Kimberley tracks

Hi Rick and Julie

Fantastic.

Questions i can answer:

We did not take the BT across the Ivanhoe crossing. We did not even take the F250 across. Ask NiknOff about taking Effie his across. Eight kms before you reach the crossing from the crossing take the Valentine Springs Road (no sign on it) back to the highway and into Kununurra.

I have not been around the Old Karunjie - but I understand you would not get around it with a BT.

We are getting close to leaving, and will head east from Marble Bar to Gary Junction and on to the NT. I am looking into the permits, and only last night noticed on the DIA ( www.dia.wa.gov.au) website that the Gary Junction Road is flagged as needing several weeks to process - not instant on line like the basic permits. Rather hard when we don't know our time frame. The NT side one should be a quicker on line process ( www.clc.org.au).

When you are at Marble Bar, drive out to the Old Comet Mine. We found the short tour of the old mine and processing area very interesting.

Motherhen

"it seems the Ivanhoe/Parry road from Kununurra to Wyndham is suitable for our BT? Is this the case? "

Remembering that conditions can change :-) When we were there the actual road was fine for the rig, we considered camping at Mambi the boat launching site, but we lazed out, the site is suitable but getting a level site could be difficult depending on who else is there.

Crossing Ivanhoe, we encounted a time that water levels had changed in the previous few hours and our return journey was an interesting / bum cheek tightening experience as the Effy with no weight in the ute wanted to go sideways over the spillway due to higher water flow. Look at the concrete pylons. if the water is anywhere near the top 3/4's consider giving it a miss.

Another safer entry to the road can be driven further along the black top after leaving Kun.

Hi Rick,

I've driven accross Ivanhoe crossing but not yet with my BT. I appreciate Ian's comments and in fact have Mambi down as one of my must do destinations so I have been dreaming of doing the same. There is a 40lb barra there that has my hook and I want it back!

The crossing certainly looks spooky but we had no trouble - mind you we did watch a couple of vehicle cross before us.

The alternative route looks like a good option though and I may well have been on this as well (the fishing guide took an alternate route - but no chance of me remembering that).

Have a great trip.

Kind regards

Theo

Hi Rick and Julie,

We are on a Jump Up near Home Valley Station...only Next G reception we can find on the GRR.

Firstly news to hand. It rained for four hours the day before yesterday. Really came down hard, and apparently some of the creeks are up.

Karanjeni Road we went on the other week. Car only. No way we would take the BT from Diggers Rest to Gibb River Road. There are some rather rough bits in ELQ section and some very narrow bits. Took 1.5 hours in the car to drive from Diggers Rest to GRR.. You are also supposed to have an ELQ pass for that section as you are on their land. The road from Victoria Highway to Diggers rest was like a super highway...well Kimberley style anyway.

Extra tip: El Questro. Excellent camp site in what is termed as "Private" camp sites. Same price as the rest of the camp sites. We were in No. 8 Parrot. Spent 7 days in ELQ fantastic walks and beautiful scenery.

Re Purnululu: There is a freebie at the springs just near the beginning of the road. Apparently caravans are left there for the day and folk go into Purnululu for the day. We think we would prefer to leave the BT at Waraman.

Re: Parrys Creek road if you are not game for the Ivanhoe Crossing there is another road - via the springs. Entrance to this section is via Victoria Highway.

Parrys is wonderful would recommend it to one and all.

Cheers from the GRR

Allan and Sharon

Hi Rick and Julie,

The road we went on is the one basically opposite Mateo Rock. (By the way go there and Tier Gorge...vanless...wonderful waterhole).

Shall find out about the place you suggested, when we get closer to Purnululu..

Leaving the jump up now so no more 'civilistion' for a bit.

Cheers

Allan and Sharon

Rick, don't try and take the BT via the Gemmas Waterhole road to GRR. This road is badly chopped up from the wet and we had our F Truck out there about a month ago and it was an "interesting" journey with both side mirrors folded in flat to avoid them being ripped off from the close trees etc. The track is very narrow and sandy with huge rocks dispersed all through it. GRR is also badly corrugated now up at the Kununurra end after the 10 mls of rain the other Saturday night. It's amazing how fast this road deteriorates, but that is expected as the traffic is now fairly heavy on it.
Cheers, Jan O

G'day again Rick & Julie,

Sounds as if your trip is reverse to ours last year. (see trip notes in File Swap).
If you read ours in reverse you'll find some great free camp sites, even on the Diamantina Development Road. Unless you are reading week old reports of road conditions, the gravel and dirt roads can be anything from smooth as a baby's bum to washboard corrugations, to the dreaded 6 inch corrugations and bull dust holes!!

Roads deteriorate in proportion to the volume and speed of traffic. The BIG corrugations come with high volume/high speed traffic and this usually comes when there is an influx of Europeans in rented 4WD's, or when the road is between a licquor outlet and a community. ( I hope readers or moderatores don't see this as racist, but it IS a fact).

30 psi Tyre pressure is suggested, make sure your fridge door won't open. put an occy strap over your stove lid, and above all.....take plenty of time.

As far as flights are concerned, the overnight yacht-stay flight to Horizontal Waterfalls was the absolute highlight, followed by the one-way mud crab chopper flight out of Mitchell Falls. No flight over the Bungle Bungles could match our encounter with Lee, the Belgian didgeridoo player in Echidna Chasm.... a most memorable highlight!!

Try to make it out to Currawine Gorge from Marble Bar.... you'll need directions to the best spot....send email for details.

Safe travels....and enjoy...........Rob and Liz

Rick, i just saw this thread on ExplorOz. Worth enquiring with DEC yourself.
Site Link

Mh

Hi Mh and others:
I'm not at all offended if the authorities ban vehicles (including caravans) from certain roads if there is an over-riding safety issue. I guess I'm annoyed when it is more a convenience issue. We don't ban wide road-trains from roads with narrow strips of bitumen. We don't ban buses from steep descents (but will give an instruction to "use low gear"). We don't ban caravans from good bitumen roads even if it is hilly and they will hold up traffic behind them because they are slow. We don't ban tractors or other slow vehicles from public roads (except motorways, and in this case, there are alternative routes for the slow vehicles). Why? Because they pay their taxes like everyone else. If everyone travels at a safe speed for the road conditions (including bends), all will be well. In the case of Purnululu, tour buses, trucks and motorhomes are allowed in!
I've travelled (with the BT) on roads in Victoria and elsewhere that are narrow and used by logging trucks. There are often posts every km or so and by listening on the UHF, you can follow where the trucks are, and even call through your own position.
Even if the road into the Bungles is narrow and tight in places (and I accept that it is), I think there are simple precautions that the authorities could take to keep everyone safe. Yes, it may cause the tour operators to run late; it may force the kamikazes in hired 4WDs to slow down, it may mean more revenue for WA from speeding tickets, but banning a class of vehicle on a road because it will inconvenience others is not a reason at all.
If we take it to its logical endpoint, we might as well ban caravans from all roads, as they certainly are generally slower, wider, driven by oldies, etc.
I've been in a swag most of my camping/travelling life, so I'm not concerned about that side of it; more that I'm tired of unreasonble discrimination against caravanners.
However, I'm certainly not going to let this minor issue (in life's grand vista...) affect what I have no doubt will be a great trip!
If you want to view my letter to the Senior Ranger that may have (at least in part) prompted this review and relaxation, you can download it from:

Site Link

Rick