Big Red Tour: The Kimberleys (The Gibb River Road, Mitchel Plateau)

B I G R E D T O U R

The Kimberleys (The Gibb River Road, Mitchell Plateau) - Western Australia

WHERE TO GO

IMAGES OF THE KIMBERLEYS
If these photos will not water your mouth, nothing will.

CAUTION
Watch out for (a) crazy tourists that drive too fast on the Gibb River Road and (b) saltwater crocodiles in the rivers.

ROAD CONDITIONS
The Gibb River Road is quite OK to drive, some parts may be rough after the wet. It's 4WD territory.
If the Gibb River Road is closed after heavy rains, then do not drive on it or you might be bogged down for a week. Believe me, I have met people that got stuck and had to sit and wait for a week until it dried up.
The turn off up to Kalumburu is not that bad, but the road to the Mitchell Falls is very tough, at least around the King Edward River crossing. Your little heart will start to beat faster when you cross that river, especially if the water level is more than one meter!

MAPS
Streetsmart Touring Map: West Kimberleys
Streetsmart Touring Map: East Kimberleys

PERMITS
Only if you want to visit Kalumburu.

FUEL AND SUPPLIES
Fuel and food can be found at Iminji Roadhouse, Mount House and Mount Barnett Roadhouse.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE KIMBERLEYS
The only sad thing about the Kimberleys is the onslaught of the tourists. Gibb River Road can sometimes be very frequented and popular camp sites can be very crowded.
But fortunately, the Kimberleys is big and you can always find your own private spot.

A DREAM COMES TRUE
When I planned the Big Red Tour, I carried a memory of a TV program with the Australian artist Jack Absalom that I watched in 1988. I had a vivid memory of a 4WD driving towards a mountain range through grass painted golden by the setting sun. This dream came true for me in the Kimberleys, one of the most amazing parts of Australia.

THE KIMBERLEYS
The Kimberleys are situated in the North West part of Western Australia. You access it through the Gibb River Road, and then on smaller roads out to gorges, waterfalls and rivers. The area is packed with fantastic scenery and an absolutely astonishing wild life. One morning when I camped along a river a huge flock of black Kakadus passed by.
Another good point is that the local people are so extremely friendly.
And friendliest of them all are the people at Drysdale River Station.

THE GIBB RIVER ROAD
The Gibb River Road is an old stock route through the Kimberleys. The main feature along the Gibb River Road is the magnificent nature and all the splendid gorges. After a few days, you will for sure have an overdose of waterfalls and scenery. :-)
Windjana Gorge, all though crowded is a must to see. Visit the Old Mornington Bush Camp. The drive to and canoeing down Dimond Gorge is beyond real. Bell's, Galvan's, Adcock and Manning Gorge are all very scenic. As you progress further East, the turn off up to the Mitchell Plateau should be considered. I found the Eastern part of the Gibb River Road less interesting.

KALUMBURU ROAD
The Kalumburu road is a turn-off from the Gibb River Road up to the Mitchell Plateau and further to the Theda Homestead and Kalumburu aboriginal community. The main attraction on the Mitchell Plateau are the magnificent Big Mertens and Mitchell Falls, the latter is like the mother of all waterfalls. The walk out to the Mitchell Falls is rather tough. It is partially hard to find the track early in the season. Along the way you will find rock paintings to your left. Aboriginal rock paintings can be found near King Edward River.

TOP SPOTS
Some of my top spots are:
  Windjana Gorge. Easy to access, even with 2WD and very, very beautiful.
  Old Mornington Bush camp and Dimond Gorge. Canoeing on Dimond Gorge is really beyond belief.
  Galvans Gorge. You can not camp there, but you can have a most pleasant swim. The image at the top of the page is Galvans Gorge. I laid basking on the cliff next to the water fall. It was sheer magic.
  Mitchell Plateau with the Mitchell Falls and the Big and Little Merten's Falls. Tough drive and a somewhat challenging hike to the Mitchell Falls.
   And then again, the best spots of them all, I have sworn to the locals to never reveal them to anyone. Sorry! :-)