Adventures along the Gibb

(April 30)

We finally made it to the Mount Barnett Roadhouse after travelling many more miles of lovely red road. We camped nearby at a place called Manning Gorge. The Gorge is a popular spot to stop for some swimming. It was so lovely. To get to the Gorge itself you have to start out by swimming across a small pool about 50 metres wide – crystal clear luxurious cool water and no saltwater crocs (just a few freshwater ones which we have been assured are not aggressive). The folks that maintain the campground supply cooler-sized styrofoam boxes to transport your stuff across the pool. It works very well. Then we hiked through the hot scrub bush for about an hour to the series of pools that are formed in the gorge – waterfall and all. We had the place almost entirely to ourselves as we enjoyed several long soaks and finally began to feel cooler.

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We love our rented Land Cruiser. It has an eight cylinder diesel motor with tons of power to navigate the 4 wheel-drive roads and stream crossings. The double back doors give us access to a 35 litre “eskie” that runs off a separate battery and keeps our perishables, beer and wine at a suitable temperature. Also at the rear are two large sliding storage drawers that easily hold the rest of our food. There’s lots of space for our camping equipment, too. There’s a 30 litre water tanks under the vehicle which is easily filled with a hose. We rented the camping equipment we needed from a business in Broome that specializes in outfitting travellers like us – two 20 litre water containers, a three man tent with fine mesh sides to let the breeze in and give us a clear view of the night sky, a small propane tank with one burner attached, and a large white plastic box full of cooking pots and utensils. All this for $180 for 12 days.

As Yukoners we are used to the long long days of summer where the midnight sun ensures that we never have to camp in the dark. But here in Western Australia, it is pitch dark at 5:30. The waxing moon has helped us a bit to manoeuvre in the dark but it is still an awkward and oddly challenging experience. We have to pull off the road before dark in order to avoid hitting a kangaroo which can do serious damage to your car.

A few picture from our travels along the Gibb...

Along the Gibb