Week 43/52 - Gibb River Rd - Derby and the end of the dirt

Hi everyone and welcome to Week 43 of my Tour Downunder Western Australia - and this week we reach the end of the Gibb River Road - hence the end of the dirt....for now....

but before we do a couple of final pics of the Gibb River Rd.....one of the last of the big 4WD road treks in Australia....we wanted to turn around and go back the other way and do it all again! We certainly didn't see everything we could have, but unfortunately time was a factor - but we plan to come back sometime to see the Mitchell Plateau, and stay at some of the station stays....next time.......

From Western Australia

A view from Inglis Gap....

From Western Australia

The rock formation in the centre of the pic is called Queen Victoria's Head - I am sure you can see the resemblance....

From Western Australia

And the flat plains just before we reached the bitumen - we were amazed to see this flat treeless plain after the rugged country we had been through.

From Western Australia At the end of the Gibb River Rd we turn north and do a quick tour of Derby. Located on King Sound north of the mouth of the Fitzroy River, Derby was established to service the Kimberley cattle industry. The town is set on a peninsula of slightly elevated land above the surrounding flat tidle marshland. In this photo below we see the sea and the mangroves. The mangroves crowd the shoreline of Derby. From Western Australia Here we see the Derby jetty. At low tide the jetty and boat ramp are completely out of the water. Derby has the highest tidal range in Australia - 11.8 metres - one of the highest in the world. The ladies you can see are fishing - perhaps hoping to catch a mud crab. From Western Australia This is Myall's Bore - a cattle trough built in 1911. It is 120 metres long and thought to be the longest in the southern hemisphere. It was originally filled from an artesian bore and supplied water to a thousand cattle at a time while they were being driven to the Derby jetty for shipment. From Western Australia __________________

Week 42/52-Part 2 -Tunnel Creek, it's dark, bring your flashligh

Hi everyone and welcome to Part 2 of week 42 of our 52 week Tour Downunder Western Australia. I decided week 42 needed 2 parts. We continue on from our last destination Windjana Gorge and travel 35kms to Tunnel Creek.

I hope you have brought your wading boots, and a flashlight or headlight, as the tunnel is dark, the creek flows through it so you have to wade, there are bats, and they say (although thank goodness we didn't see any) that there are sometimes freshwater crocodiles in there!

Tunnel Creek, which is inhabited by five species of bats, flows through the Napier Range in a tunnel 750 metres long. As the tunnel is completely dark except at its entrances and halfway point, and involves wading through water, it is essential to be equipped with a torch or headlight and to wear boots or shoes for wading. Tunnel Creek was a hideout for an Aboriginal man, Jandammara, during his fight against white settlement in the late 1800s.

So here we are inside the tunnel, looking back to the entrance.

From Western Australia

Further in, getting darker.... Once we were right in we turned off our flashlights. It was pitch black! Could not see a thing!

From Western Australia

This is the halfway point where the roof has caved in. A relief to see some sunlight.

From Western Australia

And this is the far end of the tunnel.

From Western Australia

I think I did pretty well in there considering I wasn't using a tripod! I still managed to get a few good shots. Of course they all weren't as clear as these.....

Here is a picture looking at where you come in from the other end.....you can see here the shape of the entrance I showed you in the silhouette and reflections in the previous pics.

From Western Australia

And this is what you find at the other end, a tree lined creek....time for a sit before going back into the Tunnel to return to where you started!.....unfortunately it is the only way to get back to your car!

From Western Australia

This shot really amused me - the sign tells you about the warnings for entering the tunnel, and that you should wear shoes. I wouldn't want to walk in there bare foot.... I hope all these shoes belong to people who swapped their shoes for wading boots.....or are they left overs from the croc's dinner?....

From Western Australia

This is the road to Tunnel Creek. Another of my "drive by shots" where my husband leaves me on the side of the road, and drives by so I can get the shot....thankfully he knows he will have to do this a few times while we are away and hasn't left me standing there...... that's a boab tree on the RHS - amazing aren't they?

From Western Australia

On the way back to our campsite at Windjana, we will stop at the ruins of Lillimulura Station. Constructed in 1884 as a cattle station, it became a police outpost in 1893. The information panels relate the history of the Station and the tragic story of Jandammara and the Bunuba Aboriginal people and their tragic fight against white settlement.

From Western Australia

Week 42/52 - Windjana Gorge sunset

Welcome to week 42 of my 52 week Tour Downunder Western Australia.

This week we move on from Bell Gorge and visit the last gorge along The Gibb - Windjana Gorge, probably the best well known and most easily accessible Gorge along The Gibb River Road. The Windjana Gorge National Park preserves a section of a 350 million year old coral Devonian Reef where the Lennard River cuts through the Napier Range.

The DEC campground, which is located only 500 metres from the Gorge entrance, is perfectly located and near the Gorge entrance and again arriving mid morning will allow you to find a shady camp site.

The one kilometre return Savanna walk trail from the campground to the Gorge gives you information about the plants and animals of the savannah woodland. The entrance to Windjana Gorge is dramatic as you walk through a narrow cavern to enter the Gorge itself. Here is a photo walking to the Gorge.

