Cruising in the Kimberley

Bucket lists are all the rage right now. You know, those ‘things I must do before I die’ lists, like swim with the sea turtles in the Galapagos Islands, go on a five-star luxury cruise or if you’re really keen, climb Mt Everest…

They don’t have to be overly ambitious though; my 50-something brother-in-law recently fulfilled a dream to swan around in an Aston Martin for a day as well as do a stand-up comedy routine in front of strangers.

I’ve been lucky enough to tick off a few travel-related ones over the years: spotting the ‘Big Five’ on an African safari, hopping around the Greek Islands, and crossing America by road and Europe by rail. Closer to home, I’ve done a caravanning lap of Tassie, explored the Red Centre and driven the unforgiving Canning Stock Route…

But I thought I’d have to wait until I got my grey-nomad status before experiencing ‘Australia’s last frontier’, the Kimberley in far-north Western Australia, including driving the infamous Gibb River Road that cuts a path through the middle. For me it was the stuff of glossy brochures, aimed at retirees with the time and cash to explore this unspoilt, breathtakingly beautiful corner of Australia covering 421,450 square kilometres – bigger than Victoria and Tasmania combined!

For east-coast residents just getting there’s a challenge; more than a week of solid driving on an indirect 5000km route, or a couple of pricey, connecting flights to a nearby centre like Broome or even Darwin. So when the offer came from Apollo to take one of their latest 4WD rental vehicles based on the evergreen Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series, on  a three-week, family road trip through the Kimberley, I didn’t think twice.

FLYING HIGH
To the off-road 4WD set, the 660km, mostly sand and rock Gibb River Road ‘short cut’ through the Kimberley is often shorthand for a punishing, vehicle-busting road surface. But as we would find out, the condition of the road is very much dependent on timing and luck — or how recently the graders have been through to smooth out the ruts and corrugations caused by inclement weather and passing traffic.

Like the Canning, the Gibb is a former cattle route and 50-metre road trains regularly service the huge cattle stations along the route. But these days, especially in peak winter ‘dry’ season, they’re well outnumbered by outdoorsy types crossing another 4WD challenge off their bucket lists.

While it’s not quite as isolated, punishing or lacking in facilities and fuel stops as the 1850km Canning Stock Route, you still have to be prepared for the worst, and carry enough food, water and safety equipment in case of breakdown and to last between the odd roadhouse or tyre repairer.

So after weeks of planning, we find ourselves luxuriating in the mid-September heat of far north Australia at the plush Oaks Cable Beach Sanctuary resort in Broome, with plenty of cool, fresh water, air-conditioned rooms, wi-fi, mains power, clean clothes and cold beer — all things we’ll largely have to do without while  ‘roughing it’ on the Gibb.

No visit to the Kimberley is complete without a close up view of the spectacular, beehive-shaped sandstone domes at the Bungle Bungle-Purnululu National Park. So after picking up our 4WD renter, we decided to tackle the boring bitumen part first; the 1000km stretch from Broome to Kununurra on the Great Northern Highway. That way we’ll do the Bungles before joining the Gibb River Road at its northernmost end, winding our way back towards the coast in an anti-clockwise ‘loop’.

However, it wasn’t that boring, when about 300km along we heard a loud noise and ground to a halt after watching in the side mirror a tyre shred from a 16in split-rim steel rear wheel. We got the spare wheel on with help from a passing Prado driver, who came to the rescue after the vehicle-supplied jack broke down under the load, and continued to the nearest town, Fitzroy Crossing, another 100km up the road.

First thing in the morning, the local mechanic sold us a new spare wheel and tyre for $370 (covered by the optional 4WD cover taken out with Apollo, which would also pay for some windscreen damage suffered later on) and we were back on our way.

Staying overnight at the well-watered Fitzroy River Lodge, where we had the luxury of a grassy campsite, provided the ideal spot to get familiar with the intricacies of setting up our rooftop-tent accommodation.

A popular camping option in regions like South Africa as well as the Kimberley, where sleeping off the ground away from saltwater crocodiles and other toothy critters is recommended, our roof-topper was the flip-over type that folded out provides a tent-like, king size bed up top, accessed by a drop-down ladder, with a separate, canvas annexe zipping on to create an enclosed sleeping area on the ground for the young ones.

Once familiar with the mostly daily routine, packing or setting up camp takes around 45 minutes, or longer if allowing for drink breaks and towel downs in often stifling heat.

Apart from the plastic roof box storing the sleeping bags and self-inflating mattresses, everything else is jammed into the back of the 70 Series wagon, around the 40 litre slide-out fridge that runs off a second, under-bonnet battery, folding camp chairs and table, 15-litre freshwater tank and portable gas stove, which would get a solid work-out during the trip (we went through four propane canisters!).

