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The Kimberley Travel Guide

Getting Around the Kimberley by Car

To visit the vast majority of the Kimberley Region, you will need a 4WD Vehicle. Although there are some places you will get to with a 2WD.

A 4WD is required if you plan to travel along the Gibb River Road, the main issue is not the road surface, which is generally in OK condition (although like all dirt roads it can vary) but the numerous water crossings which can be too deep for a 2WD vehicle. Also the road into Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) is strictly for 4WD's only, it is very rough and also has a few water crossings.

If you are prepared to travel on a bit dirt in your 2WD vehicle, you can access Geike Gorge from Fitzroy Crossing, Emma Gorge from the Eastern end of the Gibb River Road and Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek from the Western End of the Gibb River Road. All these destinations do not require you to make any major water crossings.

Safety

Like all outback travel in remote areas, you need to be prepared for unexpected occurrences like vehicle break down and closed roads due to rain etc. Which means you need to be prepared to get stuck somewhere for some time. If you have not travelled into the outback before or are unsure of the precautions to take, consider the following advice.

Before you leave..

  • Carry an emergency supply of food, such as canned meals, which you only touch if you run out of supplies.
  • Carry an emergency supply of water which you only touch if you run out of supplies.
  • Carry a good book.
  • Tell a friend where you are heading and what date you intend to arrive at your destination, instruct this friend to alert authorities if you do not advise this friend that you have arrived at you destination.
  • Carry a Satellite Phone.

If you have an accident, breakdown or get bogged.

  • Stay with your vehicle, your vehicle provides shelter and can also be seen a lot easier if someone is looking for you.
  • Light a fire to draw attention to your position, if necessary burn vehicle seats and carpet, your spare type or engine oil.

Unless you have taken off up some track which carries little or no traffic, chances are that someone will drive along the same road you are on within a day or 2 at least, so don't panic, get your book out and wait for someone to come past.

If you have taken off up some road that no one ever travells on, your situation can be a little more severe, again stay with your vehicle for as long as you can, hopefully you have told someone where you were heading and they have advised authorities that you are lost. A rescue will normally involve an air search and a vehicle is a lot easier to spot from the sky.

Aboriginals have been using smoke for thousands of years to communicate in the Outback, you can take advantage of this as well, light a fire and keep it going, add plenty of green material to it to make it a smoky fire.

If you have run out of you supplies or they are very low, and the only option you have is to walk, and this has to be a last resort scenario, walk during the cooler night and rest during the warmer days. Light a fire whenever you stop and leave a note with your vehicle as to where you have headed, which direction, the date you left, the time you left, and your intentions etc.

If resting during the day and the they only shelter is not close to a vehicle track, construct something to get the attention of other road users to your location.

Walk along the track you have travelled on, you will be able to follow your own wheel tracks and any other vehicles which drive on the track will see you.

Again, staying with your vehicle is by far the safest option, in 1998 a tragic death occurred in South Australia when an Austrian woman decided to leave her vehicle in search of help, see: Gabriele Grossmueller Finding for more details.

Satellite Phones

The best item to have on board these days is a Satellite Phone, there are a couple of Sat Phone rental companies who make it very easy the rent a Satellite Phone at quite reasonable rates. They'll normally send the phone to the departure point of your trip and provide a courier bag so when you finish you simply send the phone back. Of coarse call rates are very expensive however if you only carry the phone for emergencies, then this won't be an issue.

Some Satellite phone rental companies in Australia are:

Kimberley Road Conditions

You can get information on the condition of Outback Roads throughout the Kimberley from the Western Australian Government Website: Main Roads WA.

Enjoy the Kimberley.