Hitting the Dirt Roads of the Kimberley

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Having now travelled most of the world, I thought it was time to visit one of the iconic regions in my own backyard that has so far eluded me, the Kimberley region of northern West Australia. While independent travel is normally our strong preference, Joan and I opted to join a tour group due a) the requirement for a 4WD vehicle and b) the hassle of trying to line up scarce accommodation at different stops each night. So we joined up with a 9 day APT tour, called 'El Questro, Gorges & Purnululu'. As it turned out, it was a good call - the tour comprised 18 pax, all of similar age to ourselves, with no whingers, no loudmouths (except me!) and a good compatability between all. Further, the bus was comfortable, the accommodation and food better than anticipated, and we had a great driver/guide called Katie, for whom nothing was too much trouble. Happy to give APT this free plug!

The Kimberley suffers from climatic extremes - heavy rains in the wet, followed by searing heat in the dry. We picked a good time to travel in August, as we had completely blue skies every day and zero rain, with temperatures in the low 30s (although it got a bit chilly some nights), so none of the frequent watercourses were impassable. Ironically, Sydney had its wettest August start for over 20 years, so our timing was great. The majority of the trip is traversing the Gibb River Road between Broome and Kununurra, virtually none of which is sealed. While the surface of the main road wasn't too bad, the quality deteriorated considerably each time we ventured off the Gibb road to the various gorges and other attractions, what with sharp bends, potholes and corrugations, making us glad we weren't travelling in our own vehicles. The off-road scenery was remarkably consistent, comprising varieties of spinifex grass, many trees but mainly with stunted growth due poor soil and lack of water for months, and myriads of termite mounds of all shapes and sizes, complete with a backdrop for most of the trip of various red-coloured, craggy mountain ranges. One of the absolutes delights for us was the frequent sightings of all sizes and shapes of boab tress - a curious looking tree with branches rising like witches' fingers from a wide trunk that is often bottle-shaped. They shed their leaves during the dry season, adding to their appeal.

The tour started for us with its own bit of drama. One of the couples on tour had just completed a 10 day cruise offshore between Darwin to Broome and had picked up Swine Flu and had to leave the bus after day 1. For the next 2 days, we were all 'persona non grata', being asked not to enter any roadhouses along the way nor mix with other guests at the various lodges, until we were given the 'all clear'. Once this was over, we were fortunate not to have any other sickness, vehicle breakdowns etc during the trip. A summary of key places visited is as follows:

. Boab Prison Tree, a 1,500 year old hollow boab tree around 15m wide, which was used as overnight 'cells' for Aboriginal prisoners in the late 1800s

. Windjana Gorge, where the walls soar 90 metres above the Lennard River, which becomes just a trickle in the dry season

. Tunnel Creek, a 750 metre long tunnel cut by the rock through a spur of the Napier Range, requiring a good light and waterproof shoes to traverse the narrow walkway

. Bell Gorge, where rugged cliffs surround a series of tiered waterholes, joined by waterfalls - needed to hike to get to the lower reaches of the falls

. Galvans Gorge, a small horseshoe-shaped gorge with a waterfall cascading about 20m into a circular pool

. Home Valley Station, a working cattle station with a very active Indigenous Training Program training the locals in various outback skills

. Emma Gorge, a difficult 1 hour 'scramble' through rocky dry river beds, which opened to a magnificent gorge with swimming pool fed by high droplet waterfall

. Ord River cruise, from Lake Argyle downriver to Kununurra, complete with variety of birdlife and numerous freshwater crocodiles

. Piccaninny Creek & Cathedral Gorge, where another walk through rocky dry river beds led to a magnificent pool surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of the surrounding cliffs

. Helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungle range, with its spectacular beehive shaped rock towers, striped like tigers with alternate bands of orange (silica) and black (lichen)

. Geikie Gorge, which was viewed via another cruise, which cuts through a fossilised limestone reef, giving rise to spectacularly shaped rock walls up to 30m high, bleached white at the lower levels by flood waters, as well as a wide variety of birdlife and more crocodiles.

The tour began and finished in Broome, travelling back much more quickly along the sealed Great Northern Highway via Hall's Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. Broome and Kununurra were the only two major towns visited, and I'd describe them as pleasant but not spectacular in themselves. Most of the accommodation along the way was in what they call 'wilderness lodges', most often being in remarkably comfortable & roomy permanent tents, with their own bathroom facilities. Meals, generally of a high standard, were provided at each location, mainly by young people on visits to Australia, seeking some income and a different living experience for a few months. All in all, a successful tour and one that I would recommend to others.

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