The Gibb River Road

The Gibb River road runs between Kununurra and Derby.If traveling The Gibb River road in that direction, East to west you will go from the East Kimberley to the West Kimberley and it's spectacular all the way.

The Gibb River road crosses about 705kms of the magnificent Kimberley region and it is an extra 220kms past Derby beforeyou arrive at Broome.

 In the "Wet" season the road is impassable due to washouts, flooded river crossings and vast expanses of deep water.It is also illegal to travel on the Gibb River road when it is closed.Offenders can be fined a considerable amount when convicted so,better to stay off the road whilst the "Wet" is raging.

The Gibb River road can quite easily be driven during the "DRY" season but it is often still very rough just after "Wet". How good the road and how rough it is depends on when it was last graded.

The Gibb River road is considered to be 4WD only by some, although 2WD's can often successfully drive it's length if conditions are good during the "DRY" season.

How comfortable and what you can take down it varies with the road conditionat the time you intend to travel on it.The best way to find out what sort of condition the road is in is to go to Gibb River Road Conditions Where you should find out the latest road conditions.

Driving the Gibb River road is an adventure for all who wish to take up the challenge of driving it.

It is well worth the effort and the challenge as there are many interesting places and scintillating things to see along it's length.

Questions often asked.

Can camper trailers be used on the road?
Yes, but again they should be off road versions.

What about camper vans?
Yes, if conditions are right.

Gibb River Road Highlights.

Concerning the Napier range it is a strange thing that it once was marine reef and now it is a range.

The King Leopold formation on the other hand is due to massive geological pressure way back when.

The Cockburn range is made up of red castellated rock and is probably most recognizable as a feature in the movie "Australia"

The stations where you can stay are, Mt Elizabeth, Birdwood Downs or Drysdale Station a bit up the Kalumburu road. You can even get some excellent accommodation at Mt Hart Wilderness Lodge, El Questro Resort or Emma Gorge which are all great places to stay but near to Kununurra.

All of these magnificent spots give you a very real sense of what The Kimberley is all about.

If you can afford the time you should visit and stay at them all as each is an adventure in its self.

All of the stations mentioned above are near, relatively speaking, to the Derby end of the Gibb River Road.

Home Valley Station and all are set up for tourism and offer various levels of accommodation to suit most budgets.

Have a think about experiencing the gorges along the road which are easily accessible from the Gibb River road. They are unusually spectacular and indeed very beautiful and they, in themselves, are a great reason and a highlight for taking a trip along this magical track.

Some of the gorges which are all near the Derby end of the road-

Bell Gorge.
The beautiful Bell Gorge along with its dazzling waterfall , it's trekking through the bush and the bird watching will stun and amaze you.

The gorge is situated within the Kimberley’s rugged King Leopold Range Park.
During the wet season amazing amounts of water tumble down the waterfall which makes it the perfect place for a energizing swim after doing a bit of walking in the heat.

The folded rock type structures must have taken several million years to make. Camping is available not far from the gorge. This is raw, untouched, pristine wilderness at its very best.It is a one kilometre easy ramble from the camping ground and car park to the gorge.

Bell Gorge is close to an hour’s drive from the Gibb River Road and it's a four wheel drive track all the way.

Please do make sure you bring your camera because Bell Gorge is one of the most pleasing and lovely gorges in the Kimberley.

Adcock Gorge.
Adcock Creek flows along this outstanding gorge which is named after a storekeeper in the olden days who lived in Derby.

It's an appealing Gorge with high granite cliffs and has a deep waterway which is lined with lilies. You stroll a short distance, then you arrive at a dead-end in the river where the water fall is spectacular as it cascades down a pretty steep cliff that envelopes a deep, quite wide and open waterhole. There is some aboriginal rock art on the southern cliff face.

The walk to main swimming hole from car park is on a fairly easy trail that takes about 15 minutes. There is one spot which is a touch difficult and that is a slight walk up hill for approximately 5 metres in one area. The trail ends at the swimming hole and is complete with waterfall.

How to get there: The turn-off is located at Mt House station, after the Mornington Wilderness Sanctuary turn-off, which is situated on the right hand side of the Gibb River Road when you are heading north, before the Phillips Range.

The turn-off is about. 267kms from Derby and about 438 km from Kununurra. The access Road to the gorge car park takes a 20 minute drive from the Gibb River Road turn-off. Camping is not permitted. No amenities are available, but pets are OK .

Feel like getting off the beaten track?

And away from most of the tourists

Lennard Gorge.
Then you must explore the very beautiful Lennard Gorge. If you can get there just after the wet season, you will be struck dumb by the extravagant cascading waterfall, as it tumbles over the red rocks and falls majestically into the very skinny gorge below.

You will also be pleasantly surprised by the surprisingly high cliffs, you can go on a lovely walk along the ridge on your way to the end of the gorge.

 Consider doing a loop walk and return along the other side of the gorge, Feeling fit? then swim back for a truly superb experience.

Lennard Gorge is one of the least visited of the Kimberley gorges. It is harder and tougher to get there than the other gorges in this area, but it is very much worth your while making the effort.

The eight kilometre access road is four wheel drive only, strictly so, and it can take up to half an hour to traverse or even longer if the roads are wet and boggy. 

The walk in from the car park can be rather hard to do, so do allow enough of time to complete it.

The gorge is a three hour drive from Derby along the Gibb River Road. 

It can be a bit perilous and much care should be taken when driving in or when climbing and exploring the gorge.

Galvans Gorge.

Manning Gorge.
Manning Gorge features white beautiful sand beaches with Pandanus palms along the waterway which then opens into a wide waterhole, and is only a small walk from the nearby campsite.

But, to get to the gorge you first have to swim across the riverwhich is not much of a swim, and then you will need to follow a track going to the top of gorge. 

The gorge has a beautiful waterfall and a wide, quite deep swimming hole and is encircled by granite cliffsand rocky outcrops.

The  walk to main beach and swimming hole from car park is on a very simple, easy walk (A 2 minute walk is all).
Oh! the aching leg muscles.

Although the trek up trail to the top of the gorge and waterfall is a fair old trot that takes approximately 3.5 hours return.

 To arrive at Manning Gorge you will have to turn off at Mt Barnett Roadhouse, on the left side of the road when traveling north and it is 300kms from Derby. The turn off is 405kms from Kununurra.

You must pay your entry or camp fees to the roadhouse employees and then go through the gate about 10 metres to the north of the roadhouse.

You will then enter the gorge access Road, The drive in which takes about 15 to 20 minutes to from the roadhouse to the carpark and camping ground. There are no powered sites to be had and camping fees do apply. An amenity block is on hand and pets are OK to have there.

Safety Tips for Driving the Gibb River Road

Bush tracks and road are often only 1 lane wide so alerting others of your proximity is very important.Be a real "bummer" to collide with someone else on a 1 lane wide track. "Ouch" might even spoil your day.

Tell us about your great trip or disaster on the Gibb River Road

Do you have a great story about this? Share it with us please.
Tell us of the pitfalls, the highlights, and driving tips, what you learnt to do or what you had to avoid.