It may be touted as one of the most remote stretches of road in the country but there are surprisingly many ways you can take in Australia’s Gibb River Road – and many people are doing it without sacrificing their rig or their comfort.
Gibb River Road ‘season’ unofficially wrapped up in September, making it the perfect time to reflect on our epic journey and for you to start planning yours for next year. We joined with some other families to caravan through the Kimberley in July and had an absolute blast doing it.
But the Gibb River Road is a little bit like choosing your own adventure. For us, it’s the allure of wide, open space, rugged beauty and camping remotely. But there are options for everyone.
A self-sufficient RV traveller such as us can pull up anywhere, from completely free camps to roadhouses and station stays. In fact, a trip consisting entirely of station stays will almost certainly add some luxury. Think outback baths with champagne at sunset (Ellenbrae Station) or fine dining beside a flowing river (El Questro Station).
Furthermore, you can even do it without taking your own rig through the corrugations! There’s a plethora of tour options as well as hire setups available out of Broome and Kununurra (check the fine print to be sure you’re permitted)… But I say, where’s the fun in that!
We travelled right in the middle of peak season. The road generally opens about May each year and, depending on when the rain arrives, closes sometime around October to December (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). You’ll also need to check the temperatures as the heat in September climbs fast and water begins to dry up in the gorges.
No trip can begin without thorough research and don’t take these words as gold: start your research on the Kununurra Visitor Centre website with the G.O.A.T guide. You also may want to visit an information centre in either Broome or Kununurra for up-to-date road conditions.
If having a plan locked in is your style, you can absolutely have everything booked from the start but it isn’t generally necessary. Despite travelling in a large group, the only places we had pre-booked on our stint was Broome, El Questro and Kununurra.
This was our 13-night itinerary, taking us from from Broome to Kununurra here:
BIRDWOOD DOWNS STATION (ONE NIGHT)
We opted to start at Birdwood Downs Station over the nearby town of Derby. You can top-up on fuel and any last groceries before you head in. But it’s also the first in a string of unique station stays that really made the Gibb River Road for us. Pick up some meat straight from the farm, have a last blissful hot shower and do the boab walk around the paddocks.
Best of all, Birdwood has a communal fire each afternoon. We found it super helpful to chat to other travellers, whether it be talking to those who had just finished their time about current conditions of the road, or meeting people heading in as the same time as us – you’ll likely continue to bump into each other along the way.
We were lucky enough to have a crew but if you were by yourself, this would be a great place to tee-up a buddy to travel with.
LENNARD RIVER (ONE NIGHT)
The perfect free camp to explore Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek. Lennard River Bridge is also the last of the bitumen so a great place to let the tyres down, ready for the dirt. However, the spot is a little awkward so if you can’t find a site or would prefer to be closer to the gorges, head into the Windjana National Park campground.
MARCH FLY GLEN (ONE NIGHT)
Hitting the dirt after Lennard River, we had the option to head off the Gibb River Road and up to Mount Hart Wilderness Lodge, but time restrictions meant that we gave it a miss, choosing instead to pull-up at another great free camp. We loved March Fly Glen for all the private little spots to set-up surrounded by trees and featuring built-in picnic tables and fire pits, but beware of shade if you’re solar-powered.
It’s also a great spot to leave the van and head into Bell Gorge. Alternatively, you can camp in the paid Silent Grove campground closer to the gorge; however, no pets are permitted as it’s in the national park. There’s a more secure roadhouse option here at Imintji too.
MOUNT BARNETT ROADHOUSE (TWO NIGHTS)
Onwards to Manning Gorge Campground (a few kilometres out the back of Barnett Roadhouse) and we were all looking forward to a two-nighter! This is a paid stop but includes shower and toilet facilities as well as direct access to the ‘beach’, a stunning, calm and clear stream with a sandy bottom.
With the hike into the gorge a decent one, we opted to have the full day to explore and were not disappointed by the view – Manning is right up there as one of the top waterfalls in the Kimberley.
GIBB RIVER ROAD REST AREA (TWO NIGHTS)
Mount Elizabeth Station is the next paid stop; however, we opted to push on to the highly rated Gibb River free camp instead. And rest we did – the water is about calf deep in most places and an absolute kid paradise. While the adults chilled out with camp chairs in the water, the kids had free rein climbing on rocks, swimming and playing in the sand.
It’s about 30kms off the main Gibb River Road track on Gibb River-Kalumburu Road. Drysdale Station, Mitchell Falls, Kalumburu and Honeymoon Bay are all further up this road; however, we headed back to the main road after a couple of nights spent recuperating here.
ELLENBRAE STATION (ONE NIGHT)
We almost did Ellenbrae as a day visit (there’s a free camp option around this area called the ‘Top of the World’ at the Durack River) but were glad we didn’t. This station is so green. It has a beautiful feel and a quirky camp kitchen and showers, not to mention the little bit of luxury in the outback bath experiences and the Gibb’s most famous scones. Ellenbrae also has tyre repairs available should this service be required.
HOME VALLEY STATION (TWO NIGHTS)
Another paid campground choice for us. Home Valley’s ‘River Camps’ are epically perched on the Pentecost River with a bank of pristine shower and toilet facilities, and picnic huts spread throughout. Not much further down the road is the Gibb’s main Pentecost River crossing, which does have a free-camp area; however, young children are a little closer to the saltwater crocodiles down there so we were happy with our choice of site.
The station provides powered sites, a pool, a restaurant and a giant playground, but you need to drive in from the Home Valley River Camps to utilise these facilities.
If you do camp at the Pentecost River free camp, be sure to head to the opposite side of the river to watch the sunset light up the red cliffs and that iconic Gibb River Road view.
EL QUESTRO STATION (THREE NIGHTS)
Over the Pentecost River and onto the bitumen again. This was our last stop and an absolute highlight for all. El Questro is more caravan park than station (and has been bought by Discovery Parks) but it’s the perfect oasis to end – or start – a Gibb adventure. Base yourself here to see the many surrounding gorges like Emma, El Questro and Amalia, as well as the warm Zebedee Springs, to name a few.
There’s also full-service fine dining restaurants at both El Questro Station and Emma Gorge, and a fully-licensed bar with live music six nights a week. This stay is a little on the expensive side but we think it’s worth it for all it offers. Even better, you can visit from the bitumen so you get a little bit of a Kimberley adventure without doing the full trek.
If all else fails or you’d just prefer to take the National Highway 1 around from Derby to Kununurra, there’s plenty of flight options out of Broome, Derby and Kununurra. Any which way you do it, be prepared, travel safe and enjoy this incredibly unique part of the Kimberley!
Words and images: Justin and Carissa Morgan, Laidback Adventures
