Doing the Gibb River Road in style isn’t as hard as it sounds. As long as you’re prepared to put up with the drive the experiences are absolutely worth it.
I travel along roads like this because it’s the only way to get to see and experience the things I want to see and experience. And the experiences along the Gibb are absolutely worth it.
Part 1 covered the places east of the turnoff to Drysdale Station, where the major gorges are. But they’re not the only ones.
On to part 2:
Drysdale Station
The best hot showers on the Gibb, in decent sized individual bathrooms. They were so good I did a body scrub while I was there. 2 in fact. One when I stopped at Drysdale on the way to Mitchell Falls and one on the way back.
When I was there the road from the Gibb River Road up to Drysdale Station was like a highway. It had been recently graded and you’d swear parts were actually asphalt it was so good. Sadly, the road doesn’t last that way for long.
The grassed beer garden has decent wines, good food, lots of people to chat with, and a good communal campfire.
Mitchell Falls
I got to the turnoff to Mitchell Falls and google maps told me the next 86k was going to take 2 hours.
“Oh well” I thought “I did 10k the other day and that took 1 hour. 86k in 2 hours seems good.”
It was an “unmanaged track”. With corrugations, rock, stones, corrugations, dips, rises, corrugations, sand, washouts. Did I mention corrugations?
It took me just over 2 1/2 hours, including time spent collecting firewood.
At the end was a lovely peaceful bushcamping site. Well, peaceful as long as the helicopters weren’t flying.
It’s a 4.3k walk out to Mitchell Falls from the campsite. Plus whatever side quests you do. 1.9k return to a lookout, 400m return to the bottom of Little Mertens falls. A couple of rock art sites just off the track.
I did all of it
When you get to the river, you cross at the top of a smaller fall to continue to the lookout over the Mitchell Falls themselves. And I do mean at the top. The water is thigh deep in places and flowing quite strongly over the fall. Lucky the rocks weren’t slippery.
On my walk out to the lookout I got some advice from a local tour guide.
“Keep walking past the lookout. Squeeze between the two rocks and there’s a round platform where you get the best view of the falls.”
So I did. Turns out the “round platform” is just a rock shelf at the top of the cliff. Great for my fear of heights!
But it did have the best view of the falls, which were spectacular. And it was very peaceful sitting there just watching the water.
On my way back I got more advice
“Head out this way and you’ll get to the top of the falls.”
Well, “this way” also included walking through a lot of spinifex. In sandals. I have stab marks on my feet and ankles.
But again, it was a spectacular view. As long as you could stomach standing on a cliff edge. Which I couldn’t. I tried. Really I did. I even wiggled out to the edge on my stomach. I still couldn‘t look over.
But I did find a spot where I could get a good view, and where there were rock shelves still below me.
Then it was time for a swim, lie in the sun, another swim, and repeat. With the soothing sounds of helicopters landing and taking off in the background.
Then I got a helicopter back to the campground.
Talk about luxury!
The helicopter took us for a couple of laps around the falls before bringing us back to the campground.
Where I made myself a mango daiquiri before lighting my campfire and looking at a million stars.
I was umming and aahing about including this one in the 5 star category, but the helicopter flight back to the campsite won me over.
Ellenbrae Station
I nearly didn’t stop at Ellenbrae, but after the corrugations from the Drysdale turnoff to Ellenbrae I decided a break was called for. I was considering just stopping to get scones (the best on the Gibb apparently), but then I remembered they have hot outdoor baths. If you know me, you know I love a bath, particularly an outdoor, outback bath. I haven’t had a bath for a long time, so it was way overdue.
And this isn’t just any bath. It was a bubble bath. With champagne and a nibbles platter. Looking out over the creek and the gum trees. With birds flying around. And nobody within earshot.
It is honestly the best thing I did on the Gibb. I lay back and soaked in the warm water and bubbles, I gave myself a facial and a hair mask. I did a body scrub. I even got my feet clean. Well, at least for the few minutes it took to walk back to my car.
The next morning after I packed up I had a shower in an outdoor room, with the water coming through a watering can. The only thing that would have made it better would be if the big boab next to the shower was in flower.
And now I feel like that’s it. Even though I have another 100 odd k plus the Pentecost to go. I feel like the Gibb is done for me.
The scones weren’t bad either.
PS: My fingernails are still going strong
