TICK A LIFE GOAL: DRIVE THE
GIBB RIVER ROAD
A drive along the Kimberley’s Gibb River Road
is adventure on repeat. From the moment the
wheels of your 4WD plunge into the pindan
roads, you belong to a world of wild desolation,
startling history, and enigmatic landscapes that
can never be accurately replicated in photographs.
Despite the track being well-beaten, passing
others on the road still comes as a novel surprise.
You’ll find them, of course, parked at the campsites
and you’ll see cars waiting for their occupants to
return from a swim in Bell Gorge or a stroll along
Tunnel Creek. In total, the trail is 660 kilometres
and, despite the attempts of some ill-fated tourists,
only accessible by 4WD. If time is a constraint,
you could do a truncated version of the trip, or
punctuate the drive with a spot of luxury at El
Questro. However you decide to make the
journey, a night spent at the Indigenous Bardi Jawi
community-run Kooljaman Wilderness Camp to
watch the sunset at Cape Leveque is compulsory.
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WORDS: LARA PICONE. PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE MADGWICK (GIBB RIVER ROAD)