# Red earth, boabs and gorge pools – by 4WD camper along the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley

> Around 2,500 km in the dry season: from Cable Beach via Windjana, Bell and Manning Gorge up the Gibb River Road to the Pentecost crossing, via Wyndham and…

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-366-kimberley-gibb-river-road/

**At a glance:** 8-day round trip of about 2,051 km (1,275 mi) with 14 stops, starting and ending in Broome. About 22 h 22 min of driving in total. Best time to go: June–August. Around 2,500 km in the dry season: from Cable Beach via Windjana, Bell and Manning Gorge up the Gibb River Road to the Pentecost crossing, via Wyndham and Kununurra to the beehive domes of Purnululu and back to Broome on the Great Northern Highway.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | approx. 2,051 km (1,275 mi) |
| Driving | 22 h 22 min |
| Suggested days | 8 |
| Stops | 14 |
| Route | Broome → Broome |
| States | Western Australia |
| Best time to go | June–August |
| Updated | October 1, 2026 |

[Download GPX file](https://camping-spirit.com/gpx/rf-366-kimberley-gibb-river-road.gpx)

Practical guides for this route: [Driving the Outback safely: distances, water, road trains and emergency communication](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/oc-outback-driving-safety/), [Hiring a campervan or motorhome in Australia: what to check](https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/oc-campervan-hire-australia/)

*Around 2,500 km in the dry season: from Cable Beach via Windjana, Bell and Manning Gorge up the Gibb River Road to the Pentecost crossing, via Wyndham and Kununurra to the beehive domes of Purnululu and back to Broome on the Great Northern Highway.*

## The spirit of the route

The Kimberley is a land that opens up only in the dry season, and then demands seriousness every single day. Soon after Derby the bitumen ends, the dust settles red on everything you own, and the corrugations of the track shake loose screws you never knew you had. In return, boabs stand like bottles in the savanna, cockatoos screech above the pandanus-lined banks, and at the end of short trails lie pools beneath waterfalls where only freshwater crocodiles swim with you. From the sliding door you watch the Cockburn Range glow in the morning and the striped domes of the Bungle Bungles in the evening. In between are roadhouses where the fuel attendant is also the campground manager and the weather service, stations with tens of thousands of cattle, and landscapes that have been Country of their Traditional Owners for tens of thousands of years. This route forgives no carelessness with water, fuel and tyres – and rewards you with nights when the Milky Way reaches all the way to the ground.

## Stage-by-stage plan

### Stage 1: Broome (Cable Beach) to Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) (approx. 365 km)

- **The drive:** From Broome take the Broome Road to the Great Northern Highway, past the Roebuck Roadhouse and over the Willare Bridge to the Derby turn-off (around 220 km of bitumen, a good 2.5 hours). The Gibb River Road begins beyond Derby; after around 120 km the Fairfield-Leopold Downs Road branches off, and the last 20-odd km to Windjana Gorge are unsealed. With breaks, allow 6 to 7 hours for the day and arrive before dark.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Cable Beach at sunset before you set off, and Gantheaume Point with its red pindan cliffs; fossilised dinosaur footprints are visible only at very low tide.
  - Boab Prison Tree south of Derby: a hollow, fenced-off boab that tells a story of forced labour and imprisonment – view it from the outside only.
  - Mowanjum Art Centre on the Gibb River Road just past Derby, with Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunambal art featuring Wandjina motifs.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) Campground, run by the Parks and Wildlife Service (DBCA): booking via Park Stay WA is compulsory, flush toilets and showers, separate generator and non-generator areas, no numbered sites, no drinking water, no pets. If you start later, sleep at the Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park in Derby (power, amenities) and continue the next morning. In Broome there are several caravan parks near Cable Beach, such as the Tarangau Caravan Park.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Along the Gibb River Road you may stay overnight only at designated campgrounds, stations and roadhouses; the verges of tracks and rivers are not campsites. Between Broome and Derby there are Main Roads WA rest areas on the Great Northern Highway, where overnight stays are allowed only where signposted. Free camping is prohibited in Broome itself and is enforced.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Broome is the last place with a wide choice: buy groceries for at least a week, check both spare wheels, fill the gas bottles. Fill up again in Derby and stock up on water – there is none at Windjana Gorge. Lower your tyre pressures before the gravel (follow the vehicle documentation or the rental company) and quickly check the current road conditions at the turn-off.

