburn Range the whole way. Stones and washouts mean slow going at first, but then - provided conditions are dry - comes a lovely smooth 17km detour across a salt marsh. Bull dust holes are common past the marsh. So too are large boab trees, including one called 'The Killing Tree'. It was here in 1987 that a crazed gunman murdered three local people who were on a weekend fishing trip. It's a sobering note on which to end this leg of the circuit.

May I suggest that if you do plan to do the whole circuit, start at the eastern gate in the morning and go around it in a clockwise direction putting the sun at your “back” for the whole trip. Exiting next to the Pentecost River crossing on the Gibb River Road. It’s not a long track but its worth stopping along the way for a cuppa (no fires or camping though) and a nibble allowing the sun to follow you and present the range in a better light. Of course you won’t beat the sunrise and sunset options. We did the whole circle starting at the gate at 12:24 and finishing at 4:26. A bit later than expected but we stopped too much on the way from Home Valley Station before we started the track. We took about four hours and found that it was a nice leisurely drive. My arms were a bit tired as the track is very windy off the marsh part.

To us this was one of the highlights of our Kimberley trip. We saw the movie and got inspired to see this place. And we were not disappointed.

What a country!!!

Phil

Here are links to a map and some pics:
Karunji track map
A lot of the track north from the GRR is like thisGate sign - Please respect their requestExact same view as in "Australia"King Billy had his fire up on that one in "Australia"