TRAVEL THE KIMBERLEY

WORDS AND IMAGES BY GLENN Above And Beyond MARSHALL Tackling the road less-travelled brings rewards

It was a privilege to be allowed to swim in this amazing natural pool. MR4X4.COM.AU • 104 • PAT CALLINAN’S 4X4 ADVENTURES MR4X4.COM.AU • 105 • PAT CALLINAN’S 4X4 ADVENTURES TRAVEL THE KIMBERLEY

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1. The wet season winds certainly blow hard up here.

2. HeliSpirit give you the best views of the falls and expansive landscapes.

3. Kalumburu is very australiawelcoming to travellers.

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The Northern Kimberley certainly gets busy better place to launch a canoe. It’s a safe place during the dry season; the cops to swim too; the only crocs you’ll find will be a a hammering with plenty of traffic. But if you turn few freshies that keep to themselves and the north and head toward the Kalumburu coast, you colourful ones on the kids’ feet. will experience an amazingly beautiful area, with The campground itself has a few hybrid toilets fewer people to share it with. Once you’ve been dotted around and the sites are dispersed there, you’ll want to come back time and again. nicely so you don’t feel like you are camping The Mitchell Plateau also has a massive offering on someone else’s doorstep. A few sites cater with the spectacular Mitchell Falls and is also for large groups, the biggest being reserved usually devoid of backpackers in hire cars, as for the bus groups, but they rarely stop at they aren’t supposed to venture north of Drysdale Munurru anymore. A short drive from the camp River Station, meaning you’re more likely to come is a couple of amazing rock art sites that are across overlanders with the same ideals as you. definitely worth checking out. Station is the last fuel stop The drive to Mitchell Falls from Munurru is before Kalumburu and offers a couple of camping approximately 76km and the road conditions options, hot showers, drinking water, laundry are variable. In my case, the last 20km were the facilities, limited supplies and restaurant/bar. If roughest and the going was slow, so I dropped you arrive at lunchtime, I highly recommend the another 10psi out of the tyres to smooth the ride. Kimberley Beef Burger. The highlights of the falls are the walks (do the From here the road usually degrades, with long walk in) and swimming in the refreshingly cool corrugations savage on suspension, camper- water pools. This will also give you the opportunity trailers and caravans. On this occasion though, it to see some more rock art below Mertens Falls. had been recently graded so it was a good 100km Once you’ve dried off, catch a HeliSpirit helicopter run to the turnoff to the Mitchell Plateau. back to the carpark, but keep in mind you need Six kilometres from the turnoff is the King to book the flight before you take the walk. Make Edward River crossing and a further two clicks sure you take a camera and grab a seat in the bring you to the Munurru Campground. I prefer rear, as the chopper pilot will do a couple of figure to stay here than down at the falls as it is quieter, eights above the falls before heading back, ample with great swimming holes, and you won’t find a time to capture those awesome shots. australiaMR4X4.COM.AU • 106 • PAT CALLINAN’S 4X4 ADVENTURES MR4X4.COM.AU • 107 • PAT CALLINAN’S 4X4 ADVENTURES TRAVEL THE KIMBERLEY 2

Me, I was pushing the boundary by setting my 1 swag up on a beachfront site, just ripe for the 3 taking by one of the oversized ‘local residents’, aka crocs. Matt assured me I would be safe but did ask if I had more than one chair and a table to put around my swag. The great thing about The is notorious for being as artefacts in the Fr Thomas Gill Museum, for McGowans Beach is the complete lack of sand tough as guts on tyres, suspension and the a small fee paid at the mission café. Keep an flies and midges, although there are mozzies bolted-on bits of your 4WD. I encountered a eye out for the bullet holes from the Japanese and the occasional snake – it isn’t advisable to road crew doing a stellar job of smoothing the raid and the story about the local cannibals. It walk around without boots on at night. road out, only 30km south of town. Beyond the is here that you can learn about the Japanese Matt will also tell you about all the best nice new roadwork, the road really bared its air attack on Kalumburu (76 years ago this places to see and the safe waterholes to swim teeth; it suddenly became very rugged, and I year) that killed six innocent people as well as in. I was lucky enough to be given directions was forced to a crawling speed. The rocks, ruts, destroying the mission. to a swimming hole only recently made washouts and corrugations were terrible; my This is not the final stop though, as paradise accessible by the local traditional owners, and suspension and tyres took a hammering. It’s no is just a little further north at McGowans Sunset what an amazingly beautiful spot it was. wonder the town gets its supplies brought in by Beach. Here you are welcomed by the host barge! The final push into town took two hours. Matt Flinders, and his trusty offsider Bruce 4 Kalumburu, which means ‘end of the road’ (the Blue Heeler Kelpie), and what great hosts in the native language, is a tidy town, kept they are. Matt will give you a rundown on the 1. The track didn’t get any better from here. clean by proud people. Fuel is available during showers (no hot water but none needed up certain hours and the takeaway next to the here), the toilets (BYO paper), the WiFi ($5 per 2. The clear Kimberley night sky is a million-star view. supermarket serves beautiful hot chips. The day) and the phone number to give your family The boabs are a popular place to stop and prop. old mission is still prominent in the community and friends so they can call you. Then you can 3. and you can explore the wide range of set up pretty much wherever you want. 4. I must admit I was a bit nervous sleeping here, but what a view!

