NW WA trip

[Muz]

Our first time big circuit starts in April 2013. We are in the planning stage for 6 months on the road. When we reach WA in July, we have a choice of Gibb River Rd or the highway to Broome. Both look interesting - can anyone suggest which is the best route for us in our van? Then, once in Broome, I have read some awful reviews on the camping and caravan parks there. Any suggestions?

[Jacky Jacky]

Hi Muz. Welcome to the forum. We did the Gibb River Rd in May 2010 in our 2004 XC (with ATV suspension) and enjoyed the trip. It wasn't as bad as we thought it might be. The GRR can be closed at times due to heavy rain and we stayed in Kunurra BIg 4 until it opened. One tip is to tape up screw cap lids like that on a coffee jar as some corregations can unwind them and check D shackles from time to time. Bell Gorge is a 'must see'. We stayed at El Questro Station on the way as well as freedom camped.

Broome is a holiday destination in the winter months so it is important to book. We stayed at Cable Beach Caravan Park and Roebuck Bay Caravan Park. We preferred Roebuck Bay.

While you are up that way, you may want to do a trip to the Horizontal Falls. We took a plane flight from Derby and stayed overnight on a boat. A great experience.

Good luck with your trip planning.

[Tolley]

Hello Muz,

For Gayleen and me there is no contest between the two routes. The GRR is the go. We traversed it in the opposite direction in 2011 and along with Cape York it remains our favourite trip. In fact, after we complete the Outback Way in late June it is our intention to head north and cross the GRR again. Take your time, it is not a race, travel to the side destinations such as El Questro, Home Valley Station (excellent), Drysdale River Station, Mt Elizabeth Station, Charnley River Station and so on. It is wonderful country.

Take it easy and your rig will handle it easily. Preparation and daily checks are important. We lost a hub cap from the van and we had one drawer latch come loose and break. Those catches need to be fixed in place with some silicon.

Do it and you too will have it in your favourites folder.

Regards

Colin

[RussnSue]

G'day Muz

We towed our Top Ender along the Gibb a few years ago and, like the others, found it reasonably easy going. We suffered no damage at all. Like Colin, we were in no hurry and drove quite slowly - especially on the section from the GRR to Drysdale River Station, which was very corrugated and took five hours to cover fifty-odd Km. We planned to take about seven days to do the trip but ended up taking 13 - it's just that kind of trip. We plan to do it again sometime, in the reverse direction and visiting some of the places that we did not have time to see the first time around.

We took the scenic flight from Drysdale River Station to the Mitchell Falls, which was well worth the money, and also did the flight to the Horizontal Falls, something that is still in the top three things that we have done during our years of travelling. I would add Old Mornington Conservation Reserve to the "must see" list for the GRR.

Have a great trip and yes, include the GRR - it is one of the few remaining wildness trails that has not succumed to bitumen (although it is planned!)

Cheers

Russ

[Muz]

Hi Muz. Welcome to the forum. We did the Gibb River Rd in May 2010 in our 2004 XC (with ATV suspension) and enjoyed the trip. It wasn't as bad as we thought it might be. The GRR can be closed at times due to heavy rain and we stayed in Kunurra BIg 4 until it opened. One tip is to tape up screw cap lids like that on a coffee jar as some corregations can unwind them and check D shackles from time to time. Bell Gorge is a 'must see'. We stayed at El Questro Station on the way as well as freedom camped.

Broome is a holiday destination in the winter months so it is important to book. We stayed at Cable Beach Caravan Park and Roebuck Bay Caravan Park. We preferred Roebuck Bay.

While you are up that way, you may want to do a trip to the Horizontal Falls. We took a plane flight from Derby and stayed overnight on a boat. A great experience.

Good luck with your trip planning.

Thank you for your welcome! Your tips are really appreciated and Jen will look after the jars as you suggested. Your comments have encouraged us to do the GRR. We were thrilled to discover the KOG and have already learnt a lot from past posts - very informative.

[Muz]

Hello Muz,

For Gayleen and me there is no contest between the two routes. The GRR is the go. We traversed it in the opposite direction in 2011 and along with Cape York it remains our favourite trip. In fact, after we complete the Outback Way in late June it is our intention to head north and cross the GRR again. Take your time, it is not a race, travel to the side destinations such as El Questro, Home Valley Station (excellent), Drysdale River Station, Mt Elizabeth Station, Charnley River Station and so on. It is wonderful country.

Take it easy and your rig will handle it easily. Preparation and daily checks are important. We lost a hub cap from the van and we had one drawer latch come loose and break. Those catches need to be fixed in place with some silicon.

Do it and you too will have it in your favourites folder.

Regards

Colin

Thank you both for your comments. The GRR has now made it onto our itinerary. The places you mentioned and your advice will be taken!

