Part 1 took us from Kununurra to Mount Barnett
In this post (Part 2) we finish the west end of the Gibb River Road then head north to Cape Leveque
Mornington Wilderness Camp
Next stop was a camp run by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Fifty kilometres past Mount Barnett we turned east off the Gibb and drove in for 100 km. Here we found a pleasant camp with good facilities along with a restaurant/bar area where every second night would feature a slide show presentation on the local wildlife. Travellers do need to be aware that there is no fuel at Mornington and fires and generators are not permitted.
Some impressions of this area include the fact that it got a bit cold at night, the bird-life was impressive and the tracks were often rocky and slow. For example, Dimond Gorge was our first visit. It was only 24 km from camp, but took one hour to reach. We spent a pleasant morning hiking along the cliffs lining the Fitzroy River, not to mention a quiet snooze in the shade high up on one shady nook with a spectacular view.
At Mornington we rose before the sun every morning and climbed a nearby ridge to view the sunrise. Spectacular colour changes and wonderful scenery characterised these morning jaunts and impressed upon us the special character of the Kimberley.
Bells, Windjana and Tunnel Creek
After a few lovely days at Mornington, we headed off on the final leg of our Gibb River Road adventure. Two hours back to the Gibb and then another two hours west to Silent Grove, the Bells Falls camping ground. Along the way we stopped to pick a few boab tree nuts.
There were some lovely private sites along Bell Creek, but they were all taken. We dropped the camper at the Silent Grove camping area and drove the 10 km down to the Bell Falls parking area. A short and pleasant walk soon had us viewing the awesome Bells Falls. A quick walk across and below the falls got us to the lower pool where deep, pleasant swimming was to be had.
Next morning we packed up and drove on to Windjana Gorge. Here we dropped the camper under some shady trees in the pleasant camping ground and drove on down to Tunnel creek. Here a creek has carved out a 750 metre underground cave. We donned our head-torches and waded through the knee-deep water.
The next morning saw us make an early start to do the whole Windjana Gorge – about 3.5 km each way. As we entered the gorge I felt a lump in my throat when I realized it was the last big walk all five of us would share. We had come to the end of the Gibb and our good buddy Rob would be flying home when we reached Broome in 2 days time. It’s sad to think that all good times come to an end so quickly.
Entering the gorge we were struck by the silence, which seemed to echo through the still morning air. The water was mirror-like and magnificent reflections of the cliff walls were presented in the pools all around us.
We tramped all the way up the gorge, enjoying the scenery. On our return, we discovered many freshwater crocodiles basking in the sun on the bank.
Next day we drove out back to Derby to refuel. Due to our Mornington deviation, we had covered a total of 792 km since refuelling at Mount Barnett. This was beyond the range of a petrol Landcruiser towing a camper, but a jerry can or two of unleaded topped me up enough to make it back.
So ended our 12-day adventure on the Gibb River Road. The magnificent geology of the area would stick in our mind for a long time to come. The rich Kimberley colours had painted an unforgettable picture in our minds.
Cape Leveque
A day in Broome enabled us to stock up on supplies including block ice. We had been fortunate enough to secure a beach-shelter at Kooljaman, Cape Leveque. These sand floored, palm thatched constructions were right on the lovely beach. They had a barbeque/fireplace, a freshwater shower and picnic table. The downside was unlike the camping ground further up the road, there was no power and generators were not allowed. The nearby shop/restaurant sold ice and a few basic necessities.
Cape Leveque is at the end of a 200 km dusty dirt road that usually takes 3 hours to traverse. Caravans are definitely out, but my trusty Outback Camper arrived unscathed. I made the mistake of slowing down for the bumpy corrugations, whilst many others didn’t. We did see a lot of trailer debris on the road, including mudguards and number plate bars etc. Due to my extra caution, we finally arrived after a hot and bumpy four-hour trip.
The scene was magnificent! A glassy, mirror-like ocean and the impending threat of a spectacular sunset. One glance at our absolute beachfront accommodation and the boys were rapt!
We were sentenced to sitting here for the next 5 days
watching spectacular sunrises and wandering the 20 or so paces down to the water for a refreshing dip every now and then. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!
Over the next three days we had hired a 4.3 m dinghy with 30 hp outboard. We planned to do a bit of trolling after mackerel and tuna. Last time I was here, I hired a dinghy for half a day’s trolling and had a lot of action. Unfortunately, things proved a little quieter this time.
At the end of the first day’s fishing we had lost a few lures to sharks and what may have been huge tuna and landed one nice Spanish mackerel, which fed half our neighbours and featured in Steve’s delicious Thai Green curry. Gill and Steve landed a few decent bottom fish later that afternoon.
Each morning we would sit watching the colourful, ever-changing sunrises over the bay towards One Arm Point. By about the fourth morning I was getting sick of Kevin calling from his swag “Hey Rod! Get a photo of this sunrise!” This idealic location was certainly a beautiful place to wind down after a hectic fortnight on the Gibb.
We met several characters on our great trip. Perhaps the two most notable ones were Greg “Hairy Dog” Harman and Eric Hunter. Eric was the aboriginal owner of the Leveque Dinghy Hire business as well as a respected community leader. He would drop in to our camp every day and share a coffee or a beer with us and enthral us with his vast knowledge of the history and significance of the area to his people. Eric was a bit of a wag. He always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.
One afternoon we drove the 7 km along a track in the dunes to Hunter Creek. Hunter Creek was a surprisingly wide expanse of water that was a brilliant blue colour. We cast a few soft plastic lures and could only land a small estuary cod.
The days quickly passed in a blur of colourful sunrises, swims and snorkllings, still balmy sunsets and pleasant campfires.
Soon the inevitable happened. It was time to head back to colder climes.
A better 3-hour drive got us back to the main road near Broome. A sad goodbye to Steve who was travelling solo to Derby then the remaining 3 of us headed for Perth arriving one and a half days later.
Reflecting on this wonderful adventure:
Silence, solitude, time to forget the rat race and recharge the batteries.
Campfires, big walks, belly laughs.
Red dirt, orange sun, imposing gorges.
Our Kimberley Dreaming was over.
Author’s Note:
•The Grumpy Old Men On Tour stories are from a set of trips beginning in 2005.
•Kooljaman at Cape Leveque closed in November 2021
