Driving Australia's Gibb River Road (Windjana)

What to See in the Kimberley Outback near Windjana Gorge, Australia

Mar 11, 2009

The Western-most end of the Gibb River Road is the most accessible, with Windjana Gorge and its freshwater crocodiles and fruit bats being a major highlight.

The Western-most section of the Gibb River Road is much easier driving than the central or eastern sections, and a 4WD is not strictly necessary for this section. However, travelers should remember that being partly on gravel roads, the hire companies won’t allow their 2WD cars to go there.

Accessing Windjana Gorge (Km 535 from the Kununurra/Wyndham turnoff (eastern end of road) or Km 126 from Derby to the turnoff)

Windjana Gorge is 20km down the Leopold Downs Road. This is a gravel road, although much less corrugated and easier driving than parts of the Gibb River Road further east, heading from the Gibb River Road towards Fitzroy Crossing. Windjana Gorge is often visited as a part of long commercial day-trips from Derby, taking in nearby Tunnel Creek and Fitzroy Crossing. Although it’s not necessary to travel the Gibb River Road to visit it, it is a very worthwhile (and short) detour for drivers of the Gibb River Road.

This giant gorge is part of an ancient barrier reef system, which the River Lennard has cut through to form yet another stunning Kimberley gorge. The limestone walls of the gorge can reach 100m high in places, nearly as high as its 100m+ width. In the dry season a 3.5km (each way) trail runs along and by the river bed allowing visitors to walk the length of the gorge.

“Freshies” (freshwater crocodiles) can be seen basking by the dozen on the banks of the remaining river pools in dry season. It is said that this is the best place in all of Australia to see the freshies, due to the sheer numbers of them in such a small area.

For those interested in photographing the freshwater crocodiles, it is best to get there early in the morning when they are still warming their bodies up after a cool night. At that time they are much slower to move, and it is possible for photographers to get up close and fill the frame with their chosen subject before it slinks shyly back into the river. Later on in the day, when the warmth has sped up their reflexes, photographers will be lucky to get within 30m of them before they scuttle out of view and back under the water. Photographers should of course be aware that while they are not aggressive in the way their salty cousins are, they are still crocodiles. This means treating them with respect and not getting too close.

Windjana Wildlife – Windjana's Fruit Bat Colonies

Further along the trail are a couple of colonies of squawking, chattering, grumbling fruit bats. Watching the colony it seems that while hanging on the tree branches they heat up in the strong outback sun. Eventually a bat will get too hot and needs to find a shadier resting place. This usually involves ousting another member of the colony, which sets off a chain event of bats trying to find new places to perch – all with much squawking as if to say “Shove up, Its too hot, Let me in!”

For more information on the Gibb River Road, the “Gibb River Road (East)” article covers some additional driving tips and advice to 4WD newbies as well as details of El Questro, and other Eastern highlights. A separate article covers information on the Central (Manning) area of the Gibb River Road. For more information about Windjana view this section of the informative online guide to the Kimberleys by Birgit Bradtke or this page of Tourism Western Australia’s website.

The copyright of the article Driving Australia's Gibb River Road (Windjana) in Australia Travel is owned by Chiz Dakin. Permission to republish Driving Australia's Gibb River Road (Windjana) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.