Gibb River Road

Hi Chanel B
Several things, forget about fishing from river banks in the Northern regions of Australia unless you want to become dinner for crocodiles.
The Hilux should be ok to carry a dingy, depending on how much other weight you carry.
In my opinion a Jayco Eagle should be ok for the Gibb R R but once again it will depend on the condition of the GRR, i.e. Late wet season, high river crossings, has the grader been through. etc... Road conditions can change from one week to the next so it is better to check closer to the date you are leaving.
If you happen to have a HF radio in your car and are a member of VKS-737 you will be able to get daily weather and road conditions.
It is also a good safety back up if you intend doing some off-road remote area driving
Hope this helps. Cheers

Hi Chanel B

We don't take a tinny as you can take a charter with a suitable craft in most fishing locations, and they know the waters and where to get the fish. Costs a bit, but offset by not having the extra load. Otherwise you can generally hire suitable craft in key locations. We went out with the people from the campground near Kalumburu and had a ball - as you can only take what you can eat whilst there, lots of magnificent fish went back to live another day.

Husband went fishing from the bank on the Pentecost, but with locals who practically knew the three big crocs eyeballing them by name. They slept on the back of the utes, and when on the ground day and night, the crocs and the fishermen watched each other. Travellers lost their dog at much the same spot a day or two earlier.

The Gibb River Road is a fantastic trip and i have Blogs here in my blog section (2008). As said, it depends on the conditions at the time, and the best way is to ask those who have just completed the trip before deciding whether to take your camper or deciding to leave it in Kununurra and take a tent. You need to do a round trip anyway taking the highway one way, and seeing Geikie Gorge and Purnululu on this stretch.

Motherhen

Hi Channel B

We did the GRR in June this year started at Derby end. Road conditions were pretty good we thought as the grader had been through the week before, wet season was pretty big this year and the Gibb was late opening and there was plenty of water still around. Highest water crossing was at Drysdale river on the Kalumburu Rd at 1.3m. As far as road conditions what we thought was pretty good other people we met thought the roads were terrible, so l guess everyone's perception is different to what is rough and what is not.
As far as towing on the Gibb I seen plenty of people towing big vans and off road campers but if you could get away with not towing I personally wouldn't but each to their own. Seen a few high end off Rd camper trailers come into Drysdale Station on the back of trucks, one a Tvan with a broken spring hanger so the suspension had collapsed on one side.
We fished from river banks no problem, obviously care must be taken but I look at it no different than standing waist deep in water fishing off the beach anywhere in the Northwest knowing their is sharks and other nasties lurking around.
One of the things that blew me away was other travellers tyre pressure's. We ran with six vehicles from one end of the Gibb to the other with 25psi in our tyres and not one puncture between us, obviously adjust speed to run these pressures. Our tyres ranged from vehicles with highway terrain to mud terrain, so I don't think it matters which tyre you run as long as you drop your pressures. We would come across quite a few people repairing or changing tyres roadside to find out the were running 40 - 45 psi , worse offenders being euro travellers in their hire 4wds.

Lots of different opinions about, but, wheel alignment specialist at Derby advised me to lower the tyre pressure for the GRR, but really slow down on the creek crossings and dips. He said that is where most tyre damage is caused on the GRR. Also, just after they grade the road can cause problems as sharp rocks are exposed. Tyre repairer at Drysdale Station also said to always lower pressure. That said, I did lower my pressures to about 28 and suffered one tear in the centre of a tyre on the Gibb. I had at that time Maxxis Bravos, about half tread left. I now have Bridgestone’s 694’s.
What camper you take may also depend on where you want to go when doing the Gibb. We did over 3,000 k’s on the Gibb after doing most of the roads/tracks off the Gibb, some were really rough. We came across campers with busted springs on the Mitchell Falls Road, and several on the roads on the Dampier Peninsular. The trailer at Mitchell Falls was a new one, but it may have been a tad overloaded for the springs?
But the Kimberley is just a magic place, we will be back. Definitely doing the Gibb again!

GRR



Road to Kulumbaru, good section.



Road on Dampier Peninsular

We travelled from west to east on the Gibb in July.

Here's my blog entry on it.

Gibb River Road

I'm glad you decided not to take the tinny. I reckon you would have suffered some damage with that weight on your roof.