Gibbing along ...
- mcnovies
- Aug 24
- 5 min read
The Gibb River Road is a largely unsealed 665km road that was originally built for transporting cattle from isolated stations to the ports of Derby and Wyndham. The surface is mainly a naturally rocky base. The quality of the surface is dependent on when it has been graded. Suffice to say, as this is the peak season, so far it has had rough corrugated passages, then other sections where we have sat comfortably on 70-80kms. The road is generally open from April to October each year (during the dry season). There is usually a rush of travellers once the road is open. Already, stations along the way are starting to talk about closure as the season draws to a close ... it simply gets too hot during the build up to the wet season. Travel during "the season" is typically characterised by consistent weather; huge numbers of travellers and hence advanced bookings required; free camps are jam packed; drying waterholes and creeks. The shoulder season can be better to travel where there are less travellers but the heat and possible early onset of the change of season can be problematic ... at the start of the season there is more water in the creeks and rivers that feed the waterholes ... and crocs as they meander down the waterways ... it is a different landscape experience ... some National Parks are closed until they have cleared their areas of large crocs ... so the "season" opening can be a moveable feast ...
There has been almost no wind at all … which is great for being about and about on foot, but unfortunately when drivng and approaching another vehicle, either from behind or coming toward you, the dust hangs for minutes … it is superfine … not unlike fine talcum powder ... all you can do is slow down, or pull over and wait until it clears ... the TVan and Cruiser are pretty good with their dust sealing but it still coats all ... everything has an orange haze.
Leaving Mt Hart Wilderness Lodge, we were back on the Gibb heading to Silent Grove (Bell Gorge) Campground for the night before getting to Manning Gorge for the next night. We then headed to Mt Elizabeth Station. Enroute we visited Adcock Gorge which is about 5kms off the main road ... again it is a narrow, rutted track ... several vans were parked up near the start of the track ... their owners choosing not to take them up to the gorge ... the TVan followed dutifully ...
After Adcock Gorge, we were back on the Gibb again heading to Galvans Gorge which is a short rock hopping trek from the road along the riverbed (complete with water).
We are just past the halfway point of the Gibb River Road, heading from west to east and are currently at Mt Elizabeth Station (which is the sister station of Birdwood Downs Station that we stayed at near Derby). The Station is about 500,000 acres with 6000 head of cattle (some of which was served to us last night for dinner!). The family business operates under the name "Burton Beef" and have been pastoralists for over 30 years.
We enjoyed a meal at the Station on a large table with a group of experienced offroad travellers of a similar vintage ... each with fascinating stories of places they had been ... what was different about this group was that they were all towing camper trailers of some sort ... previously most of our interactions have been with people towing vans that largely stick to the bitumen ... their eyes glaze over when you discuss the places we have been ...
The track to the Station is about 35kms unsealed off the Gibb River Road with quintessentially Australian bush … gum trees, tall grasses, and for the first time in a few weeks … no escarpments … there were a couple of water crossings … the deepest being about 2 feet deep … each down a steepish entry/exit point …
There are a couple of isolated gorges on the property. We drove one yesterday … it was a 10km unsealed section along the main track (to the Station), then a very gnarly and narrow track for another 10kms … with blind corners, deep potholes (up to 18 inches deep), sections of ridiculous corrugations (8 inches high) that had the Cruiser bouncing across the track no matter what speed we tried (we also were running lowish 28psi tyre pressures – maybe could’ve even gone down lower). The corrugations were punctuated (no pun intended) by rocks that were a mixture of cricketball and basketballs in size with the odd pyramid shaped rock just waiting gleefully to inflict pain on our tyres. The last 400m is a steepish decline to the gorge that had 2 foot deep water washouts both across the track and down the middle following the path of least resistance … with more cricket and basketballs … some loose … it was tip toe all the way down … then the same coming back up again. Trying to pick your way through the rocks while avoiding the trees along the sides as you make adjusting turns, coupled with broken tree roots protruding across and from the middle of the track trying to avoid tyre damage is taxing. It took about 30 minutes to drive the 10kms. Along the way we encountered a couple of oncoming vehicles … it becomes a case of find a wider section before you meet them … otherwise you both go bush into the unknown. Even pulling over for one vehicle, he had to retract his driving mirrors lest he wiped out ours. There is another gorge on the property that is 12kms long and takes around 1.5hrs to drive to drive one way … more challenging again … having seen quite a few gorges recently (and still more to see) we decided to give that one a miss (it is not unlike parts of Europe and the plethora of cathedrals … if you get my drift!).
The weather has been particularly kind … we haven’t had a day below 30 degrees (and the nights about 16 degrees), and almost no wind (although sometimes there is wind for the morning that tends to dissipate in the afternoon) for about 5-6 weeks. Once the sun goes below the horizon, the evening coolness kicks in rapidly … the hugeness of the sky and the plethora of stars is awesome … I find myself sitting there searching for satellites …
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