Manning Gorge

 26 – 29 August 2022

We returned to Drysdale River Station and refuelled, topped up the water tanks and also picked up some more UHT milk. We made a cuppa under a shady tree then left Drysdale River Station and continued west towards Mount Barnett Station and on to Manning Gorge Campground. At around 170 kilometres and with a fairly good section of road we arrived in time for lunch. We checked in at the roadhouse and opted for three nights. Manning Gorge campground is about 7 kilometres from the roadhouse and entry fees apply but they do offer a good discount for seniors. We drove down to the campground and were able to find a nice shady spot. Once again as it was late in the season it wasn’t as full as it might have been, which we were glad about.

We headed down to the river for a look and later found our way to a great swimming spot just a short distance from the campground. We decided to have a rest day and spend Saturday swimming and relaxing after a few busy days. The pool noodles certainly came in handy.

On Sunday we set off early for the 6 kilometre round trip to Manning Gorge. To get to the walk you have to cross the river either by boat on a pulley system or by wading and swimming through the water. We chose the boat which was a bit of fun but also required a bit of effort. Once across the other side, there was quite a bit of rock scrambling but nothing as serious as the Mitchell Falls walk. Quite a lot of the walk was along a well made path. Once we arrived at the gorge there was some more rock scrambling but the pay-off at the end made it all worthwhile. Manning Gorge is magnificent and we enjoyed a lovely swim in this fabulous place.

On the way out we found some of the rock art nearby and then made our way back to camp. By that time it was getting quite hot so we stopped at home to have morning tea then wandered back down to the swimming spot, which we revisited later in the day as well.

Manning Gorge campground is a great spot to spend a few days – toilets, hot showers, fire pits and great swimming close to camp as well as a stunning gorge within a reasonable walking distance. When it was time to leave we returned to the roadhouse to refuel and top up the water tanks. We also spent some time online to book our next stop – Silent Grove.

Drysdale River Station

 25 – 26 August 2022

After leaving Munurru we continued along the Kalumburu Road back to Drysdale River Station. It was good to be able to have a hot shower and do the washing, then settle down for a few drinks. We made contact with a birder friend who was heading up to Mitchell Falls in the following days. We enjoyed a relaxing evening swapping notes.

As a special treat and to celebrate our successful journey to Mitchell Falls we had dinner at the restaurant. This consisted of a roast buffet – pork with all the trimmings and lots of fresh vegetables. We hadn’t eaten fresh veggies for quite a few days so we enjoyed our meal very much, although we both probably ate a little too much.

In the morning Mick had to do some repairs on the trailer – the fridge slide and gear slide had both suffered some minor damage on the rough road. With that done we packed up and drove back down to the river to have a look for some birds. It’s a lovely spot to spend some time.

From Drysdale we set off back towards the Gibb River Road and stopped for lunch at the rest area at the junction of Gibb River and Kalumburu Roads. From there it was on to Mount Barnett Station and Manning Gorge.

Mitchell River National Park - Mitchell Falls Campground

 21 – 25 August 2022

A visit to Punamii-Uunpuu (Mitchell Falls) was the main reason for driving the Gibb River Road so after a night at Munurru we were finally very close. Many people leave their caravans or camper trailers at Munurru and day trip in, but the 80 kilometres was rough going and took us about 1 ¾ hours. We were very glad we had planned to stay a few days and also that our off-road camper trailer was up to the task. Even though the road was rough, the drive was magnificent. At times, you are driving along the ridgeline with some great views, and at other times you are driving through forests of endemic livistona palms.

We arrived at the campground before lunch time and paid for three nights. Unlike most Western Australia National Parks campgrounds you cannot book and pay online so it is essential to carry some cash to pay for camping. There weren’t too many people there as it was quite late in the season and we were able to get a nice spot with some shade but where we would also be able to get the solar panels into the sun. There were toilets nearby and non-potable water there as well. Some sites also have fire pits. The down side of this campground is the proximity to the helipad with its constant traffic taking people to and from the falls. 

There is a good swimming spot at Little Mertens Falls about 1 kilometre along the track from the campground so we set off in the afternoon to try it out. Unfortunately it’s not signposted and the information boards are a bit misleading. The quoted distance is to the top of the falls, but you have to keep walking and turn off the track to do some rock scrambling in order to get to the bottom of the falls. It was a bit of an effort but so worthwhile to be able to have a dip in such a lovely spot. With temperatures in the mid 30’s forecast, we figured we’d come down here more than once.

Our main purpose for visiting Mitchell Falls was so Mick could photograph the rare Black Grasswren. He had been given some information that would help him locate one, and had done his homework regarding habitat, call and behaviour. The likely spots were along the walk to the falls so we set off just after 7:00am full of hope. We had difficulty with the GPS co-ordinates we had been given, but a location description proved to be correct and he found the bird. Of course this lead to a very long session trying to get the perfect shot but the bird did not oblige.