Having everything always close to hand would prove both a blessing and a curse during the trip: the former as it allowed impromptu roadside stop-offs, with a quick pull out of the side awning for much-needed shade. However, I quickly became envious of other campers with their separate tents or trailers who didn’t have to pack up the lot every time they wanted to drive to a new gorge, waterfall or sunset lookout.

HOT NIGHTS, COOL SIGHTS
The 53km winding dirt road from the highway turn-off (about 800km from Broome) to the Bungle Bungle visitor centre was our first chance to experience the old-school ‘Cruiser’s no-nonsense, off-road abilities, which include superior road clearances, super low off-road gearing and factory-fitted snorkel and bash plates.

Dropping the tyre pressures to around 30psi and locking the manual hubs before engaging high-range 4WD (sufficient for the entire Gibb River Road), the ‘Cruiser wagon is far more at home on the dirt than the bitumen. Loaded up close to three tonnes, perched high on its tall, skinny tyres, and guided by imprecise, ball and nut steering, it wanders around like a drunken sailor on the highway, particularly in crosswinds.

On the corrugations though, there’s plenty of body rattling but the bullet-proof underpinnings of rear-leaf/front-coil suspension, live axles and ladder-frame chassis, do a remarkable job of isolating occupants perched high on wash-down vinyl seats from the worst of the road nasties.

Deliberately under-geared for low-speed off-road work, where the gutsy, 4.5-litre V8 turbo diesel engine comes to the fore, the ‘Cruiser is screaming for an overdrive gear on the highway when over-revving in fifth at 2500rpm, resulting in a fuel-slurping 16L/100km and rapidly draining the long-range 130-litre tank.

However, the torquey engine never gets raucous, and most importantly, the air-conditioner at full bore pumps out cold air almost from start-up. Pity then that the audio unit has insufficient volume to drown out the wind and tyre noise.

It’s also a flashback to the 1980s to be in a new car with single-key manual locking, wind-up windows, no cruise control and a bare, button-less and slippery steering wheel. But then, the lack of complexity in this stripped-out Workmate model, means less things can go wrong, something highly valued in a hard-working vehicle bound to cop plenty of abuse.

Our plan was to stay a couple of nights in the Bungles, enjoying some of the hikes, but the sweat-inducing 40-degree heat and lack of swimming holes cut our stay to one. However, one major benefit to travelling late in the dry season when most tourists have already fled south for cooler climes, is that we had the place mostly to ourselves. That’s apart from the group of musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, who at the time of our visit were conducting a series of special concerts at Cathedral Gorge, a huge natural amphitheatre among the domes, notable for its soaring vertical walls and incredible acoustics.

Back on the bitumen, we made a quick stop at the Warmun Art Centre, run by the local Aboriginal community and featuring paintings by leading Kimberley artists. Then on to bustling Kununurra, a major farming hub in the East Kimberley and a popular spot for sunset cruises on Lake Argyle. But with no time to spare, we spend a pleasant night at the Hidden Valley Tourist Park before taking a final opportunity for about 10 days to stock up at a supermarket.

There are two small roadhouses on the Gibb – Mt Barnett and Imintji – but with a limited and pricey selection of food and supplies, it’s best to carry in as much as you can. That includes sufficient drinking water or at least a filtration unit as there’s no lack of water but it’s not always drinkable.

ON THE GIBB… FINALLY!
The turn-off to the Gibb River Road is another 53km from Kununurra, and the sealed road continues another 33km to the world-famous El Questro Wilderness Park, a working cattle station that’s now among the most popular places to stay on the Gibb. The smooth bitumen is a luxury we won’t see again until the last 70km or so at the other end of the Gibb, near Derby.

With everything from five-star units to shady, grassy campsites (and a well-stocked bar, one of only three we discover en-route), El Questro also introduces us to the first of many short bush walks to gob-smacking gorges. These include the picturesque Emma Gorge and Zebedee Springs, a permanent thermal spring in a relaxing rock pool setting.

Our stay coincides with some toe-tapping Saturday night free entertainment at the bar, although around 10pm that night when snuggling into our mattresses we wish the one-man band would also call it a night as the classic rock tunes continue to drift through the campground!

Turning left back onto the main road, as forewarned we face about 150-200km of probably roughest section of the Gibb, punctuated by sharp rocks and corrugations to keep our speed down to around 50km/h. The warning signs to slow down are in the number of tyre carcasses strewn along the roadside; about 40 in the first hour before we stopped counting! Further down is the Over The Range Tyre Repairs run by Neville, a rare licensed mechanic servicing Gibb traffic, who must make a killing during peak season!