### Stage 2: Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) to Dulundi (Silent Grove) and Bell Gorge (approx. 225 km)

- **The drive:** In the morning, drive the roughly 35 km of track to Dimalurru (Tunnel Creek) and back, then take the Fairfield-Leopold Downs Road to the Gibb River Road and head east through the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges (formerly the King Leopold Ranges), past the rock profile of Queen Victoria’s Head. Around 95 km after the Windjana turn-off, just before the Imintji Store, the access road to Silent Grove branches off; the almost 20 km to the campground are narrower, with short creek crossings. 5 to 6 hours of driving in total.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Windjana Gorge in the morning light: a trail of around 3.5 km leads through the gateway in the Devonian reef, with fossils in the limestone and freshwater crocodiles lined up on the sandy bank.
  - Tunnel Creek (Dimalurru): around 750 m through a cave tunnel in the limestone, wading through knee- to hip-deep water, with bats and the place where the Bunuba resistance fighter Jandamarra took refuge.
  - Bell Gorge (Dalmanyi): from the car park around 10 km beyond Silent Grove, a short, rocky path leads to the waterfall over sandstone steps with a swimming pool.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Silent Grove (Dulundi) Campground in the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges Conservation Park (DBCA): flush toilets, showers, separate generator and non-generator areas, no numbered sites, no drinking water; booking via Park Stay WA is compulsory. Overnight stays are not allowed at the Bell Gorge car park itself.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** No free camping: the area consists of protected areas, station leases and Aboriginal land. If you cannot get a site at Silent Grove, fall back on the campground at Imintji (around 8 km east of the turn-off) or on stations along the route – check the current situation in advance.
- **Insider tip for campers:** For Tunnel Creek, bring a head torch per person and shoes that can get wet; after heavy rain the water level can make the passage impossible. The Imintji Store has fuel and a small range of goods – on the Gibb you should use every chance to refuel. The tracks in the parks are regraded every season; before you go, check the park status on the Parks and Wildlife Service website, because after the 2023 floods several West Kimberley parks were closed for months.

### Stage 3: Silent Grove to Drysdale River Station (approx. 285 km)

- **The drive:** Back to the Gibb River Road, then east over sometimes rough corrugations, river crossings and stony climbs: Galvans Gorge, Mount Barnett Roadhouse (Kupungarri), Barnett River and Gibb River Station, then at the Kalumburu Road junction around 59 km north to Drysdale River Station. A long day on gravel with 6 to 7 hours of driving; if you want to take it more slowly, spend the night at Manning Gorge and split the stage.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Galvans Gorge: just under 1 km on foot from the road to a small waterfall with a boab on the rock edge and Wandjina paintings – one of the easiest swimming stops on the Gibb.
  - Manning Gorge behind the Mount Barnett Roadhouse: swim around 100 m across Manning Creek right by the campground (gear in floating containers along the rope line), then around 3 km over rock slabs and scree, with hardly any shade, to the waterfall and pool.
  - Barnett River Gorge and the wide savannas on the plateau near Gibb River Station, with termite mounds up to head height.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Drysdale River Station: a camping lawn with showers and toilets, fuel, a shop and simple food; plus the station’s own bush campground at Miners Pool. Alternative en route: Manning Gorge Campground behind the Mount Barnett Roadhouse, basic facilities, no bookings; you pay the camping and gorge fees at the roadhouse.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Kalumburu Road is no different: stay overnight only at station and park campgrounds. Turn-offs to Kalumburu and beyond lead across Aboriginal land, which requires separate permits.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Side trip to the Mitchell Plateau, only with 4WD and plenty of ground clearance: from Drysdale around 200 km each way via the Kalumburu Road and the tough Port Warrender Road to Munurru Campground (King Edward River, rock art) and Mitchell Falls Campground. In addition to the park pass you need the Wunambal Gaambera’s Uunguu Visitor Pass, which must be bought before you arrive because there is neither mobile signal nor internet there. Collect firewood beforehand and treat the water; a trail of a good 4 km each way leads to Punamii-unpuu (Mitchell Falls), and helicopter flights are by booking only. There is no fuel along the way – plan for a range of 450 km plus a reserve. Many rental agreements exclude this route even for 4WD campers.