From Western Australia

Once inside the Gorge the trail takes you along the river bank and then you walk out onto an open sandy area where you have an awe inspiring 360 degree view of the Gorge – it definitely has a “wow” factor, that I could not hope to adequately capture.........

From Western Australia

Windjana Gorge is the prime freshwater crocodile viewing area of the Kimberley, so there is no swimming here. The Gorge walk winds seven kilometres return along the Lennard River. You can see fossilized marine life forms within the limestone walls near the Gorge entrance and interpretive panels help you understand more about the Gorge.

From Western Australia

Late in the afternoon photographers gather on the edge of camp to capture the setting sun lighting up the sheer western cliff face of the Gorge. And yes, it really is this colour with the setting sun on it. How it could possibly change from grey as in the first photo - to this - astounded me - but I saw it with my own eyes. Just amazing.

From Western Australia

This one is taken with the early morning sun coming through the river entrance to the Gorge. I left my husband to cook breakfast while I went to get this shot. I don't know if you can see, but as I took the photo a flock of white cockatoos flew up to the entrance, turned in the sun, and then flew back - you might be able to see them in the sun about half way up the gorge wall....

From Western Australia

Windjana is part of a Devonian Reef and when you get into the gorge you can see fossilised marine life forms within the limestone rock face. This photo shows that part of the gorge wall. Interpretive panels help you understand more about the Gorge.

From Western Australia

Windjana Gorge is the prime freshwater crocodile viewing area of the Kimberley, so there is no swimming here. The Gorge walk winds seven kilometres return along the Lennard River. I might have got a little bit too close to this croc, but he just smiled at me - well it looks like a smile.......

From Western Australia

This photo shows you how close the campground is to that magnificent gorge wall, lit up here again by the late afternoon sun. We stayed for a few days - walked in the morning, and relaxed under the shade in the afternoons.

From Western Australia

This is the top part of a beautiful boab tree near our campsite. The boab is an icon of the Kimberley - the bulbs, where water is contained in their fibre, come in fantastic shapes which change as the tree gets older. I love the shape of the branches of this tree - it looks like a tree of life.

From Western Australia

Another sunset shot, taken walking from the camp to the gorge wall.

From Western Australia

My husband took one - its a photo of me in the Gorge - I thought it showed the height of the wall really well. Looks like I am walking along checking my LCD screen - I hope I was checking that I wasn't going to step on a croc!

From Western Australia

Thanks again everyone for looking - I hope you have enjoyed Windjana Gorge. I look forward to hearing from you.

Week 41/52 - Bell Gorge - relaxing in the waterfall's sunlight

Hi everyone, and welcome to Week 41 of our 52 week tour around magnificent Western Australia.

This week we are moving steadily westward along the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley, and reach our next camping stop - Bell Gorge.

Bell Gorge and nearby Lennard Gorge (see week 40) are located in the King Leopold Range Conservation Park covering 392,100 hectares and protecting some of the remotest country in the Kimberley. There are some spectacular views driving through the Ranges.

The Dept of Environment & Conservation (DEC) campground at Silent Grove is a very popular spot so we picked our spot and pitched our tent before visiting the Gorge.

The first part of the walk into Bell Gorge is fairly easy (1km to the top of the waterfall), however the last part involves crossing the creek and scrambling down a steep rock wall leading to the water – stunning views and another beautiful Kimberley Gorge to swim in.

Looking across the top of the Gorge below which is the waterfall

From Western Australia

We walked out along a ledge to get this photo. You can see people down the bottom of the waterfall relaxing on the rocks. (pity about that little straggly plant clinging to life in the middle of this photo - however you can't change nature - and it is amazing that plants can grow on a rock face!) It is hard to show the scale in these photos, but I hope seeing people in the pic will help give you an idea of the size of the waterfall.

From Western Australia

Walking down to the bottom of the gorge....

From Western Australia

And time for a swim..... I swam out to the waterfall and sat under it. People were sunning themselves like lizards on a rock. It felt like the beach except we were in a gorge.

From Western Australia

This one is from the top of the gorge wall looking the other direction to the falls. From Western Australia Near the turn off from the GIbb River Road into Bell Gorge is one of only two places to buy supplies or organize tyre repairs along The Gibb River Road - Imintji Store. As it was around lunch time when we reached here we stopped for lunch in the shade and bought a few supplies from the well stocked store. From Western Australia You shouldn't travel the Gibb River Road without plenty of provisions, water, and spare tyres.....the road can be very rough depending on when the grader was through last. The photo below is of the tyre repairer at Imintji. From Western Australia I hope you have enjoyed this part of the trip. Next week we continue on to Windjana Gorge where there is the greatest concentration of fresh water crocodiles in the north. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you.

Week 40/52 - Part2 - Gibb River Road - gorging on gorgeous gorges

Welcome to Part 2 of week 40 of our 52 week tour Downunder Western Australia.
Tonight we continue along the Gibb River Road and visit some more of its stunning gorges -

A short drive from Mt Barnett and Manning Gorge (our last stop) is Galvans Gorge. The car park is right on the road side and it is a short easy walk (2.4km return) to the lovely shaded pool of the Gorge. Smaller than other gorges along The Gibb, the pool is still large enough for a swim, however camping is not allowed.

