Tag along to see the very best of the Kimberley … in someone else’s vehicle

“This is the Fitzroy River we’re crossing and, whoa, look left, there’s a crocodile up on the bank,” says our guide Jacob on the two-way radio.

“And another on a sandbar in the middle of the river on the right.”

We'd love to stop for a closer look, but a one-way bridge isn't the best place for an eight-vehicle convoy to pull over for a wildlife encounter. We’re an eclectic group of 15 wannabe 4WD adventurers, driving Land Cruisers with Tommy Campers attached, on a Kimberley adventure. It’s a 2800km Outback journey from Broome to Purnululu and then along WA’s notorious Gibb River Road. 

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Despite our different ages, backgrounds and capabilities, we have one common desire … to go off grid into the heart of the Kimberley. 

And one common problem … we don’t have the right equipment or experience to make it happen on our own. 

A few of us have off-road cars and vans but after hearing stories about the damage a Gibb River Road trek can inflict, they remain in the garage. Replacing tyres, shock absorbers, snapped bolts, bent chassis and smashed windscreens are regular mishaps. But seeing caravans that have fallen apart on the inside after driving these roads, makes you weigh up the risks. 

The Tour Operator 

So we’ve joined Kimberley Adventures: our guides Jacob Fisher and Luke “Pav” Pavich plan the trek, organise the vehicles and lead the way.

Our first day is mostly about getting some kilometres (550km) under our belt.

We’re also getting a taste of what being in a tagalong convoy is all about ... communication, company and guidance.

The radio is our lifeline. As we move east along the sealed Great Northern Highway, Jacob explains where we’re going, what we’re looking at and he reminds us that the Kimberley isn't just spectacular scenery. Beneath the red earth, spear grass and rugged ranges is a human story stretching back tens of thousands of years.

We stop at Willare Bridge Roadhouse, the big Boab Tree, Pinnacle Spring and Fitzroy Crossing for short breaks and a lunch-time swim, then turn into Larrawa Station for our first night. 

The campground with showers and toilets looks great but we leave it behind for a 4WD adventure to a private wilderness camp.

Talk about going off the beaten track …

Larrawa is ruggedly beautiful – ridgelines, grassy plains, spinifex country, enormous termite mounds and a track that winds through dry creek beds and over rocky rises. 

For about 90 minutes, we bump our way through the landscape with Jacob’s 4WD mantra running through our heads: “Slow and steady … don’t stop through sand … don't go in the holes,” he repeats often.

He also rates tracks using a “spice” scale, so we know how challenging it’s going to be. It ranges from peppery to jalapeno and all the way to habanero.

Today’s steep climb to Jump Up, our ridgetop campground, just about burnt my tastebuds off. But the elevated sunset view for our first night in the Kimberley, was worth the heartburn.

We enjoy our first dinner courtesy of the Dusty Boys who whip up cookbook-worthy meals on the campfire every night.

It’s also our first sleep in the Tommy Campers and it gets a big tick for being able to walk into our ready-made bedrooms and not have to pitch a tent, fight bugs or fear creepy crawlies.

And our first bush poos … dig, do and bury the evidence … just steer clear of spiky spinifex. 

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Purnululu National Park

Purnululu (the Bungle Bungles) is our next destination. These 360-million-year-old sandstone structures look like beehives – especially from the air.

But there are a few hurdles to tackle before we get there.

From our bush camp we head back down that steep 4WD track. I still can’t see over the hood of the Land Cruiser so avoiding gaping holes is impossible but travelling in the convoy means we have spotters to keep drivers out of trouble.

We head east, through Halls Creek, to Spring Creek Track – the long, dusty, winding, corrugated path into Purnululu National Park.

It’s a hard slog but a good core body workout for a newbie to off-road driving. Every muscle is tensed in this “Bush Pilates” class. 

Our first creek crossings go off without a hitch.

“Don’t rush through,” Jacob says. “Just let the Cruiser do its thing.” 

The afternoon is spent hiking into Echidna Chasm, following a creek that cuts through towering sandstone to its source buried within the Bungles.

The day ends with another spectacular sunset at camp.

But it’s sunrise in Piccaninny Gorge right in the heart of Purnululu that proves a highlight for the entire trip.

We hike into the gorge in the dark and wait as the first rays light up the orange and charcoal bands of the sandstone domes that surround us.

Eons of pressure and heat have melded these ranges from layers of rock and sediment that once were at the bottom of an ocean. That’s hard to fathom.

Thanks to a 3.30am wake-up, we’re almost alone, it’s deathly quiet and absolutely gorgeous.

Next is the 3.5km Cathedral Gorge hike which follows the riverbed at the base of the beehives.

At the end of the track is an opening to the cathedral - a spectacular red rock amphitheatre framing a billabong.

Silence again as we take it all in. 

As we finally leave Purnululu, we’re reminded just how bad the access road is. We’re travelling at around 50km/h, sometimes slower.

The plus, though, is that perhaps the track acts like a filter, reducing the number of visitors who can make it all the way … unless they come on a tagalong convoy … in someone else’s vehicle.

• The writer was a guest of Kimberley Adventures

• Coming up … the adventure continues along the Gibb River Road

Fast facts

• The Land Cruiser/Tommy Camper combos are hired through Broome Broome Car Rentals

• Larrawa Station camping: Phone 08 9191 7025

• If you come on your own to Purnululu National Park, you need to buy a park pass through Explore Parks WA – Purnululu National Park. To book a campsite at Kurrajon or Walardi campgrounds, visit Park Stay WA 

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