Our West Australian travel news

GIBB RIVER ROAD – LATE MAY 1999

After two wonderful weeks in Kununurra we set off on the homeward stretch following the Gibb River road.
Our first port of call was Emma Gorge for a quick cup of coffee and to see how it had changed since our visit in 1997. On the road in there were still a lot of signs of the devastation the wet season floods and rains had caused, however, on the up side it made everything wonderfully green and lush looking. The Emma Gorge resort was still lovely, they had extended the restaurant, had a lot more pool furniture and more tent cabins with en-suites.
Back on the road the surface had not improved and we bumped along until nearly midday when we had a flat – Murphy’s law if something bad is going to happen it will be in the worst place – we were in an area which was very flat on both sides, no shade and the noon day sun baking us, nevertheless Clive changed the tyre in good time and we were off again. Crossing the Pentecost river was our first hazard, it was flowing very fast but wasn’t too deep so fairly easily navigated. There were a lot of creeks with quite a lot of water in them to cross as we progressed along. About halfway between Home Valley Station and Jacks Waterhole we came across a young Japanese boy whose motorbike had broken down, the bearings on the back wheel were completely shattered. We offered to take him on to Jacks but he wanted to get to Kununurra. Clive assisted him to get his chain back on and we heard later he was just kept riding on. The road was atrocious, very rocky and bumpy, but the river crossings, the creeks and the scenery made up for it. The scenery kept changing all the time and was stunning.
We arrived at Jack’s Waterhole about 3 pm and unfortunately missed out on a really good campsite, due to the fact we stopped at the office for afternoon tea before we went looking for a site. The whole area was still very boggy, muddy and churned up between the track and the lake. Jack’s waterhole was a lovely spot, very basic facilities but the location made up for it, in hindsight we should have stayed two nights so we could have explored the area a little better, but we didn’t and now we understand Jack’s has been totally washed away by the floods of 2001 When we were there you camped by the side of the waterhole and could watch the vast array of bird life and spot what could have been freshwater crocodiles or were they jut logs... from the comfort of your campsite. The dawn chorus woke us bright and early, extremely chilly, definitely beanie and tracksuit weather, and unfortunately me with a queasy stomach, but luckily the road was a little better than the previous day and I coped. Today we stopped at Ellenbrae station for morning tea. The drive in was very pretty, lots of wildflowers, crested pigeons everywhere and a lot of cows around. Ellenbrae caters for campers only (no on site accommodation) and the people who run it are extremely helpful and friendly. They have a small museum and craft shop on the site housed in an old rail car, which was very interesting.

Lunchtime saw us at the Kalumburu turnoff, debating whether to go up to the Mitchell Plateau or continue on to Mt. Barnett. Due to my queasiness Mt. Barnett won out with the promise that we would return to ‘do the Mitchell Plateau’ another time. Our excuse for not doing something is we always want to leave something new to do next time we pass through. The road from here improved dramatically, there were a lot of cows around and we saw one Brahmin bull wandering across the road. We saw a helicopter flying low up ahead just before we passed a party of drovers with a mob of horses setting up a corral for a muster that was going on at the time. The main mob of cattle raising quite a lot of dust was being driven through the bush about 200 meters off the road. We managed to get a few photographs of the scene but were reminded of the fact that some Aboriginal people do not like their photograph being taken when several of the drovers either covered their faces or turned away from us. I will admit we had not asked permission but were not trying to upset anyone just wanted to get some images of scenes we city folk don’t see that often.
There were some very attractive creek crossings along the road before we arrived at Mt. Barnett roadhouse to get a permit to camp at Manning Gorge 7 kms. down a very narrow, very bad track.. We asked about the fitness level required to do the walk to the Manning Falls and the people there indicated we would have no problem, little did they know!! The camping area is quite large and has toilets, but unfortunately, probably due to the number of people there, the ‘perfume’ emanating from them was definitely not Dior. From the camping area it is a very short walk to the banks of the Manning Gorge, a lovely little beach areas with lots of greenery around and a lovely swimming hole, complete with a couple of freshies basking on the rocks just downstream and taking absolutely no notice whatsoever of what was going on. The water was refreshingly cool, but not cold.
