Kimberley Trip Suggestions

Are you towing and if so what?

With only 5 weeks you will not be able to do it all. I take it you intend on doing the Great Northern Highway from Kununurra to Broome and then back via the Gibb?

Hard to find a no-where type of place up there that time of year, heaps of travellers about, so don't be too worried about getting stuck anywhere.

Kevin

Hi Patrol,

Here is an excellent website that will give you heaps of info on what to do and see in the Kimberley.click here


You could also search this site (red button top RH corner) to find posts, blogs and articles on the area. We were there last in 2008 and have written some blogs about our trip - see the blog button beside our signature.


Appreciate that you may only have 5 weeks available, and you will have your time cut out to get there, see most things and get home again. I assume that in order to get there you will travel to and from Melbourne on bitumen, so no risk of getting bogged there. Once in the Kimberley you will be unlikely to get bogged if you stick to the usual tourist places - which will all be busy at that time of year. Bear in mind its the dry season then. We did the Kimberley on our own years ago with no problems other than coping with the inevitable corrugations, and the roads now are pretty good, although the road out to Mitchell Falls can be a bone shaker.


The biggest safety risk in the Kimberley (GRR) is people on a tight time schedule driving way too fast for the conditions. They are a hazard to themselves and others. If you keep to a sensible speed, reduce tyre pressures on rough roads, and stop to offer assistance if you do come across others having trouble you will be fine.


Dont forget to go to the Bungles, and Lake Argyle and if you can budget for a plane or helicopter trip and a boat ride or two.


Cheers,

Val.

Give yourself at least 3 days at ElQuestro as there are lots of gorges to see. you'll need to be fairly fit for some (ElQuestro gorge) but others are very easy to get to.Emma Gorge is the better spot to stay IMHO. Nice, cheaper and just across the road. The actual Gorge is beautiful also.

Usual gorges along the way on GRR that everyone else does. All great for different reasons.

I highly recommened Horizontal Falls. You can do a day trip or stay overnight on their extended houseboat. We did the overnight stay and highly recommend it to anyone. Expensive but great experience.

If you get the change, Karinjini is also a great place but again you'll need to be fairly fit to do all the Gorges. If your not then there are still some you can get to; just ask for advice.

have a great trip, you'll enjoy it :)

hi there, just spent 4 weeks on the GRR last month. ELQ is great but expensive heaps to see, good free camp is where the gibb river crosses the road heading to drysdale could have stayed there a little longer , manning gorge is a must, we spent some time in mornington widerness camp could have spent more time in there would go in there again, tunnel creek is a must and stay a windjana very good camp ground and gorge. at broome get into cape some real good sand dunes and beach running if yr up for it. along the black top heading back if your going that way, wolfe creek is great to see but thats all thats out there but there is some awesome free camps along that road. have fun its a great place. quincy

Hi Patrol

Like John and Val, we were their in 2008 and i also have Blogs here. It was the best trip of all. We included going to the Mitchell Plateau and Kalumburu, and took three and a half weeks between Derby and Wyndham. we skipped longer diversions such as Mornington and saw only the regular places.Geikie Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing was included in the Gibb River Road tour, and Purnululu was visited later from Kununurra where we spent several weeks. The highlight of Kununurra was the Triple J boat up the Ord to Lake Argyle.

Motherhen

G'day Patrol,

in August we spent 6 weeks driving from NSW Central Coast to The Kimberley and back, a bit over 13,000 kms. It was a long drive but we weren't too pushed at all.

We headed through Bourke and Boulia, then across The Plenty Hwy to Alice Springs. We spent a few days checking out the Alice area before heading west to Haasts Bluff and up to the Gary Junction Road. Just past Kunawarritji we turned onto the Kidson Track (road now for most of it) and popped out at 80 Mile Beach.
We spent about 5 days getting from Alice Springs to the Coast, then another few nights getting up to Broome. We stopped at Broome for a couple of nights to wash away the dust and have a look around.

After Broome we spent a couple of nights on the Dampier Peninsula before heading towards Derby.
I would have liked to spend more time checking out the Dampier Peninsula but friends we were with were booked on the trip to the Horizontal Falls and we keen to get to Derby.

We headed up the Gibb and checked out the popular spots then spent some time at Miners Pool, on Drysdale Station. At this stage it was just my wife and myself (and our dog, Rocky). We headed up the Mitchell Fals Rd to Port Warrender, where we had the place to ourselves. That was pretty special there and the scenery is spectacular, but it's pretty rough for the last 5 or 6 kms.
Coming back we camped at King Edward River, then headed up to Kalumburu. We ended up staying at McGowans Island for three nights, living on oysters and hanging out. We spent one day exploring the old Pago Mission ruins, the World War Two relics and went as far north as we could. We didn't see another soul all day and found some amazing camp sites. We are definitely going back there.

We eventually left there and found a sign that told us our friends were up near the Mitchell Falls, so we headed baaaack up there. This is the most corrugated road I've ever been on. They're relentless until you get past the Mitchell Falls turnoff.
Make sure you go to Mitchell Falls. We flew down and walked back out. The is amazing scenery, great swimming holes, rock art and Little Merten Falls is a special spot.

We headed back to Drysdale, then onto Wyndham. The Landcruiser broke a bit just after we crossed the Pentecost River but we fixed it up enough to limp into Wyndham (there's no mechanic in Wyndham).We drove the Karanji Track to Wyndham, which goes to the north of the main road. We drove it for a couple of reasons but the Cockburn Ranges are something you have to see to believe, they look fake they're that good. Driving the Karanji Track you don't have much, if any, traffic and the views of the Cockburn Ranges just keep going.

Because we ended up getting towed into Kununurra and we had the get our vehicle repaired, we decided not to backtrack and missed El Questro.

Try to make sure you get out to Lake Argyle. We loved this place. The scenery is beautiful and the lake is vast. Take the time to have a cruise, or flight to check it out.
From there we headed east and drove to the border and went down the Duncan Hwy to Halls Creek. We couldn't go to the Bungle Bungles because we have a dog, but our friends said it was one of the highlights of their trip.
We headed back east down the Tanami Road back to Alice and back via the Plenty Hwy and through Qld.

As I said before, we took 6 weeks and we saw heaps without being too rushed and missing much.
If you can check out the Art Centres at any of the Communities. It varies from area to area and we learnt heaps.
We saw camels, dingoes, brumbies, crocs. We had some absolutely perfect campsites and experienced a part of Australia that is really special.

Have fun,
Steve

We have had 6 trips to the Kimberley for 6 weeks, 9 weeks ex Adelaide, then 4 trips @ about 2 months actually in the Kimberley.
We have hardly 'scratched' the surface.

I struggle to advise how to see it in 5 weeks ex Melbourne.
I suggest you go straight there via the quickest, easiest route and then just see the main tourist features. You won't be dissapointed unless you try to do too much.
Start making a list of other things to see on the next trip while you are there.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

A week to get up there and a week together home, leaves only 3 weeks.
Not a lot of time.