A journey along the Gibb River Road offers plenty of chances to experience the beauty of the Kimberley and the hospitality of her people.
Story + Photos Mark Muller
Travelling the Gibb is one of the great experiences of outback
Australia, and irrespective of the direction you travel, Kununurra is worth spending a couple of days in, either to stock up before the trip, or to take stock afterwards. Time it right, and you might even catch a round or three of two-up.
The Gibb River Road was named in the early 1960s, building on earlier roads and tracks, and the beef roads scheme of the late ’40s and early ’50s. Originally it existed to support the pastoral sector – which it does to this day – but nowadays it is also driven by curious travellers from the time it opens to traffic in late April to its wet season closure, generally in October. For drivers, the road provides unrivalled access to some amazing geology in the form of the rivers, gorges, ranges and savannah land that make up this vast landscape. Accommodation is offered by several operations along the road, and campgrounds both in national parks and on private land cater for all ends of the economic spectrum. You can cover the Gibb in as little as three days, but your best bet is to spend at least a week, even better two.
This story excerpt is from Issue #117
Outback Magazine: February/March 2018