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4 10 1. Crossing the King Edward 8. The Mitchell Plateau is no slouch River is generally a breeze. when it comes to ‘must-see’ spots.

2. The remains of Pago 9. The mission museum is are slowly being taken intriguing, with the evidence of the over by nature. tragic Japanese attack on display.

3. Evidence that the 10. The King Edward River reaches Kimberley played an the coast near Kalumburu. important role during the Second World War. 11. The mission at Kalumburu is a focal point for the community. 5 4. Empty fuel drums are slowly rusting away. 12. Bruce was a fantastic host, along with his owner Matt. 5-6. The cultural sites are great examples 32. Each afternoon this of Bradshaw (Gwion guy visits the campsite. 11 Gwion) rock art. 14. The cool burn fires reduce 7. The wildflowers were the undergrowth, something we 6 abundant at Munurru. could learn in Victoria. 12

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The slowly burning fire created an eerie feeling.

With the smoke haze from a slow- burning bush fire just over the range, and the waterfall still flowing, I climbed to the top of the escarpment and made my way to the champagne pool at the top of the cliff. It was the perfect place to escape the heat and relax in the cool water. australiaBefore returning to camp I detoured to view a couple of WW2 plane wrecks that still lie behind the airport. They are signposted yet difficult to find. I then decided to head to the old Pago Mission ruins. Abandoned at the start of WW2 due to the lack of water, the church was dismantled and relocated to Kalumburu. There is little remaining of Pago now as the bush slowly takes over. During the war, the US Air Force formed a base here, with their warplanes taking off through the mangroves; today you can still see plenty of rusting fuel barrels strewn in the sand. The track to Pago is a real challenge at the start of the dry season as the track is overgrown. There are a few washouts and a couple of water crossings, but it does become much easier toward the end of the dry season. I enjoyed my last night relaxing and joined some fellow campers from western Victoria for dinner and a bottle of wine. We concluded the night walking among the rock pools, checking out all the Hermit Crabs that occupy the beach. We kept the torch sweeping also in case there were any eyes watching us. You can drink alcohol at McGowans Sunset Beach and Honeymoon Bay, but there’s a 20km ‘dry community’ circle drawn around Kalumburu, meaning alcohol cannot be consumed or be visible from the outside of your vehicle within this zone.

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Highway Featured Trip sealed bridge tunnel unsealed Arterial Road National Park sealed bridge tunnel unsealed Sub-arterial Road Other Park sealed bridge tunnel unsealed V Local Road Private Park sealed bridge unsealed 0 50 km www.hemamaps.com Hema Explorer app Track easy medium/ unformed Hut: active; ruin IJ 2 Available on iOS and Android difficult

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BELOW The Kimberley sunsets are magical

DESTINATION DETAILS LOCATION COMFORT ZONE When Malcolm Douglas first introduced us to During the dry season, temperatures can Western Australia’s Kimberley region in the 1980s, still be high, but mild weather is the norm. it was still the ‘wild west’ where many feared to The humidity can be high, so be prepared tread. Even today there are some places that for that, and mozzies are around once the white man has never seen and are impossible sun begins to dip. There are no sand flies or to get to even with a 4WD. The region around midges at McGowans. BYO toilet paper too, australiaKalumburu is becoming more accessible and as Matt doesn’t supply it. more popular with those who love remote travel, basic camping and access to the best fishing spots, with McGowans Beach and Honeymoon PERMITS AND INFORMATION Bay the perfect destinations. A permit is required to access Kalumburu, currently $50 per vehicle, that can be DIFFICULTY purchased at McGowans Beach and Accessible by road in the dry season only, the Honeymoon Bay. Wet weather can close the Kalumburu Road can be treacherous by the time road and advice on current road conditions the wet has dissipated. Generally, it is nothing more is available at Drysdale River Station. than a rough track, but tourism is helping the push Drysdale River Station: to improve the road, as was evident during the drysdaleriver.com.au 2018 dry season. Take your time, reduce your tyre pressures and forget about towing anything less Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation: than a trailer or caravan specifically constructed for kalumburu.org the worst conditions imaginable. Ensure you have McGowans Sunset Beach Camping: good communication equipment, are set up for thegibbriverroad.com remote travel and your vehicle is suitable for the route. Having two spare tyres is an asset and it is Mitchell River National Park: best to carry all the water you will need for drinking. parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au The store at Kalumburu has limited supplies with HeliSpirit Helicopter Flights: the barge only coming in once every two weeks. helispirit.com.au

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