Oh no ...
- mcnovies
- Aug 5
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 6
After a restful, but active couple of days at the Wolf Creek Meterorite Crater, we headed back in to Halls Creek. Did a fuel stop amid every other caravan in the area and the evacuation of the town following the weekend Rodeo.
We then started our trip northward in the direction of Kununurra, the plan being to find a couple of free camps along the way before heading to Keep River National Park for a few nights. The free camps we came across (there aren’t many in this part of the country) were either not far enough up the road or full. On we went … next plan was to head out to the Pentacost River and camp beside the river for the night. The Gibb River Road from the Great Northern Highway to the Pentacost River is bitumen. Crossing the river is the start of the unsealed Gibb River Road.
For those that don’t know about the Gibb River Road … it is another one of those vehicle and caravan breakers … it is 660km long and joins Kununurra and Derby ... from all accounts it is chock full of stunning scenery, water crossings, gorges and spectacular waterfalls all joined by a very nasty heavily corrugated road traversed by all manner of things doing all manner of speed in all manner of shape and condition … think Toyota Yaris, massive big RAMs with huge houses being towed behind them, through to Winnebago’s and extremely well kitted out 4WDs, vehicles with roof top tents and backpackers driving anything … people doing 30kph and those doing 90kph … and the dust and … it has become a bucket list item … just like “doing the Cape”.
Along our travels you chat to other travellers … almost every person that we spoke to, had “done the Gibb” … interestingly, the conversation never included any mention of what wonderful sights that they had seen or experienced … but rather stories of either their woes or others … all had tales of disaster … or how bad it was or how busy it was …
We headed out along the Cockburn Ranges (which are absolutely stunning) which fringe the road with their sheer cliff faces all the way to the Pentacost River crossing. On the way out (about 70km) we passed countless vehicles (10-15) covered in dust and surmised that they must’ve “done the Gibb”…
At the Pentacost crossing, we sat at the top of the hill before the crossing (after looking for a campsite) and watched 3 vehicles on the other side of the river wait while Mr Maxxis (he had huge Maxxis stickers on his doors – MAXXIS is a 4WD tyre brand) drive across while his mate videoed him … then his other mate (with vehicle emblazoned with huge 4WD adverts) came screaming back while he was videoed … when he arrived back on our side, all of his lights were randomly flashing (driving lights, headlights, indicators) … meanwhile the 3 on the other side waited to cross … still unsure … we watched … until a convoy of 8 other vehicles appeared on the other side making it 11 vehicles to cross … add the 11 here plus what we had seen in the previous half an hour or so making it close to 20-30 vehicles just in that space of time … nope … too busy … so we turned around and headed back to Wyndham where we discovered Perry Creek Farm … a nature reserve with a restaurant and a bar!
Off the main highway we go … very slightly corrugated … welcome back Christmas Lights … all 11 of them … complete with their associated chime … ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding …
We get to Perry Creek Farm looking for the bar … the bar closed at 5.00pm … it was 6.30pm … but they did have a big lagoon with 4 resident crocs … one apparently about 6.5m long. We only saw 2 crocs but they certainly were there. By the time we got to bed that night we had covered over 600kms for the day.
The following morning, I call Kununurra Toyota … explain the issue and the fact that I have the parts … no problem … come in about lunchtime today …great!
We drive the 70km to Kununurra Toyota passing all of the dusty vehicles that had just come from “doing the Gibb” and are told … come back in about 2 hours … now Kununurra is no metropolis … we walk the shops (there were more government services than there are retail outlets) then lunch and back to Toyota, where we sit for another hour in the “Courtesy Lounge” among a nutter (who lived his life based on conspiracy theories) … from Bendigo and a lovely indigenous gentleman whose grandmother was one of the “stolen generation”. He was a Boat Master on a Pearl Rigger from Broome … he had taken his young family to Darwin for the weekend (1200km each way) and got some dirty fuel in Katherine on his way back … resulting in a very sick and spluttering Landcruiser. Asked was he going back to Broome via “the Gibb” … no bloody way … I’m not silly … better to drive 1200km on the bitumen …
Eventually, they take the car … the service adviser confirms that I have the parts … yep … great … so we will just install them for you? … yes please. Off he goes. An hour later he reappears with a print out and explains that we have a broken connector on the rear passenger ABS sensor and shows me a photo of it … great … when are you getting you car serviced? In Broome, in 3 weeks … just get them to fit … won’t take long … give them this bit of paper … you won’t have any problems … do you have any spots where we could get a service here? Sure … next date available is … umm … 22 August … we drive the 70kms back to Perry Creek Farm passing more dusty cars … just in time for the bar … 4.59pm!
