Margaret’s Kimberley Trip: Days 1 and 2

Wanting to see more of outback Australia, my partner and I decided to visit the Kimberley region in Western Australia, lured by the promise of spectacular scenery plus a taste of the ‘real’ outback. Our visit was timed to ensure the waterfalls were flowing but in advance of the peak tourist season, which covers July and August.
Not knowing the area and being relatively inexperienced in serious four-wheel driving, we settled on an organised tour, selecting the 13-day Kimberley Complete tour offered by Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (KWA, a division of ATP) because it provided a comprehensive coverage of the region that visited key areas we wanted to see. It also promised accommodation in eco-sensitive campsites plus the ability to interact with indigenous inhabitants.
Accordingly, having spent the best part of a day getting to Broome (via Perth), we were outside out motel at 6.15 a.m. awaiting pick-up by the tour bus (henceforth known at ‘the truck’). The vehicle, a converted Isuzu FTS 800 truck with its body modified to take passengers in air-conditioned comfort. The ‘truck’ seated 20 passengers with two additional seats ‘up-front’ for the driver/guide and one passenger. There were only 18 passengers in our group and we all took turns in each seating position.

The Isuzu ‘truck’ parked at the Willare Bridge Roadhouse, our first brief stop on the journey. Our vehicle is on the right side of the picture, while a similar vehicle from another company can be seen to the left. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 80, 6.8mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/7.1)

Dan, our driver/guide, arrived promptly and, after collecting the remaining passengers, we had farewelled Broome by 6.30 and were on our way. Today’s plan was to travel first along the Great Northern Highway to just outside Derby where we would see the Boab Prison Tree. Believed to be more than 1500 years old, this massive tree was once used by early police patrols as a staging point for prisoners being walked into Derby. Today, the tree is a registered Aboriginal Site with cultural significance for local tribes. The surrounding fence makes the tree difficult to photograph but there were other, much smaller, trees in the vicinity that provided good subject matter.

The Boab Prison Tree just outside Derby. The surrounding fence does nothing to enhance the picture. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 80, 6.1mm focal length, 1/200 second at f/6.3)

A flower on the Boab Prison Tree. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 80, 30.5mm focal length, 1/318 second at f/4.5)

A younger boab tree in the vicinity, showing the characteristic ‘bottle’ shape that makes these trees such attractive subjects for photos. The surrounding area has been burned, a common phenomenon in the Kimberley, resulting from either lightning strikes or deliberate burning to maintain species diversity. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 80, 6.8mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/7.13)

We were on our way again before midday, this time travelling along the notorious Gibb River Road, an unsealed highway linking Derby with Wyndham and Kununurra. Our objective was Windjana Gorge, approximately 140 km to the east, where we would stop for lunch. Carved by the Lennard River from the rocky outcrops of the Napier Range, Windjana Gorge is a popular camp site.

Windjana Gorge. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 24mm focal length, 1/30 second at f/16.)

Inside Windjana Gorge, showing the towering cliffs above the sandy floor. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 28mm focal length, 1/60 second at f/16.)

Looking back along the path into the gorge. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 24mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/9.5.)

The gorge itself is more than 100 metres wide with steep walls ranging in height from 30 to 100 metres. In places, marine fossils can be seen on the rocks beside the path in.

A fossil imprint on one of the gorge walls. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 68mm focal length, 1/22 second at f/6.7.)

It being the dry season, the floor of the gorge consisted mainly of large pools of water. Freshwater crocodiles could be seen sunning themselves on the banks and lazing in the shallows. They took very little notice of us and provided our first opportunities for close-up shots.

A freshwater crocodile resting beside the water in Windjana Gorge. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM lens; ISO 200, 300mm focal length, 1/160 second at f/11.)

From Windjana Gorge we proceeded south-east for a further 30 km to Tunnel Creek, the remains of an ancient reef system which existed here in the Devonian period. Over about 350 million years, the creek has carved out a 750 metre tunnel through the range and visitors can walk through to the other side of the range.