Next morning (I will admit not as early as we would have liked) we packed our water bottles and set off on the walk to the Manning Falls. If you have read any of our previous write ups you will know I (Carol) am not a particularly fit person and have a problem with heights, rocky areas etc. all this played a part in the happenings of the next few hours. The walk takes you around the swimming hole crossing the creeks on stepping stones and log bridges and is very lovely, you then come to a rocky escarpment which is easy enough to climb but just keeps going up and then flattens out to relatively easy walking, then you start to go up and down gullies which, in my mind were quite steep and started to worry me. The day was getting warmer and the climbs up and down the gullies getting longer and steeper. After about 1 ½ hrs. I was starting to get distressed so we were resting, a young couple came past (on their return journey) and we asked how much further, they said about 25 mins. With a couple of little rocky bits but mainly flat. Like an idiot I decided to go on. The little rocky bits were to me huge steep climbs up and down, I was panicking not just about what was ahead, but that I still had to return, and all the time the climb was (in my mind) getting worse. We met another party returning who said it was still a fair way to go with some more of the rocky gullies, but well worth it when you got there. I got through the next gully but when I was confronted with another even steeper one I just sat and cried, we could hear the falls at this point so I pushed on, but unfortunately when we got to the top of this one and there was an even steeper one in front I just gave up. We had left at 9.15 am and it was now close to noon – a 3 hr. return walk it is supposed to be. We rested a while and then started the return journey. One foot in front of the other because it has to be done is the only way I made it, the flat rocks were a very welcome sight (even if they didn’t look so flat on the return journey) then all of a sudden there was the lower Manning and the beach. We got to the beach and just collapsed and then considered our options for getting to the other side – the walk around as when we left in the morning, or, swimming across. We decided on the swim, Clive stripped down and swam over to collect plastic bags, swam back and we packed the cameras, shoes, backpacks etc. into the plastic bin bags, inflated them and tied them tightly with rope then swam back towing them behind us. We dragged ourselves back (well I dragged myself Clive was ok) to our campsite and by this time it was about 4 pm. I was so disappointed at not having made it to the falls, but I don’t know if I’d be here to tell the story if I had carried on. Whether it was the lack of fitness, or my fear of heights and rock climbs or a combination of all three that prevented me from completing the walk I don’t know. What I do know is that on the return journey we met a group of young people on one of these safari tours who wanted to get to the falls and back before nightfall, between them they were carrying two 500 ml. Bottles of water and several of them were not even wearing shoes, I believe we set out with 8 litres of water and the packs were a lot lighter when we returned having drunk it all! On the beach was a young lady who belonged to this group and the tour guide had recommended she didn’t do the walk as it would be too hard for her! I would rest my case but I know there were an awful lot of people who had managed the full walk and I was upset not only at not making it, but preventing Clive from seeing it also. I would also mention the kindness of some of the people we met on the track, who offered us water and assistance and on our return were very happy to see us and said if we hadn’t been back by 4 pm were going to mount a rescue mission. Speaking to the SES people in Derby some days later, they were telling us they had been out a few weeks earlier and put all the track markers in place and it had taken them most of the day to get there and back. Before the track markers were put out people use to regularly get lost on the walk to the falls.

We understand that due to the 2001 floods, this campsite is also still out of commission, so if you want to see Manning gorge and the Falls you will have to check with the local people to find out if it is accessible.
Waking up the next morning I was pleasantly surprised to find that I wasn’t too stiff and sore so we decided to pack up and move on. Stopped at the roadhouse to pay for the extra nights camping and a few essentials (smokes and ice being among them) and get a post card of where we nearly reached ( the falls).
