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Kununurra, Gibb River Road, Mitchell Plateau

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This part of our journey should have started at the Lake Argyle with a cruise along the Lake. Since numerous bushfires were started almost everywhere in the Kimberley's after the end of the Australian Peak Holliday Season in August, the visibility at times was below 2 km, therefore we decided to skip this part of the trip and to start down the Gibb River Road towards Broome.

We travelled first to Parry Lagoon (Marlgu Billabong) to do some Birdwatching. After refueling in Wyndham we set out to explore the eastern side of the beautiful Cockburn Range along the Karunjie Track. This was supposed to be an especially colourfull sight in the clear crisp morning sun. Sadly due to the fact that a tour operator along the King River Track forgot to extinguish his campfire properly (so we were told), the Cockburn Range was on fire and hidden in the haze. The Track leads through some very beautiful Landscapes and is well worth taking the detour.

At the Pentecost River crossing we rejoined the Gibb River Road and headed towards the Mitchell Plateau. We managed to reach the Gibb River Campground with a short stop at Jacks Waterhole. The campground is located directly at the riverbanks of the Gibb River. In the afternoon the first possible campsite we choose was very sandy and we managed to get our cruiser bogged! Attempts to whinch the car out revealed that the whinch wasn't functioning anymore. We had to let down the t yre pressure to get out of the sand. It worked like a charm. Only pumping them up again with the 12V compressor was taking almost an hour.

At Drysdale River Station we met a former workmate and his girlfriend, which I hadn't seen for several years. I had heared that he was travelling Asia for a year, but I never expected to run into him somewhere along our trip. The world is really a small place. Together we explored the absolutely gorgeous Mitchell Falls which we then crowned with a beautiful Scenic Flight over the area.

On the way towards Broome we wanted to venture off the beaten track and went out to Beverly Springs Homestead which advertised camping facilities and gorges. We set out to explore these gorges. These included Daytona, Dillie and Grevillea Gorge. Which were absolutely stunning and which we had to ourselves. Especially Grevillea Gorge is beautiful to be explored but requires some climbing and scrambling down the waterfalls to the beautiful swimming holes. The waterfalls are very picturesque but almost carry no water at this time of the year.

Since we travelled the Kimberleys now for the third time, we this time visited only sites that were new to us. Other destinations along the Kimberleys can as well be found in the 1999 journey on this homepage.

We then followed the Gibb River Road to Broome where supplies were taken on board bevor we set out for further explorations.


Parry Lagoon (Marlgu Billabong) Water Lilies at Parry Lagoon Prison Boab Tree near Wyndham The Karunjie Track Wyndham sign drawn on a plate of rock
Native Cotton: Fruit and Flower (Native Kapok) Native Cotton: open Fruit (Native Kapok) Native Cotton: revealing the cotton (Native Kapok) Cockburn Range in the Bushfire Haze Cow and Spinnifex Dove Tracks on the road
Dry ground along the track The Karunjie Track Artwork by nature Even cows build their own roads they will always use Some more of the Cockburn Range
Crossing the Pentecost River Refreshments at Jacks Waterhole Sunrise after a quiet Night at Gibb River Camp Sunrise after a quiet Night at Gibb River Camp Scenery at Gibb River Camp
The Kalumburu Road towards the Mitchell Plateau A frilled necked Lizard After a few years we met again in the Aussie Bush, my former Workmate Ueli and Girlfriend Nicole Mitchell Falls Splashing and refreshing in the Pools above Mitchell Falls
Scenery from the Heli Flight Scenery from the Heli Flight Surveyors Pool from the Air Scenery from the Heli Flight Scenery from the Heli Flight
Saltwater meets Freshwater. The Tide is rushing in Mitchell Falls from the Air Our Heli The Mitchell Plateau Road in the late Afternoon Sun New day at Camp 2 in Mitchell Nationalpark
Red section of the Kalumburu Road The Sand dust from the passing cars covers the surrounding Grass for meters Crossing Gibb River Beverly Springs: Beautiful and quiet, Dillie Gorge Beverly Springs: Rock formations mirrored in the Waters of Dillie Gorge
Beverly Springs: Grevillea Gorge, refreshing swim. Water Temperature around 15 degrees Beverly Springs: View through Grevillea Gorge Beverly Springs: Billabong at 35 km Campsite Beverly Springs: Grevillea Gorge Track Beverly Springs: Grevillea Gorge Track
Beverly Springs: Passing a Windmill King Leopold Range Gibb River Road Landscape around Napier Downs
Parry Lagoon (Marlgu Billabong)
Water Lilies at Parry Lagoon
Prison Boab Tree near Wyndham
The Karunjie Track
Wyndham sign drawn on a plate of rock
Native Cotton: Fruit and Flower (Native Kapok)
Native Cotton: open Fruit (Native Kapok)
Native Cotton: revealing the cotton (Native Kapok)
Cockburn Range in the Bushfire Haze
Cow and Spinnifex Dove Tracks on the road
Dry ground along the track
The Karunjie Track
Artwork by nature
Even cows build their own roads they will always use
Some more of the Cockburn Range
Crossing the Pentecost River
Refreshments at Jacks Waterhole
Sunrise after a quiet Night at Gibb River Camp
Sunrise after a quiet Night at Gibb River Camp
Scenery at Gibb River Camp
The Kalumburu Road towards the Mitchell Plateau
A frilled necked Lizard
After a few years we met again in the Aussie Bush, my former Workmate Ueli and Girlfriend Nicole
Mitchell Falls
Splashing and refreshing in the Pools above Mitchell Falls
Scenery from the Heli Flight
Scenery from the Heli Flight
Surveyors Pool from the Air
Scenery from the Heli Flight
Scenery from the Heli Flight
Saltwater meets Freshwater. The Tide is rushing in
Mitchell Falls from the Air
Our Heli
The Mitchell Plateau Road in the late Afternoon Sun
New day at Camp 2 in Mitchell Nationalpark
Red section of the Kalumburu Road
The Sand dust from the passing cars covers the surrounding Grass for meters
Crossing Gibb River
Beverly Springs: Beautiful and quiet, Dillie Gorge
Beverly Springs: Rock formations mirrored in the Waters of Dillie Gorge
Beverly Springs: Grevillea Gorge, refreshing swim. Water Temperature around 15 degrees
Beverly Springs: View through Grevillea Gorge
Beverly Springs: Billabong at 35 km Campsite
Beverly Springs: Grevillea Gorge Track
Beverly Springs: Grevillea Gorge Track
Beverly Springs: Passing a Windmill
King Leopold Range
Gibb River Road Landscape around Napier Downs
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Last Updated : 11th of September 2001


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