After a couple of days at Perry Creek Farm we head to Keep River National Park.
Keep River National Park is one of those parks that most have never heard of … it is a hidden gem … small campground with long drop toilets … about 12 sites and about 60kms from Kununurra … off we head … dirt road in … nice scenery … past a billabong with a couple of waterbirds … wait … there are some on the road … stoppppp … brolgas! … a pair on the road in from of us … they are seriously big birds … almost up their clacker as they attempt to haul into the air …
We get to the campsite … oh no! Worst nightmare … somebody is in our pre-booked site … okay here we go … this could be ok … but it could equally be ugly… umm excuse me … but I think you may be in the wrong campsite … hold my breath … pause … oh … sorry about that … we’ll move … phew…
Next day we do a 2 hour walk and talk with the local Ranger who talks about the landscape and everything that exists in it … quite a laconic and candid guy who pulled no punches … his father grew up in Torquay and born in Geelong … parts of the walk area had been burnt recently (and in some patches was still burning) … from some poorly managed burning 20kms away on an adjoining property …
The following day we did an 8km loop walk where we climbed to a lookout with 360 degree panoramic views (at the top we joined the camp hosts for morning tea) then down into a mini Bungle Bungle type walk with the beehive shaped rocks … so stunning … so quiet … lots of birds … acacias in full bloom … one walker … gob smackingly stunning.
On the next day we drive a few kms to another walk along a creek to some indigenous art (the Rangers estimate that they have only found about 30% of the indigenous art in the National Park). But on the way back … right next to the Be Croc-wise sign is a nearly 2m croc about 5 metres from us … just basking in the sun!
If you are ever in the Kununurra area … Keep River NP … put it on your list!
We finally get to stay in Kununurra … fuel up … stock up … caravan park on a lagoon and strangely only half full … we drive out to the iconic Ivanhoe Crossing … and cross it (of course) … then down a 4WD only track with two deepish (2-3 feet deep and very narrow) water crossings leading to a lagoon at the bottom of a sheer rock face (normally a waterfall) and 000s of black and white butterflies. We continue on our merry way and stumble upon the Ord River and eventually end up at Wyndham.
Now Wyndham … is another one of those places that you may have heard of … and real estate is probably very cheap … and there are plenty of empty renovators delights available … but the capital gains may be less that you would like … not to mention the demand … tick it off and keep driving … to the Five Rivers Lookout …
The Five Rivers Lookout is regarded as one of the most spectacular lookouts in Australia. The views are endless from such an elevated position … it is not so much the height of the elevation (although no caravans allowed up the road) but it is the contrast with the flatness of the landscape below it and the views in all directions.
Finally, the big day arrives … our flight into the Bungle Bungles (about an hour) and a walk and lunch at Cathedral Gorge … over the Ord River Scheme, Lake Argyle and the Argyle diamond mine with a fabulous view of the mountains and meandering rivers and creeks. No wind, 32 degrees and clear sky. What a fabulous experience!
We leave Kununurra to head to Broome … 1200kms away … get the car serviced … get rid of the Christmas Lights before beginning our trek up the Dampier Peninsula, then we head down along the WA coast then inland … and no further mention of doing “the Gibb” (for now…).
Fantastic photos. Bought back memories of our Kimberley trip. Cathedral gorge is spectacular as are the Bungle Bungles. Keep River NP looked great.
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