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LOADED4X4.COM.AU
Kalumburu is one of the great
Australian adventure destinations.
In Australia’s ‘last frontier’ at the top of the Kimberley beyond
‘The Gibb’ lies a 4x4 adventure experience like no other. Getting
to Kalumburu at the northernmost point in Western Australia is a
feat not for the fainthearted or inexperienced.
It’s ‘4x4 country’ only, and those intrepid enough to venture
to these far-flung lands do so at their own risk with little support
once up here. Preparation is key if you’re contemplating this
journey, and for those that are patient enough great rewards
can be uncovered. As you can see from map (opposite page),
the Kalumburu area is located at the mouth of the King Edward
River, near where the Drysdale River meets the ocean. Australia’s
best fishing and endless four-wheel driving options make for the
adventure of a lifetime!
Image by Gavin Gillett - www.summit.net
The best time to visit
Most tourists head to the Kimberley
in the dry season which runs from
April through to October. The first rains
and the wet season proper starts in
December, and so far this wet we’ve
had close to 1.8 metres of rain – which
will make for an excellent tourist
season as the creeks, rivers and gorges
will retain water right through the dry.
While it can get down to 18 degrees
at night during the winter months of
June and July, average temperatures
usually range from 34 degrees during
the day to around 20 degrees at night
during the dry season months. Last
year there was virtually no rain from
April to early December, so the dry
season lived up to its name!
Image by Kalumburu Aboriginal Corp
Above: Click to see
full map. Below: Rain
is being measured by
the metre in 2018.
The Gibb
Most people have heard about the
famous Gibb River Road that stretches
between Kununurra/Wyndham in the
north-east to Derby/Broome in the
south-west. It can be a difficult road
at the best of times with plenty of
annoying corrugations and deep bull
dust sections spread randomly along
its length. The Gibb is only accessible in the dry season between
April and November, and there’s a bunch of ‘must-see’ places to
visit along the way including; Emma Gorge, El Questro, Home
Valley, Manning Gorge, Ellenbrae, Mt Elizabeth, Adcock Gorge,
Bell Gorge, Charnley, and Tunnel Creek – to name just a few.
Image by Neil Boyd