### Stage 4: Drysdale River Station to Home Valley Station or El Questro (approx. 230 km)

- **The drive:** Back to the Gibb River Road and east past Ellenbrae Station and across the Durack River, then downhill into the Pentecost valley with the Cockburn Range as a wall in the background. The Pentecost River Crossing is a wide, stony ford whose depth varies with the tides and the season. A good 5 hours of driving; always drive through the ford only after checking the depth marker.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Pentecost River Crossing with a view of the Cockburn Range – the best-known photo stop on the Gibb, most beautiful in the late afternoon light.
  - Durack River Crossing and Ellenbrae Station with its scones stop, when it is open.
  - El Questro: Emma Gorge (around 1.5 hours return to a deep rock pool), the warm Zebedee Springs beneath Livistona palms, and boat trips in Chamberlain Gorge.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Home Valley Station below the Cockburn Range: grassed camping with and without power, amenities, restaurant, a base for walks and fishing trips. El Questro Station (private wilderness area): a campground with and without power at the station and around 30 secluded riverside sites on the Pentecost (not suitable for caravans); the property requires its own El Questro Visitor Permit, included with a booked overnight stay, and the WA park pass is not valid there. El Questro closes in the wet season. Book both in advance in peak season.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Home Valley and El Questro are private land; staying overnight outside the booked sites is not allowed. In any case, do not stop for the night at the Pentecost crossing or on the riverbanks because of saltwater crocodiles.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Saltwater crocodiles live in the Pentecost River: never check the crossing on foot, do not clean fish on the bank, keep your distance from the water. Before driving through, know your vehicle’s snorkel/air intake and permitted wading depth, and drive in first gear with a steady bow wave. During the season, diesel and petrol are available around the clock at El Questro Station; ask in advance whether Home Valley sells fuel and, if in doubt, calculate your range all the way from Drysdale to El Questro or Wyndham. Zebedee Springs (short boardwalk, around 600 m return) are open to self-drive visitors only at certain times of day; ask at reception for the current arrangements.

### Stage 5: El Questro to Kununurra via Wyndham (approx. 220 km)

- **The drive:** The last kilometres of the Gibb River Road, sealed for longer stretches in the east, to the Great Northern Highway; there head north to Wyndham and then take the highway and the Victoria Highway to Kununurra. Back on bitumen, a good 3 hours of driving without stops. Road trains carrying cattle and ore are common here.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Five Rivers Lookout on the Bastion Range above Wyndham: a view of the mouths of the King, Pentecost, Durack, Forrest and Ord Rivers flowing into the Cambridge Gulf, ideal at sunset.
  - Marlgu Billabong in the Parry Lagoons near Wyndham: a bird hide above the water, with thousands of waterbirds in the dry season.
  - Mirima National Park (Hidden Valley) on the edge of Kununurra: banded sandstone rocks, an evening loop on short trails; side trip to Lake Argyle, around 70 km each way, with a view from the Ord River dam.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Kununurra has several caravan parks, such as Kimberleyland Holiday Park and Discovery Parks – Lake Kununurra right on the lake, with power, amenities and a dump point. At Lake Argyle: Lake Argyle Resort & Caravan Park with sites above the reservoir and its well-known infinity pool on the rocks. In Wyndham, the Wyndham Caravan Park with an old boab on the grounds.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley allows overnight stays in the towns only at caravan parks and approved areas. The shores of Lake Kununurra and the Ord River are off limits despite the temptation – partly because of crocodiles, partly because they lie in residential and recreational areas.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Kununurra is the place to catch your breath: check your tyres and have them repaired if necessary, wash the vehicle, blow out the air filter, top up gas and supplies. If you are coming from the Northern Territory, you pass the quarantine checkpoint at the border east of Kununurra: fruit, vegetables, honey, plants and soil may not be brought into Western Australia; the vehicle is also checked for cane toads. Do not drive through Ivanhoe Crossing – strong currents and crocodiles.

