Kimberley / Kakadu 15th June 2024 – 20th July 2024
Attendees:
Penny and Spence – Landcruiser 76 + Ultimate
Ivo and Lucy – Landcruiser 76 + T Van
Peter and Malou – Landcruiser 76 + tent
Alex and Diana – Landcruiser 300 + camper trailer
Russel and Caz – Landcruiser 79 + Caravan
Travelling to the Kimberley
We met at New Norcia – definitely looking like we belonged to the Landcruiser club. First stop was Nallan Station; friendly hosts and lambs, a lovely stop even in the pouring rain.
Next stop Mt Robinson Rest area after a drive which mostly involved trying to get past huge ore trucks. The trucks were still noisy at night, but the beauty of the spot made up for it. As usual, the oldest, and probably fittest member of the party did his mountain goat trick and climbed the hill, followed much more slowly by the rest of us.
At this point we got off the tar and hit the red dirt roads of the Pilbara. After the mandatory stop at the iron Clad pub in Marble Bar – and yes it was hot!!!, we headed to the beautiful Doolena Gorge for a bush camp near the water.
Port Smith is an oasis on the coast with the only down-side being some voracious small biting bugs. These things are pin head tiny but manage to take a big chunk of you when they bite – and then itch for ages. A bit of googling determined that they are colloquially known as No-See-Ums.
Endless Gorges
Once we turned onto the Gibb (after a very brief resupply stop in Derby) we enjoyed a magnificent feast of stunning gorges, starting with Windjana Gorge. The colours of the landscape take your breath away (as does the cold of the waterholes of you feel like a swim).
Bell Gorge, Mount Elizabeth, Galvans Gorge and Adcock Gorge all provided great walks and swimming holes. The ridiculously commercial and busy El Questro is still worth a visit for the walks and gorges. The Bungles was as spectacular as we expected.
Mitchell Plateau
I could write a whole report on the Mitchell Falls. We all had an amazing plane ride over the plateau, and then the braver ones swum in the waterfall pools at the top and then walked back. The view from the plane shows you what unspoiled land really looks like. We are so lucky to live in this awesome country.
Water Crossings
One of the features of a Kimberley trip is the water crossings. We didn’t have anything too deep, but there is something iconic about crossing the Pentecost with the Cockburn Ranges in the background.
Vehicle Injuries
We got off pretty lightly from the perspective of vehicle damage. Alex got a flat tyre on the Mitchell track. Spence lost a rego plate at Mt Elizabeth. Most of us had the odd electrical issue and Ivo needed new shockies.
Personal Injuries
As always, the trip caused a little bit of damage to cars, but we were not expecting quite so much personal damage. There were some nasty insect bites, hitting of heads and other body parts on rocks, falls and a spectacular face plant by Spence which has left him with a Harry Potter scar. The solution to all of them was betadine and some Fixomull tape. It’s kind of like gaffer tape but for people. Alex (in his car) was charged by a bull on the Kalumbaru Rd, but it veered off at the last moment leaving him shaken but not stirred. You really don’t want pictures for this section!
Civilised Bits
Despite the remote nature of the trip some of it was really quite civilised. At Mt Hart Wilderness Camp they let the campers into the restaurant with the posh people and a few cocktails were consumed. Sunset cruise on Lake Argyle was gorgeous and there were also some very impressive culinary efforts created on the fire. Less impressive was the “Our own special sauce” at the Northampton pub on the way home – looks suspiciously like ketchup to me!
Kakadu and The Way Home
We met Caz and Russ in Edith Falls. They had been volunteering at the Big Red Bash and joined us for our time in Kakadu. Edith Falls is a great swimming spot. Kakadu showed us some incredible waterfalls, climbs and indigenous art. The climb up Twin Falls was extremely challenging but I am told the view at the top was amazing.
A boat trip on Yellow Water has some lovely scenes, and very large crocs.
The leaking water tower at camp was a great opportunity to cool down
Caz and Russ left us to continue exploring Kakadu, and Alex and Diana set off for a quick return home (via the delightful settlement at Doon Doon). The rest of us headed off down the Duncan Rd. This is a lovely track, although you need to watch out for cattle trucks and some cattle mustering. One of the best camp spots on the trip was the abandoned Ord Homestead. It is very special to sit outside the old stone buildings, watch the fire and gaze at the stars.
Story by Penny.