We also cross the much photographed Pentecost River, which has plenty of boulders but not much water this late in the season. Stopping mid-stream to do some video, I keep a nervous lookout for the saltwater crocodiles that normally inhabit these parts.

About 230km from El Questro is the turn-off to Mitchell Plateau, the first of a few detours that will take us north along the Kalumburu Rd before another turn-off leading to the spectacular three-tier Mitchell Falls.

About 60km along we stop at Drysdale River Homestead, another working cattle station turned family-run tourist business. We fill up at a Gibb River high of $2.09/litre diesel, despite having more than half a tank full, having previously learnt the hard way that you always fill up where possible in the Outback, as you never know when the next opportunity will be.

Another two hours’ driving, we take the turn-off and camp overnight at the King Edward River crossing, which has long-drop toilets and a nearby river to rinse off. It’s also close to some of the best Aboriginal rock art you’ll see in the country (we can’t show you photos as it requires permission from the traditional land owners, so you’ll have to take our word for it).

Another two hours and we hit the Mitchell Falls campground, the road seeming to get bumpier the more spectacular the scenery becomes, particularly passing through the dense forests of Livingstona fan palms, some of which are 300 years old. Apart from countless birdlife, we spot our second frill-necked lizard, a large specimen clinging motionless to a tree trunk. It’s one of many reptiles encountered, from freshwater crocs to snakes, skinks, and the odd Mertens’ water monitor, sunning in a gorge.

After setting up at the almost deserted Mitchell Falls campground, we set off at sunrise for the two hour hike to the falls; beating the heat but also enjoying the vibrant colours of the landscape in the early morning light. There are plenty of opportunities to cool off in the river and rock pools along the way, before a chicken stir-fry, ‘bucket’ shower and collapsing into bed.

MORE GORGES
Back on the Gibb, we make tracks for Mt Barnett Roadhouse, pulling in late after witnessing another magnificent West Australian sunset while dodging stray cattle that like to chew the grass growing on the roadside.

We spend two nights at the nearby Manning Gorge campground, but it could have easily been a week, with good facilities and walking distance to the swimming river. Pulling ourselves across the river the next day using the dinghy and pulley rope provided, we hike into the magnificent Manning Gorge, where high jumping platforms into the deep, refreshing rockpools await the more adventurous.

A further 53km along the Gibb, we take another lengthy detour to the highly recommended Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, signalling our impending arrival at the start of the 70km long ‘driveway’ on the two-way radio provided.

A mostly flat, uneventful drive across vast, open plains, the road is made memorable by the number of over-sized boab trees and termite nests dotting the roadside.

The Mornington campground is in another pristine bush setting, with the luxury of showers and proper toilets not to mention a great little ‘bush bar’ serving the tasty local Feral brew, which we’re reliably told is “the coldest beer on the Gibb”. But the highlight by far is the spectacular two-kilometre canoe ride through Diamond Gorge. Once again, we have the whole place to ourselves, including enjoying lunch on the little sandy beach overlooking the volcanic rocks. Priceless!

Back on the Gibb, another 25km along we drop by the recently re-opened Imintji store for an icecream and fuel, before heading down a bit further to Bell Gorge; arguably the most famous Gibb gorge and without doubt the most slippery, with algae on the rocky bottom ensuring a thrillng ‘slip ’n slide’ entry from the shoreline.

Our last stop – Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek – are probably the most visited Gibb attractions, due to easy access as well from the great Northern Highway. Expecting a bloodbath, we venture into Windjana Gorge at sunrise, to watch the 30 or so resident freshwater crocs lie in wait for a meal of bats swooping low for bugs. But unfortunately the crocs go hungry on the night we visit.

Another ‘must see’ is the nearby Tunnel Creek, where armed with torches and waterproof shoes we wade through the pitch-dark 750m tunnel buried in the Napier Range, hoping not to step on anything we shouldn’t along the way. It’s more fun than the ghost train at Luna Park and what’s more, it’s free.

BACK IN CIVILISATION
The last unsealed section before the Gibb turns to tarmac, is definitely the widest and smoothest, allowing speeds up to 80km/h. Turning back on the Great Northern Highway, we drop into the little town of Derby to pump up the tyres and pass by the 1500-year-old hollow Boab tree once used as an overnight lockup for prisoners.

Back in Broome, we wash off some of the red dirt in the palatial Cable Beach Caravan Park, which has its own café as well as resort pool complete with convincing replica of a gorge waterfall. It’s also a chance to join the 4WD herd on the obligatory sunset drive along Cable Beach, although we pass on the slightly exotic-smelling beach camel rides.