### Stage 6: Kununurra to Purnululu (Bungle Bungle Range) (approx. 305 km)

- **The drive:** South on the Great Northern Highway via Doon Doon and Warmun (Turkey Creek), around 250 km of bitumen. Then around 53 km on the Spring Creek Track to the visitor centre: creek crossings, steep crests, tight bends and corrugations, permitted only for high-clearance 4WD vehicles, speed limit 50 km/h; caravans and dual-axle trailers are prohibited, and only single-axle off-road trailers are allowed. Allow 1.5 to 3 hours for the track alone.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Cathedral Gorge in the south of the park: a short walk between the beehive domes to a rock amphitheatre with a seasonal pool.
  - Echidna Chasm in the north: a narrow cleft more than 100 m deep with Livistona palms, where around midday the light reaches the floor.
  - Warmun Art Centre in Warmun: ochre painting by the Gija, one of the most important art movements in the Kimberley.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In the park, the DBCA campgrounds Kurrajong (north side) and Walardi (south side), basic sites with drop toilets and untreated bore water (treat it before drinking, bring your own supply), no generators at Walardi; booking via Park Stay WA is compulsory, and no fixed sites are allocated. The park is open only in the dry season, roughly April to November depending on the weather and road conditions. If you have a caravan or dual-axle trailer, leave it at the Bungle Bungle Caravan Park at the turn-off and stay overnight there.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the national park, stay overnight only at the two campgrounds. There are a few rest areas on the highway where overnight stays are allowed – follow the signs. The Spring Creek Track is not a place to park for the night.
- **Insider tip for campers:** There is no fuel in the park, and the park authority recommends a reserve for at least 300 km; fill up in Warmun even if your tank is still half full. Drive the track early in the day so that the dust from tour vehicles does not block your view. Start walks before 10 am in the heat and carry at least 2 litres of water per person on every walk; a scenic flight from the airstrip in the park or from Kununurra shows the extent of the domes, which you cannot grasp from the ground.

### Stage 7: Purnululu to Fitzroy Crossing via Halls Creek (approx. 450 km)

- **The drive:** Spring Creek Track back to the highway, then around 110 km to Halls Creek and a further almost 290 km west on the Great Northern Highway through flat spinifex country with mesas to Fitzroy Crossing. Bitumen, but long straights with road trains, cattle and agile wallabies. A good 6 hours of driving; an overnight stop in Halls Creek or at the Mary Pool Rest Area makes sense.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - China Wall near Halls Creek: a natural quartz vein that runs through the hills like a white wall, a short walk from the car park.
  - Ngumpan Cliff Lookout between Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing: a view over the plain and the tableland, with a rest area.
  - Mimbi Caves east of Fitzroy Crossing: caves in the Devonian reef with fossils, only on a guided tour with the Gooniyandi – ask at the Fitzroy Crossing visitor centre in advance whether tours are running.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Halls Creek Caravan Park with power, amenities and shade, within walking distance of the town. In Fitzroy Crossing, accommodation has gradually reopened after the 2023 floods; check in advance whether and to what extent the Fitzroy River Lodge offers camping sites.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Mary Pool Rest Area on the Mary River is one of the most popular overnight rest areas on the Great Northern Highway: no power, no drinking water, length of stay limited as signposted, full early in peak season. Watch out for crocodiles near the water and leave no rubbish behind.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Danggu Geikie Gorge was badly damaged by the 2023 floods and has been open again to day visitors with basic facilities since 2024; trails, boat ramp and visitor facilities are still being restored. Before your trip, ask the Parks and Wildlife Service or the Fitzroy Crossing visitor centre whether boat tours are running. The highway’s new Fitzroy River bridge has been in operation since the end of 2023. Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing are supply towns with limited opening hours: refuel and shop during the day, and do not leave the vehicle unattended on the street at night with valuables inside.

### Stage 8: Fitzroy Crossing to Broome (Cable Beach) (approx. 400 km)

- **The drive:** West on the Great Northern Highway via Willare Bridge and the Roebuck Roadhouse back to Broome. A wide bitumen road through savanna and pindan scrub, few bends, a good 4.5 hours of driving. The loop closes at Willare.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Fitzroy River at Willare Bridge: a wide sandy bed in late summer, a raging torrent in the wet season – the depth markers show the scale.
  - Roebuck Bay and Town Beach in Broome: mudflats with migratory birds, and at full moon and low tide the Staircase to the Moon over the flats.
  - Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park or the Broome Bird Observatory on Roebuck Bay – birds and crocodiles up close and at leisure.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Broome, the caravan parks near Cable Beach or on Roebuck Bay; book early from June to September. En route, the Willare Bridge Roadhouse offers simple sites with amenities.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Rest areas on the highway only where overnight stays are signposted. Broome does not allow free camping on the beach or in car parks; rangers patrol especially at Cable Beach, Gantheaume Point and Entrance Point.
- **Insider tip for campers:** To finish, have the vehicle thoroughly cleaned and talk through the gravel-road wear with the rental company – stone chips in the windscreen, tyres and underbody damage are checked closely on return. Empty the cassette at a caravan park dump point, not at a rest area.