The entrance to Tunnel Creek. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 24mm focal length, 1/30 second at f/13.)
The entrance to the tunnel is difficult to see as you approach it, which made the caves created by the creek a perfect hideout for Aboriginal leader, Jandamarra, in the late 1800s who led one of the few armed insurrections against White settlement in Australia. For three years, Jandamarra led a guerrilla war against police and European settlers in defence of his lands and his people, retreating to Tunnel Creek when pursued. (You can read his story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jandamarra.)
With torches in hand, we waded through the shallow water and across sandbars as we passed through the tunnel, pausing to admire the area where a rock fall had opened the tunnel’s ceiling to the sky. This provided one of the few opportunities to take pictures within the tunnel.
Since the distance to the ceiling of the tunnel was too great to make use of flash practical in most places ““ and the EOS 5D II lacks a built-in flash, I swapped between my cameras, depending on the location, using the G10 where flash fill was possible and the 5D II at high ISO settings elsewhere.

Entering Tunnel Creek. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 200, 6.1mm focal length, 1/10 second at f/5.6. Flash fill.)

The rock fall part way along the tunnel that allows light to enter and provides great opportunities for photography. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 800, 24mm focal length, 1/6 second at f/6.7.)

Emerging on the other side of the ridge, we found a placid watercourse, bordered by trees, with evidence of the recent heavy rains that continue to remove material during the wet season.

The end of the tunnel, showing visitors silhouetted against the light. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 400, 28mm focal length, 1/30 second at f/9.5.)

The stream leading from the tunnel. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 24mm focal length, 1/15 second at f/11.)

Looking back at the western entrance to Tunnel Creek. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 200, 6.1mm focal length, 1/10 second at f/8.)

Leaving Tunnel Creek in the late afternoon we continued on to our destination for the night, the KWA Imitji Wilderness Camp, approximately 130 km away. We arrived at the campsite after dark and settled into our two-bed tents, looking forward to hot showers and a home-cooked meal – both of which were provided with minimal delay.

KWA Imitji Wilderness Camp in the morning, showing the safari-style tents. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 100, 6.1mm focal length, 1/100 second at f/6.3.)

On the following morning we were up early and into the truck for a 60 km trip to Bell Gorge, where we would spend most of the day. The walk from the car park into Bell Gorge is fairly rough, but relatively short and we had plenty of time to pick our way across rocks and shallow streams on the way in, all the while admiring the scenery, which grew ever more fascinating.

Entry to Bell Gorge is across the narrow stream that feeds into the main watercourse. Boab trees can be seen on the hillsides, indicating bauxite in the soil. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 40mm focal length, 1/181 second at f/13.5.)

The upper pools at Bell Gorge are relatively shallow but the water is warm and tempting for less adventurous visitors. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 32mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/13.5.)

The track ends at a stream, which cascades down into a beautiful, deep splash pool, renowned as one of the best swimming spots in the Kimberley. Plenty of time was allowed for swimming, lunching and exploring the area.

The main cascade at Bell Gorge with the pool below that is one of the best swimming spots in the Kimberley. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 24mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/13.5.)

Swimmers on the rocks above the plunge pool. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 80, 6.1mm focal length, 1/159 second at f/6.3.)

Looking over the cascade from the upper pools. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 24mm focal length, 1/181 second at f/13.5.)

Looking downstream from the plunge pool to the lower reaches of the gorge. (Canon PowerShot G10, ISO 80, 6.1mm focal length, 1/201 second at f/7.1.)

A view of the lower gorge, taken from the hillside above as we left the lower swimming pool. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 50mm focal length, 1/160 second at f/13.5.)

Towards the end of our visit, the sky clouded over, providing some excellent reflections on the water. (Canon EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens; ISO 200, 32mm focal length, 1/125 second at f/13.5.)

It was still light when we returned to Imitji Wilderness Camp, which gave us plenty of time to shower and relax before dinner.