With more ritzy hotels and jewellery shops than Melbourne’s Collins St, Broome is a place for the big spenders, but there’s at least one ‘indulgence’ we can recommend if you haven’t spent all your spare cash on $2/litre fuel stops along the Gibb. It’s the half-day tour conducted by Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, which provides some unique high-adrenaline thrills as well as spectacular views of the Kimberley you can’t get from the ground.

The fast-pace tour kicks off with a scenic seaplane flight out to a live-aboard pontoon in Talbot Bay along the Kimberley coastline, where you get to feed bat fish and swim with Tawny Nurse sharks (in a shark cage). This is followed by a gentle cruise through the dramatic rock formations of Cyclone Creek, before a high-speed boat ride through the Horizontal Falls, a natural phenomenon where the tidal flow water rushing through narrow rocks creates an exhilarating white-water experience.

The tour is capped off by another seaplane extravaganza, this time across the eye-catching Buccaneer Archipelago and its hundreds of tiny islands and coral reefs, followed by a bird’s-eye view of the stunning Dampier Peninsula and Cape Leveque, where we’ll drive to from Boome the following day. At $795, the tour ain’t cheap, but the experience is unforgettable.

BEACH TIME
A fitting finale to our Kimberley adventure is a couple of days at Cape Leveque on the Dampier Peninsula, one of those magical West Australian coastal spots where glowing red rock meets pure white sand and turquoise sea.

The 206km Cape Leveque road is sealed at either end, with around 90km of red sand in the middle that can vary from soft and corrugated (on the way up) to wide and smooth (on the way back) depending on timing of the graders.  We break the trip with a stop-off about halfway along at the now Aboriginal-run Beagle Bay Community to check out the striking white church with its mother-of-pearl shell decorated alter, built in the 1910s by the monks and local Aboriginals.

While calling it a resort might be a stretch, the popular Kooljaman facility at the tip is a little piece of paradise, with the restaurant, gift shop and excellent amenities adding a touch of bush glamour after two weeks of drop toilets.

We snag one of the popular beach hut campsites, which are worth the $130 a night pricetag due to their shoreline proximity, private thatched hut with shower and picnic table, not to mention million dollar views.

Also money well spent is a 4WD tag-along tour with the very friendly Brian Lee, who is part of the indigenous community that runs the wilderness camp. Taking a tour with a local like Brian also provides access to very special spots like Hunters Creek, which has a superb swimming hole as well as plenty of mud crabs, which are caught and cooked up on an open fire for lunch. As well as sharing traditional skills like spear fishing, Brian touches on the darker history of white settlement, including the story of one of his relatives who captured Aborigines to work as slaves in the local pearling industry.

It was also the first time we needed to engage low range 4WD, allowing the LandCruiser to easily crawl through the super soft sand with the tyre pressures dropped down to 15psi. The whole place is so hospitable there’s even an air compressor available to pump up your tyres on the way out.

You could easily spend a week (or three) on the Dampier Peninsula, stopping at the free bush sites or very welcoming Aboriginal-run campgrounds, as well as more upmarket establishments like Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm – one of few places on the otherwise ‘dry’ peninsula you can grab an adult refreshment.

THE WASH-UP
Our whirlwind, exhilarating and somewhat exhausting 19-day adventure included 3700km of driving, more than half of that on dirt. If I had to guess, our average speed was around 50km/h and we consumed approximately 500 litres of diesel.

Packing up camp most days, often not long after the 5.00am sunrise after being woken up by chirping birds, merely added to our intimate and immersive Kimberley experience. Fortunately we had no need to use the satellite phone or EPIRB we were carrying, but travelling solo they’re good insurance nonetheless.

While old-fashioned and lacking the creature comforts and technology of its more modern 200 Series brother, the 70 Series ‘Cruiser’s simple charms won us over. It also gave us a greater appreciation for why so many people who rely on their vehicles for survival in harsh, remote regions opt for these tough-as-nails, old-school four-wheel drives — if the side mirror breaks off, simply pick one up from the closest mechanic and screw it back on yourself!

Whether taking the more adventurous, self-contained 4WD or camper trailer route, or less stressful, guided off-road tour option, this is one part of the country that should be on the bucket list of every Aussie.

RECOMMENDED READING
We relied on two terrific guidebooks during pre-trip planning as well as en route. These included Destination Kimberley, a well-researched, comprehensive and entertaining guide written by a passionate local. It’s available online as an e-book but we printed ours out and took it along as a hard copy for reference.

The  Hema Maps  spiral bound Kimberley Atlas & Guide, which includes all Hema maps to the region in the one convenient book, is also highly recommended,  as is Hema’s user-friendly Navigator HN7 GPS unit, which has both on- and off-road maps and ensured we never got lost.