[Muz]

G'day Muz

We towed our Top Ender along the Gibb a few years ago and, like the others, found it reasonably easy going. We suffered no damage at all. Like Colin, we were in no hurry and drove quite slowly - especially on the section from the GRR to Drysdale River Station, which was very corrugated and took five hours to cover fifty-odd Km. We planned to take about seven days to do the trip but ended up taking 13 - it's just that kind of trip. We plan to do it again sometime, in the reverse direction and visiting some of the places that we did not have time to see the first time around.

We took the scenic flight from Drysdale River Station to the Mitchell Falls, which was well worth the money, and also did the flight to the Horizontal Falls, something that is still in the top three things that we have done during our years of travelling. I would add Old Mornington Conservation Reserve to the "must see" list for the GRR.

Have a great trip and yes, include the GRR - it is one of the few remaining wildness trails that has not succumed to bitumen (although it is planned!)

Cheers

Russ

Thanks Russ. We now have the confidence to do the GRR and we will take it slowly!

[RodnSue]

Hi Muz & Jen

I couldn’t agree more with the above comments re the GRR. I also recommend the Horizontal Falls flight.

If you can, place plastic trays under the bottled liquids – we had a full cordial bottle pierced from a box of bread mix sitting just under it…what a blimey mess we had when we got to Hahn R camp…thankfully there was plenty of water in the river to clean out under the bed where the entire contents of said cordial bottle spilled. I wasn’t meticulous enough apparently with placing things under the bed.

If you don’t want to pre book a van park in Broome, head off to the info centre in Broome between 10 & 11am. In 2011 they placed the names of the van parks & overflow parks onto a blackboard. I assume they still do this.

Make a ph call to your chosen park before you leave the info centre to secure your spot as they may go quickly.

We stayed at the Gun Club for $25 / night for all up 7 nights – 3 + 2 + 2 – the middle 2 nights we left the van locked up whilst we tented up at Whale Song on Cape Laveque. We didn’t require a powered spot & the amenities were clean. We weren’t crammed in like sardines, but there wasn’t any grass.

Have a fantastic trip. The water falls at Manning & Bell Gorges were fantastic late July due to a late cyclone that year.

Cheers

Sue

[John and Jo]

Hi Muz we also traveled the Gibb with our then xc Kedron 5 years ago and loved it .

Took 10 days and thinking later that really should have been 20 days with so much to see and explore.

We also took a flight to Mitchell falls from Drysdale.

Then from Derby flew to Horizontal fall's landed on the water there and stayed over on the pontoon . That was a beautiful experience we will never forget .

I endorse the earlier comments take your time enjoy mountains(remember the movie Australia?), the river crossings talk to other travellers for tips on how the road is, and have fun.

Re broome, some 300 klm's south you will find 80 mile beach thats where we will be around that time. A very good caravan park with power or un-powerd sites good beach for fishing with reasonable prices, last year it was $32 a night .

John

[Leon Brown]

I agree the GRR is the way to go. So as not to miss out on the Bungles the main attraction on the other option, may I suggest a flight over the Ord Dam , land at the bungles, then do a chopper ride over them. Back in the plane for the return trip over the Diamond mine. The scenery is fantastic.

[John and Jo]

One more tip if I may.

We always take longlife milk the one litre cartons and after learning the hard way now we always pack them in seperate plastic bags, which means if they do rub together, and leak the spill stays in the bag.

[Muz]

Hi Muz & Jen

I couldn’t agree more with the above comments re the GRR. I also recommend the Horizontal Falls flight.

If you can, place plastic trays under the bottled liquids – we had a full cordial bottle pierced from a box of bread mix sitting just under it…what a blimey mess we had when we got to Hahn R camp…thankfully there was plenty of water in the river to clean out under the bed where the entire contents of said cordial bottle spilled. I wasn’t meticulous enough apparently with placing things under the bed.

If you don’t want to pre book a van park in Broome, head off to the info centre in Broome between 10 & 11am. In 2011 they placed the names of the van parks & overflow parks onto a blackboard. I assume they still do this.

Make a ph call to your chosen park before you leave the info centre to secure your spot as they may go quickly.

We stayed at the Gun Club for $25 / night for all up 7 nights – 3 + 2 + 2 – the middle 2 nights we left the van locked up whilst we tented up at Whale Song on Cape Laveque. We didn’t require a powered spot & the amenities were clean. We weren’t crammed in like sardines, but there wasn’t any grass.

Have a fantastic trip. The water falls at Manning & Bell Gorges were fantastic late July due to a late cyclone that year.

Cheers

Sue

Thank you Sue! Great tips, which we will take on board, along with the other terrific ideas.

[Muz]

One more tip if I may.