In this photo you can see a boab tree high above the gorge, and a waterfall trickling down the rock face. If you search you might find aboriginal paintings on the rock walls.

From Western Australia

The path into the gorge ran along the edge of the stream where there were ponds of water lillies.

From Western Australia

Our next stop was Adcock Gorge, located about five kilometres off the Gibb River Road along a very rocky 4WD track. It is not a long walk in although you have to clamber over a few boulders. This lovely tree was at the edge of the water.

From Western Australia

I found the reflections of the surrounding cliff faces particularly beautiful for photography when we visited in the morning. It was a very hot day, so while my husband climbed up around the other side of the gorge, I sat in the shade and took reflection photos.

From Western Australia

Another from Galvins Gorge

From Western Australia

My husband up on the wall face at Adcock Gorge. You can see on the left there a massive tree root.

From Western Australia

Some liquid gold - reflections of the cliff face playing on the water at Adcock Gorge.....

From Western Australia

And Lennards Gorge. The walk down into this Gorge is only for those very fit and agile. It looked like an amazing place to swim, but we decided not to attempt it. However two people passed us and went down and were swimming in the gorge. You can just see them there in the picture in the water below the waterfall. It was hard to photograph the Gorge with half of it in deep shadow and the other half in blinding sunlight. You have to be careful at this gorge because you are at the top of the gorge looking down - the cliff faces are very steep and high.

From Western Australia

Week 40/52 - Gibb River Road - into the heart of the Kimberley

Welcome to week 40 of our 52 week Tour Downunder Western Australia. We have now left our last destination El Questro (Week 39) and are back on the Gibb River Road heading westward.

4WD is recommended for the trip and you realise why when you reach the first barrier to continuing along The Gibb - the Pentacost River crossing. The river is influenced by the Kimberley tides and depending on the depth of the water this crossing can stop you from going any further along the road. The river is inhabited by salt water crocodiles, so do not get out to test the depth on foot. Vehicles wait on each side and allow to cross singularly. It gave my husband a chance to check out the depth of the water in the middle by watching the other vehicles before we attempted the crossing. The 4WD in the photo below is not ours unfortunately - but to get a photo like this with our 4WD we would have had to cross 3 times!

From Western Australia

There are a number of Station Stays along The Gibb River Road, where you can experience station life on a working cattle station. Many of the cattle stations also have gorges which you can only visit if you stay at the stations. The Gibb River-Kalumburu Road gives you access to Kalumburu, the Drysdale River National Park, and the majestic Mitchell Plateau. You can also take flights over the Plateau. Unfortunately for us time was against us, so we didn't have time to visit the Plateau - it will be on our list next time we go to the Kimberley.

Here is a photo of part of this section of the Gibb River Road. I took this through the windscreen as we drove along. As you can see the road is now red dust.

From Western Australia

407 kilometres from Kununurra is Mt Barnett Roadhouse, one of only two road houses on The Gibb, and the only one selling unleaded fuel. From here you can access Manning Gorge and campground located on Mt Barnett Station seven kilometres from the Roadhouse. The large campground has plenty of shaded sites and facilities include untreated water, toilets and solar showers. Adjacent to the camp ground is the Lower Manning Gorge, an excellent place to wash off the dust with a cooling swim. There’s even a sandy beach.

To reach Manning Gorge there are two options – either swim across Lower Manning Gorge, floating your gear across in the boxes provided, or a longer walk through the creek further along. Swimming is the best and easiest option. Here is a photo of the crossing - that's my husband there with his box of gear. You need to be careful you don't tip your camera out into the water! On the other side you can see the little sand beach. They also supply rubber tyre tubes so you can spend a lovely afternoon floating around Lower Manning Gorge.

From Western Australia

Although the walk to the Gorge can be hot as it is across exposed terrain, it is quite an easy walk (4km return – allow 1.5 hours each way) and there are expansive views along the way. If you have swum across the Lower Manning in your clothes, the water will cool you down while you walk. You are rewarded by the spectacular Manning Gorge Falls. There are several large pools to swim in and plenty of room to spread out your towel and spend time enjoying the Gorge. These young guys you can see in this photo were walking up to the top of the cliff and jumping off over the waterfall. I was content to reach the waterfall by swimming! ps - there are no crocodiles!

From Western Australia

Here are another couple of pics

Another photo of Manning Gorge from near the waterfall - see you can swim through the waterfall and sit under the overhang....

From Western Australia

This photo was taken along the walk in to Manning Gorge - you can see a boab tree there on the left.

From Western Australia

This flower is commonly called the cockroach bush, because the seed pods look a bit like a cockroach shape....I think....... This one looks like some honey ants are paying it a visit.

From Wildflowers

And this photo was taken on a look out along the Gibb River Road. There is a bit of heat haze and we were looking into the early morning sun. You can see the dust trail in the middle of the photo from a vehicle.

From Western Australia