Thursday 10th Juneb
Left Gibb River this morning and had been on the road for about an hour when we came across a driver whose towing hitch had broken whilst crossing a creek. He was driving a Land Rover Discovery and the casting for the towing point on the Discovery had broken.
We jacked up the ‘A’ frame so that we could fit the jockey wheel and then fixed a tow rope between the Land Rover and trailer and gently towed the camper trailer out of the creek and onto the road.
The driver would have to leave it there and try Gibb River to see if they could help or maybe drive into Derby to see if they could get a new tow bar fitted. The most likely scenario would have been to get the trailer put on a tilt tray and taken to Derby.
After this diversion and our good deed for the day, we headed for Drysdale Station. We expected the track to be poor but it is really quite bad and it took us over two hours to get from the Gibb to the Station.
We decided that we would fly up to the Mitchell Falls – there’s corrugations and there’s corrugations and just getting to the Station it stopped being fun after the first 20ks.
When we arrived at Drysdale we were very lucky, checked in at the desk and there were five seats left for dinner. We had been told that we should book several days ahead for the flight up to the falls but we asked just at the right time and were able to book for tomorrow morning!
The trip involves a fixed wing flight up to the Michell Plateau, a 4×4 drive into the Falls camp ground and heliport, a 4.5 k walk to the falls, helicopter flight back to the campground, 4×4 drive back to the airfield and the flight back to Drysdale Station.
We cheated at dinner by, completely innocently, tagging on the end of a tour party and were halfway through our meal by the time we discovered the error.
With a 0630 take-off we had an early night but found ourselves awake early listening for the alarm clock!
Friday 11th June
We arrived at the airfield on time and watched our pilot do his pre-flight checks.
Out on the dispersal as the sun came up and the early morning take off into the rising sun took me back a few years. We then turned and flew north for about 35 minutes, the north Kimberley landscape stretching into the distance in all directions (Drysdale Station holds the lease on over 1,000,000 acres), before landing at Michell Falls International!
Waiting in the first class lounge while our pilot Alex made the aircraft secure and then we were driven the 15 ks into the Mitchell Falls Heliport, where we were weighed ready for our helicopter flight back from the falls.
Then we set out on the 4.5k walk to Mitchell Falls. To our surprise, Alex our pilot is also our tour guide and very good he is to. We stop at Little Merten’s falls to look at some aboriginal rock art and a photo opportunity.
Another short walk and a break for a swim in the pool below Little Merten’s Falls.
More walking through the bush and another stop for a breather and to refill our water bottles from the crystal clear water in the falls stream.
The next stop is the very impressive but difficult to photograph Big Merten’s Falls that drop 80metres into the gorge.
After approximately 2 hours walking we arrive at the Mitchell Falls. Initially it doesn’t look too impressive but we’re assured that after wading across the river and a swim we will see all the falls in all their glory.
The swimming pool is the pool before the falls and it is very refreshing.
Now we get to do a bit of rock hopping to view the four tiers of the Mitchell Falls, which are really very spectacular, even though the water going over the falls is already decreasing. We didn’t get to see the Rainbow Serpent today.
Lunch is taken in a shady spot with a view of the Falls, then it is time for the return journey…………….
……………. by helicopter!
No walking back for us, we’re doing it the easy way!
Again I have a video of the take off over the falls but need a better upload speed to upload it!
The take-off run took us out over the falls before climbing to 500′ AGL but they do a sort of spiral clime so that both sides of the chopper get a view of the falls.
We get a couple of circuits of aerial photo opportunity then a 3 min flight to the Mitchell Falls Heliport. A short but exciting trip in a chopper with no doors, makes photography so much easier!
The rest of the trip, 15ks of corrugations back to the airfield and a 40 minute trip (headwinds) back to Drysdale – another truly awesome day in the Kimberley.
We’re all seriously impressed by the trip today and an early night is the go.
Saturday 12th June
A fairly sluggish start today, still overwhelmed by yesterday’s experience I think. We need to top up our water tanks before leaving, Richard has a pressure valve which seems to be working far too well and it takes a rather long time for him to top up!
The fifty ks out of Drysdale are just as corrugated as they were going in and by the time we get back to the Gibb we are already over it! However, keep moving (albeit slowly) we must and by early afternoon we have found ourselves a nice gravel ‘quarry’ in an elevated position where we can stay tonight. We have the place to ourselves.
After a lazy afternoon its time to light the fire and a sundowner. Tonight we have a rather nice setting with a horned moon and evening star as the sun goes down.
Sunday 13th June
Reluctance to get back on the corrugations again results in a slow start this morning but the thought of a morning tea of scones, cream and jam at Ellenbrae Station gets us moving. We are a bit disappointed to find that the corrugations are even worse for the five ks to the Ellenbrae station but it is a very pleasant spot and the scones are delicious.
A few ks down the road from Ellenbrae we come upon another traveller with a problem. He appears to have had a puncture which he didn’t notice, the wheel rim has squared off and then dug in, broken a u-bolt and shifted his spring and axle assembly. Someone is already helping him and there is nothing we can do so we move on.
It pretty hard going on this section of the Gibb and by 1430 we have reached our best option for a night stop, another quarry in elevated position again. We have this to ourselves again.
A very good fire and sky this evening, the number of satellites spotted, well into double figures.
Monday 14th June
Our plan is to get to the Pentecost river crossing and stay there tonight but it turns out to be a bit disappointing. We were expecting a river crossing with a bit of excitement, in fact it was a rather innocuous crossing and when we get to other side there is nowhere suitable for a couple of BTs and so we carry on towards Kununurra.
The corrugations continue as we pass through the very impressive Cockburn Ranges.
Unfortunately the road takes most of my attention but eventually we get the best sight along the Gibb River Road…………..
We are just beginning to get used to the peace and quiet of the ‘no corrugations’ environment when Pat directs us to a potential camp spot she has found, which turns out to be a great spot by the river, called Fish Hole. Apparently there are some small barra in here but we don’t try our luck!
We have a fairly lazy afternoon apart from fixing an electrical problem on the Troopy and changing a wheel on the 200 series.
Once again we have this spot to ourselves, a nice fire at wine o’clock and the odd fresh water croc to watch by torchlight. once again we have a sky full of
So for all intents and purposes this is really the end of the Gibb River Road which was the main target for this trip and what an amazing experience it has been, all that absolutely beautiful scenery connected by nearly 900 ks of some of the worst (but not quite the worst) corrugations.
It has actually taken us less time than we thought but we haven’t missed much, just one gorge which apparently was missable anyway.
We hope that you have enjoyed the blog posts and the photographs.
Alloveroz 