Stopped at Galvins gorge, you park in a roadside area and walk in, a very comfortable, short walk, to a beautiful pool with water lilies and some little waterfalls, then there were rocks again, no where near like the climbs of yesterday but I said no way – Clive went on and said there was a very pretty little waterfall beyond but I would not be persuaded. On the way back to the vehicle I started to flag and was very glad to get there and relax.
As we got going we realised we had forgotten the smokes, ice and even more important, coffee, at Mt. Barnett, should have made a list! Today we are headed for Bells Gorge – en route we stopped at the Iminitji roadhouse to buy what we had forgotten at Mt. Barnett and have a cup of coffee, and were entertained by a group of Aboriginal children who were being taken to Broome for a few days on a school excursion, they were delightful and so excited about their trip. Another 6 km. down the road is the turnoff for Bells and then a further 19 km on a fairly rough track brings you to Silent Grove, one of two camping areas at Bells. As you drive in there is a board with tags on it for campsites further down the track on the banks of the creek, these are largish campsites with drop toilets and great scenery and privacy, you take a tag and continue down till you see your marker and set up, the ranger will visit you in the evening to get your money. There was one tag left when we arrived but we decided to stay up the top at Silent Grove where you have flush toilets and showers (albeit cold ones at that time), equally pleasant campsites but perhaps not the privacy of the ones by the creek. The views from the camp are great, ranges on three sides and dense bush on the fourth, with the sound of running water. There are large fireplaces with plates and even little lights until about 9.15 at night. Spent the afternoon just relaxing and getting some strength back, and realising we still didn’t buy what we needed at the store, tomorrow we will return there.
Next morning dawned a lot warmer than of late, and when we got up there was a kangaroo preening itself just outside our trailer, the birds were in full song and it was wonderful. Drove back to Iminitji to get our supplies then back to camp to go and have a look at Bells Gorge. As you can imagine, I am very apprehensive due to my recent experience. The start of the Bells walk is approximately 10 km further down the track, past the individual campsites. You drive there and there is a small car park at the beginning of the walk. The first part of the walk is approximately 50 – 100 m down a very steep and rocky path with a few steps in it – I was feeling sorry for myself when two young guys literally ran up – if they can do that I can make it down there (it was much easier than the rocky gullies at Manning), when you reach the bottom you were on relatively flat ground, with the creek running beside you and mainly shady the whole way to the falls. You come out at the top of the falls and whilst Niagara they are not, they are still very impressive. There are a lot of ‘cooling off’ pools at the top and I took full advantage of them. You can walk to the bottom of the gorge but as the day was quite warm we decided to give this a miss and spent time watching the young men we had seen running up the path who had now returned and were stringing a line across the gorge, and jumping down into the water to retrieve lines they’d dropped, not too sure what they were doing but it looked dangerous to me. Chatting to someone from the Derby SES when we got to Derby they told us about a rescue they had conducted at the gorge a few weeks ago where a visiting British vet had slipped fallen and injured themselves and the guys had to come out from Derby and Broome to lift him to safety and then stretcher him 5 kms back to the car park. I hope all people who go to these remote places realise what a great job these volunteers do, leaving their comfortable homes for a 200 kms. each way drive, quite often at night, to effect these rescues or searches for missing people.