We eventually continued the walk which is about 9 kilometres return and a Grade 5. The walk varies from an easy stroll along well made paths, to scrambling up and down over rocks. I found it hard going at times but was determined to get all the way to the falls. We made it to the end and were rewarded with views of this stunning set of waterfalls. This is such a popular spot, we counted 6 helicopters in the air or just landed when we first arrived. We had a swim near the top of the falls at a spot suggested by one of the tour guides as the easiest place to get in and out. After our swim and a snack we set off for the return journey. Most people helicopter one or both ways but we had to walk so we could keep an eye and ear out for the Black Grasswren. We had thought we might have a swim at Little Mertens Falls on the way back but it was almost 11:00 am and even though we were hot we were so exhausted we couldn’t contemplate the extra distance. We made it back to camp and spent the rest of the day resting.

We decided to add an extra night so over the next couple of days Mick returned to the spot where he had first spotted the Grasswren about 2 kilometres from camp, and also walked the Riverview track. He also spent some time near the day use area as they had been sighted there as well. Unfortunately none of this paid off with any better photographs. We also managed to fit in another swim at Little Mertens Falls where we also found the art sites, and also had a swim close to camp in the creek.

Mick did take lots of photos of other birds while we were there too. There were some very friendly Partridge Pigeons, some of whom came quite close to our camp and also a Boobook roosting in the hollow of the tree beside our camp. We watched him leave each night and Mick saw him return one morning,

Getting to Mitchell Falls is quite an effort – the road condition can vary considerably but by all reports it is nearly always pretty awful, but it certainly worthwhile. We love camping in National Parks and going for walks – although not usually as long and as difficult as this one! We think is it definitely better to camp there rather than day trip in as you have more time to enjoy all that there is to see and do – and then to rest afterwards.

After four nights we finally left Mitchell Falls and headed back the way we had come. We made our first stop at the art site closest to the Munurru Campground. We had heard about the artwork there and were very keen to see it. This site is known as the Warnmarri (Brolga) Complex and is well signposted, just off the main road. We set off along the track and were astounded at the number and quality of images to be found. There is no interpretive information but a book available at Drysdale River Station contains comprehensive information about this and the other nearby site. I had looked at the book while at Mitchell Falls thanks to a generous fellow camper so we had some idea about what we were seeing.

After a good look around the site we continued on to the Munurru day use area. We had lunch at one of the picnic tables and were contemplating a swim when a tour bus arrived. We decided to give it a miss and continue on to the next art site – The Wandjina Complex - which was a few kilometres down the road.  This one is also well signposted and is just before the river crossing. Once again we were amazed at the fabulous images, especially the mythical Wandjina after whom this site is named, and the Gwion (Bradshaw) figures. We spent another half hour wandering around this site.

We set off again and rejoined the Kalumburu Road on the way back to Drysdale River Station where we would stop for an overnighter.

Ellenbrae Station

 18 – 20 August 2022

We left Parry Creek Farm and drove the long way back towards Wyndham so that Mick could try again for the finches we had seen on our drive the previous morning. We stopped along the way and he did manage to get a few shots. From there we drove back into town where we picked up some groceries at the supermarket and bread rolls from the very good bakery. We also fuelled up and then we were on our way to the next part of our adventure – Gibb River Road.

We followed the Great Northern Highway back towards Kununurra then turned off onto “The Gibb”. The first hundred or so kilometres of this famous outback road is bitumen – with the last section leading to the Pentecost River just finished. I drove across the river crossing made famous in many YouTube videos but the only challenge was the rocky surface as the water level was way down at this time of year and there were only a few puddles to drive through.

Once on the other side the real challenge began.  We stopped to take air out of the tyres and chatted to some people who had just arrived at the crossing from the other direction. They told us about the road condition – which we know can change daily – and the adventures they had been on.

Mick took over the driving as we were expecting some bad road conditions. It certainly was corrugated and rough in parts, but probably not as bad as we had expected. There aren’t many spots to stop but we did pull in to a lookout but decided it wasn’t a great place for lunch – no shade and very exposed. We drove on and found a pull over where we made lunch and sat in the car to eat it.

We continued west and took the turn for the short drive in to Ellenbrae Station. We were to spend the night there and were impressed with the lovely green lawn around the homestead. We were allocated to one of the two campgrounds and made our way to “Ringers”. Although there was another nice green lawn around the amenities and seating area, the rest of the campground was dry and dusty. We could pick our own spot and, because it was still quite early, we were able to get one with some shade. Once we were set up we wandered down to the swimming hole for a look. I ended up standing in the water up to my knees while we chatted to some other travellers. It would have been a nice spot for a swim if we were staying a couple of days, but we had decided on just one.

In the morning we packed up and Mick carried out some more minor repairs – the fridge cable had broken so a fix was required. Ellenbrae is famous for their scones so we drove back to the homestead for a very early morning tea treat before setting off again towards Drysdale Station.