## Camping practice & local rules

### Wild camping & overnight parking

- Western Australia generally allows camping only at caravan parks, approved campgrounds and rest areas that Main Roads WA or the local councils expressly designate for it (usually up to 24 hours). Since September 2024 you may stay on private land for up to five days with the owner’s permission; the fine for unauthorised camping is 200 AUD, and shire local laws may provide for further penalties.
- The Gibb River Road runs almost entirely across station leases, protected areas and Aboriginal land. Stay overnight at the campgrounds of the stations, roadhouses and parks; Kalumburu and other communities require separate permits, and Mitchell Falls requires the Uunguu Visitor Pass.
- At Windjana, Silent Grove, Mitchell Falls and Purnululu, camp only at the DBCA campgrounds, which are booked via Park Stay WA; Windjana requires a booking. A WA park pass (such as the Holiday Pass) covers entry, but not camping fees, El Questro or the Uunguu Visitor Pass – check the rates in advance.
- Current road and park information: Main Roads WA (Travel Map), the road condition reports of the Shires of Derby/West Kimberley and Wyndham East Kimberley, and the Park Alerts of the Parks and Wildlife Service. Apps: WikiCamps and CamperMate for campgrounds, water, dump points and fuel; save them offline, as there is usually no signal.

### Waste disposal & supplies

- Fuel on the Gibb: Derby, Imintji Store, Mount Barnett Roadhouse, Drysdale River Station (59 km detour), El Questro Station (around 16 km off the Gibb), then Wyndham and Kununurra. Between Kununurra and Broome: Warmun, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Willare Bridge and Roebuck. Roadhouse opening hours are limited and prices high; with corrugations, heat and air conditioning, consumption rises considerably. A spare jerrycan is standard.
- Water: there is no drinking water at Windjana Gorge, and at many other campgrounds only bore or river water that has to be treated. In the heat, allow at least 5 litres per person per day and carry supplies for several days; refill drinking water at roadhouses and in the towns.
- There are dump points in Broome, Derby, Kununurra, Wyndham, Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing; hardly any along the Gibb. Never empty cassettes into the parks’ drop toilets – this is expressly prohibited. Take your rubbish with you to the next town.
- Gas: Australian bottles today mostly have an LCC27 valve, older ones a POL connection. Reliable swaps and refills only in Broome, Derby and Kununurra – have both bottles full before the Gibb. European bottles are not refilled.

### Vehicle size & traffic rules

- Drive on the left. Outside built-up areas the general limit in Western Australia is 110 km/h, including on unsealed roads, unless otherwise signposted; on corrugations, gravel and dust you will realistically drive at 60 to 80 km/h. There are no toll roads. Blood alcohol limit 0.05%, phone only in a mounted holder.
- The Gibb River Road and the access roads to the Mitchell Plateau and Purnululu are passable only in the dry season, roughly May to October; in the wet season they are closed, and even the start of the season depends on water levels and grading. Driving on closed roads carries heavy fines and destroys the track. Main Roads WA and the shires announce openings and closures.
- Vehicle and contract: in practice the Gibb can be driven only with a high-clearance 4WD; standard campervans may not use unsealed roads under the rental agreement. Even for 4WD campers, many agreements exclude the Mitchell Plateau, Kalumburu, Purnululu or river crossings, and water and underbody damage is often not insured. Clarify in writing which routes are permitted.
- Animals and road trains: cattle on unfenced station land, agile wallabies, donkeys and wild horses are the greatest danger at dusk and at night – do not drive after dark. On gravel, road trains throw up walls of dust and stones: slow down, keep well to the left, headlights on.
- Crocodiles: saltwater crocodiles live in the Pentecost, the King River, the Cambridge Gulf, the Fitzroy and the lower Ord; swim only at designated spots, never check crossings on foot, do not camp or clean fish on the bank. Freshwater crocodiles at Windjana, Tunnel Creek and in the gorges are shy, but do not touch or feed them.
- Quarantine: if you enter Western Australia from the Northern Territory, you are checked at the border east of Kununurra; fruit, vegetables, honey, plants and soil are confiscated. If you continue towards the NT, its own biosecurity rules apply there – find out in advance.

## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist

- Two full-size spare wheels, a tyre repair kit with plugs, a compressor and a tyre pressure gauge – tyre damage is the most common breakdown on the Gibb, and lowering pressures reduces the risk.
- An extra 20-litre water container and a water filter or purification tablets for bore and river water at the campgrounds.
- Satellite communication or a PLB (personal locator beacon) – there is almost no mobile coverage anywhere between Derby and Kununurra.
- Head torch and water shoes for Tunnel Creek and the rock pools at Manning, Bell and Galvans Gorge.
- Head fly net, insect repellent and dustproof dry bags for camera, electronics and bedding – fine pindan dust gets in everywhere.
- Printouts of Park Stay bookings, park pass, Uunguu Visitor Pass and rental agreement clauses – there is usually no signal when you need to show them.

_As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._

## Sources

- [DBCA Explore Parks WA – Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) Campground](https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/bandilngan-windjana-gorge-campground)
- [DBCA Explore Parks WA – Dulundi (Silent Grove) Campground](https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/dulundi-silent-grove-campground)
- [DBCA Explore Parks WA – Purnululu National Park](https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/park/purnululu-national-park)
- [DBCA Explore Parks WA – Walardi Campground (Purnululu)](https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/walardi-campground)
- [DBCA – Danggu Geikie Gorge Recovery Project](https://dbca.wa.gov.au/park-projects/danggu-geikie-gorge-recovery-project)
- [Australia's North West – Map of the Gibb River Road (Entfernungen)](https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/kimberley/gibb-river-road/map-gibb-river-road/)
- [Australia's North West – Manning Gorge](https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/kimberley/gibb-river-road/manning-gorge/)
- [Australia's North West – Dalmanyi (Bell Gorge)](https://www.australiasnorthwest.com/explore/kimberley/gibb-river-road/bell-gorge/)
- [El Questro – Frequently Asked Questions (Treibstoff, Visitor Permit)](https://elquestro.com.au/frequently-asked-questions)
- [El Questro – Camping FAQs](https://www.elquestro.com.au/camping/camping-faqs)
- [Roads Australia – Fitzroy River Bridge opens six months early (12/2023)](https://roads.org.au/news/fitzroy-river-bridge-opens-six-months-early/)

## Which stops are on the round trip from Broome?

1. **Broome** (Western Australia)
2. **Derby** (Western Australia)
3. **Windjana Gorge** (Western Australia)
4. **Bell Gorge** (Derby, Western Australia): A tiered waterfall drops into a deep pool in the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges, reached by a short rocky walk from Silent Grove. A highlight of the Gibb River Road for swimming. The access road is gravel, so 4WD is recommended and conditions change after rain.
5. **Mount Barnett** (Western Australia)
6. **Drysdale River Station** (Western Australia)
7. **Home Valley Station** (Western Australia)
8. **Wyndham** (Western Australia)
9. **Kununurra** (Western Australia)
10. **Lake Argyle** (Kununurra, Western Australia): A vast reservoir on the Ord River created by a dam completed in 1971, among Australia's largest by volume. Cruises, swimming and lookouts are the draw; freshwater crocodiles live here, so heed the signs.
11. **Purnululu** (Western Australia)
12. **Halls Creek** (Western Australia)
13. **Fitzroy Crossing** (Western Australia)
14. **Broome** (Western Australia)

## When is the best time for the round trip from Broome?

No month is ideal everywhere on this route; the most pleasant are usually June–August. Hot in September–May. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## FAQs

**How long is Red earth, boabs and gorge pools – by 4WD camper along the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley?**
8-day round trip of about 2,051 km (1,275 mi) with 14 stops, starting and ending in Broome. About 22 h 22 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Red earth, boabs and gorge pools – by 4WD camper along the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley?**
We suggest 8 days: about 22 h 22 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Red earth, boabs and gorge pools – by 4WD camper along the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley start and end?**
It is a round trip that starts and ends in Broome.

**Which states does Red earth, boabs and gorge pools – by 4WD camper along the Gibb River Road through the Kimberley pass through?**
Western Australia.