The drive the next day to Windjana Gorge was spectacular. All through the King Leopold ranges you get wonderful views across the plains, in the valleys the creeks were running and it was very green, there were a lot of places we would have liked to stop but although it was only a couple of hundred kms. you never know what the road will be like round the corner. After the King Leopold ranges the terrain is quite flat until you come to the Napier Ranges, which are very black and foreboding, but awesome. We turned off for Windjana Gorge/Tunnel Creek and by now the sun is really hot and I have been having problems with the heat since Manning Gorge. From the car park to the entrance of Windjana gorge is about a 700 m. walk, the entrance is literally through a crack in the rock face, you walk through then down a narrow ‘passage’ and out into the gorge, stunning. As you walk along the side of the river the area has been cleared and they are flat sandy paths, the water in the river is crystal clear. There are crocodiles everywhere, and whilst I have always kept well away from them in the past because of the fact that people keep telling me freshwater crocodiles are fine, I decided to approach a group of them (keeping a healthy distance away) to get a photograph. Obviously one of them was very camera shy because he/she reared up and lunged toward me, I moved extremely quickly (for me) out of range and left him to bask in the hot sun. The white cliff sides of the gorge soar up above you and the greenery around makes it a beautiful place. Unfortunately the heat reflecting off the sandy river bed and the white cliff walls was getting to me so we decided to make tracks back to the car.
Decided to leave Tunnel Creek for another time and headed to Derby to end our Gibb River Road trek, there was another very heavily corrugated part of road to negotiate before we hit the bitumen initially a single track road and then it widens near Derby into a fully sealed road. I have realised that since the Kalumburu turnoff I have made little comment on the road condition so can only say in retrospect that it couldn’t have been too bad. I do remember between Mt. Barnett and Iminitji, that we met a German couple in one of those Britz motor homes who had a puncture and the jack they had been supplied with was not big enough to lift the van up to change the tyre, so we helped them by using our jack, they only had the one spare so they were hoping Mt. Barnett would either be able to repair or replace their damaged tyre.
We were lucky only to damage one tyre for the whole trip but have heard of others puncturing three or four on the Gibb road. Knowing the driving habits of those we have talked to I would suggest speed causing excess stress on the tyres was the main cause of punctures. We drive to the road conditions i.e. 10 to 80 Kms per hour where as the others talked about 40 to 100 kph and not being able to stop quick enough for washaways and rocky sections of the road may add to damage and break the tyre walls. There are plenty of corrugations the full length of the road, many wash-aways and dry crossings which ad to the adventure. Travelling into the gorges is the only time that we used 4WD. On the Gibb River road a two wheel drive car would have made it but possibly would be worthless at the end of the trip due to the pummelling it would get. The latest low profile models may not have the clearance to make some of the river crossings. Having said that, we passed 3 groups of Japanese with small 2 wheel drive cars at different stages that had survived the trip and visited some of the gorges. Clive has also seen a Japanese cyclist on the road in temperatures above 40 degrees (C ). Some people either do not know the risks they are taking or are willing stretch their ability way beyond the normal. You probably would have noticed at the beginning of this write-up we did not do the Emma Gorge walk or go into El Questro station. This was only because we had done both on a previous trip (and loved what we saw) and this time decided to press on into unknown territory rather than re-visit experiences.
There are many things to do at El Questro including bathing in the Zebedee hot springs, driving to and walking up numerous gorges, fishing in the Penticost river (watch for the salties), viewing aboriginal art, BBQs at the bunk house and dining in the restaurants. For those who decide to swim at Emma Gorge, the water will be extremely cold especially under the water fall. To warm up after your swim, if you face the main waterfall, then to your right at the end of the droplet wall, there is a stretch of sand, (there was when we were there) the water seeping out of this sand is warm/hot spring water. We lay in a small depression by the wall to warm up…. El Questro Station has now been taken over we believe by the Novotel Hotel Group who we believe have added some additional fees for those wishing to visit some of natures wonders on “their land” Also it is rumoured that an all weather sealed road may soon go all the way to El Questro to keep it open all year. Travelling the Gibb River Road was a great experience which we would be happy to do again. We could probably have taken longer, spent more time in places, visited a few more gorges (I’m told Dimond gorge is well worth a visit), but as is always the case with us, time was a factor and we would rather miss a few places this trip than see everything at breakneck speed. Hopefully there will always be the opportunity to go back and see what we missed. The Gibb is only about 600 kms long but the trips to the Gorges and other interesting side trips can add many Kilometres to the trip.

Reset Nov 2001