We left camp at 8.10am and after driving on the windy, dippy road, we were back on the highway at 10.30am. We made a stop on a creek to have a look around and have a break from the car. Lunch was at Doon Doon Roadhouse where Elokin and Hendrix ran through the sprinkler before it got turned off on them. I decided to have a drive as it had been a long time. I don’t like driving on dirt roads with the van in tow, so Nath has driven for the past month or so.
Road out of the Bungle Bungles
We decided to go for Emma Gorge and do the walk this afternoon. Problem being that we arrived at 4.15pm and there is no gorge access after 3. So we walked back to the car and left. There goes that idea. We will eventually walk Emma Gorge…. Next time.
Cockburn Range on the Gibb
Cool rocky outcrop at the end of the Gibb
We arrived back at Cockburn Rest Area on the intersection of the main highway between Wyndham and Kununurra and the Great Northern Highway.
Over the next 2 days we headed South East onto the Gibb River road to the Pentecost River. Upon leaving the King Edward camp the left side lower shock bracket on the van snapped and the shock had to be removed. I felt this was no big deal and the suspension would handle the road without a temporary fix in place.
Nath fixing his window
Broken shocky on the van
We stayed for 2 nights on the Gibb River because it was raining and why pack up when you don’t need to in the rain “surprises surprise it does rain in the Kimberley”. The free camp on the side of the Gibb River crossing is a picturesque spot to stop for a day or two and catch up on the school work.
Rain on Kalumburu Rd
Camp on the Gibb River
Camp on the Gibb River
Bower Bird nest near camp
Tortoise we caught in the cherabin trap
Elokin and Hendrix released the tortoise
The trip to the Pentecost River was uneventful, stopping for a few photo’s and lookouts along the way to take in all the Gibb Road has to offer. We even got phone reception on one of the lookouts over the Cockburn Range and were able to catch up with folks who were concerned about our survival.
Crossing the Pentecost River
Crossing the Pentecost River
From the Pentecost River we headed North on the Karunjie Track, this track offered a little more excitement with some rocky drop offs into gullies cut by the wet seasons run off and had ever changing scenery from the banks of the Pentecost River to the escarpments of the Cockburn Range. The Patrol chugged along in low range for the first half of the track climbing the van over the rocky terrain with only one plastic foot of the stabiliser leg being smashed off the van and we dragged our rock-stopper flaps along the ground for who knows how long after one of the U-bolt came undone and we lost the pin. The track took us 2 days stopping on a dam approximately 7km along the track with heaps of bird life and a local fresh water crocodile to keep us company for the evening. The 2nd half of the track was much easier apart from a few boggy creeks on the flood plains which we navigated around to avoid a two day delay waiting for someone to pull us out!
Karunjie Track
Dragging our rock-stopper flaps
Camp on the Karunjie Track
Lots of bird life on the dam
Going fishing on the Pentecost River
Karunjie Track
Cockburn Range
Crossing one of the muddy saltpans
Saltpan on the Karunjie Track
We survived the Karunjie Track
Once off the track we came into Diggers Rest Station and stopped to check out the boab prison tree, of course when you visit this place you must hop in and envision yourself as one of the prisoners back in the day… If I were locked in the tree I hope the fellow prisoners put deodorant on before being captured. Another overnighter on the side of the road in an unnamed creek we tick the box on school work before leaving and headed into Wyndham for Diesel (cheaper than Kununurra by 20 cents a litre) and a lunch stop on the Five Ways lookout. After buying some extra milk and a loaf of bread we headed out to Mambi Island boat ramp and setup for a week stay.
Prison Boab Tree
Hendrix and Elokin in the Prison Boab Tree
Camp on unnamed creek
House Roof Hill on Parry Lagoon Rd (the set of Australia)