We always take longlife milk the one litre cartons and after learning the hard way now we always pack them in seperate plastic bags, which means if they do rub together, and leak the spill stays in the bag.

Thank you - I (Jen) am such a novice it hadn't even occurred to me to take long life milk! Will do.

[Muz]

I agree the GRR is the way to go. So as not to miss out on the Bungles the main attraction on the other option, may I suggest a flight over the Ord Dam , land at the bungles, then do a chopper ride over them. Back in the plane for the return trip over the Diamond mine. The scenery is fantastic.

Thanks very much - the flights are now on the itinerary and we are looking forward to the whole trip. Everyone's responses have our trepidation was ay and its great to know we won't be alone out there!

[Grahame and Wendy Roberts]

Muz and Jen,

We have just completed six months in WA. We have a 100series Cruiser and 20ft ATV. We headed off from Kununurra intending to travelthe GRR east to west. A flight over the Purnululu N.P. (Bungle Bungles) fromKununurra is highly recommended. Kununurra is an excellent town to set up yourprovisions and has a good range of Caravan Parks.

We saw the dirt of the GRR ahead and stopped in a roadside bay to drop tyre pressures to cope. The 30 odd k run into Emma Gorge was noproblem. Emma Gorge is a great walk notto be missed. The road between Emma Gorge and El Questro was a nightmare. I hadwhite knuckles attempting to miss the worst of it, we had to shout to eachother to be heard and the rig was bouncing all over the place no matter whatspeed I travelled at between 40 and 80kph. We pulled into El Questro for threedays - dusty but a great stay.

After talking to others about road conditions I found quitea bit of damage to other rigs which had come in from the west - axle mountingslet go and stub axles bent etc. It was late in the season and the roadobviously had some pretty unattractive patches so we decided to backtrack andtake the bitumen option Halls Creek / Fitzroy Crossing. At El Questro we palledup with a Bushtracker camped behind us and the same debate was going on intheir camp - he wanted to go on down the GRR she wanted to go back. I met himlater in the Caravan Park in Derby and as I walked towards him his first wordswere "never again Grahame never again"

The bitumen road has quite a bit of interest. We left thevan at free camp 643 (Camps 6) to go into the Purnululu Nat Park (BungleBungles) - rough but well worth it. Old Halls Ck has lots of history, and theGeikie Gorge boat trip out of Fitzroy Crossing is impressive. Derby is a goodplace to do the flight over the Horizontal Falls from.

Coming in from Derby on the GRR we visited Windjana GeorgeNP and Tunnel Ck.

Broome is a major holiday destination for WA people who bookyear to year. Cable Beach CP was excellent but you must book in advance.

[Muz]

Muz and Jen,

We have just completed six months in WA. We have a 100series Cruiser and 20ft ATV. We headed off from Kununurra intending to travelthe GRR east to west. A flight over the Purnululu N.P. (Bungle Bungles) fromKununurra is highly recommended. Kununurra is an excellent town to set up yourprovisions and has a good range of Caravan Parks.

We saw the dirt of the GRR ahead and stopped in a roadside bay to drop tyre pressures to cope. The 30 odd k run into Emma Gorge was noproblem. Emma Gorge is a great walk notto be missed. The road between Emma Gorge and El Questro was a nightmare. I hadwhite knuckles attempting to miss the worst of it, we had to shout to eachother to be heard and the rig was bouncing all over the place no matter whatspeed I travelled at between 40 and 80kph. We pulled into El Questro for threedays - dusty but a great stay.

After talking to others about road conditions I found quitea bit of damage to other rigs which had come in from the west - axle mountingslet go and stub axles bent etc. It was late in the season and the roadobviously had some pretty unattractive patches so we decided to backtrack andtake the bitumen option Halls Creek / Fitzroy Crossing. At El Questro we palledup with a Bushtracker camped behind us and the same debate was going on intheir camp - he wanted to go on down the GRR she wanted to go back. I met himlater in the Caravan Park in Derby and as I walked towards him his first wordswere "never again Grahame never again"

The bitumen road has quite a bit of interest. We left thevan at free camp 643 (Camps 6) to go into the Purnululu Nat Park (BungleBungles) - rough but well worth it. Old Halls Ck has lots of history, and theGeikie Gorge boat trip out of Fitzroy Crossing is impressive. Derby is a goodplace to do the flight over the Horizontal Falls from.

Coming in from Derby on the GRR we visited Windjana GeorgeNP and Tunnel Ck.

Broome is a major holiday destination for WA people who bookyear to year. Cable Beach CP was excellent but you must book in advance.

Hi Graham and Wendy, we really appreciated hearing of your trip and recent conditions. We have decided to do what you did, plan GRR but check conditions and other's experiences when we arrive.