Everything You Need to Know About the Gibb River Road – 10 Day Itinerary

Are you ready to dive headfirst into the rugged beauty and rich history of the Gibb River Road (GRR)? Let me tell you – this isn’t your average road trip! It’s a wild, unforgettable journey that will have your whole family buzzing with excitement!

The GRR is a rugged 660-kilometer stretch of adventure winding through the heart of Australia’s Kimberley region. While the road conditions can be a bit challenging at times, with some planning and a spirit of adventure, you’ll be all set to tick this outback road trip off your bucket list.

Back in the 1950s, the Gibb River Road was just a humble cattle track, but fast forward to today, and it’s evolved into one of Australia’s most iconic outback experiences. It’s the perfect chance for families to connect with nature and each other like never before.

The GRR opens each year depending on the road conditions, typically between early April and mid-May. Venturing earlier in the season means you’ll be greeted by lush greenery and cascading waterfalls – and trust us, it’s totally worth it!

Whether you’re itching to hike through breathtaking gorges, swim in pristine waterholes, or camp under the stars, the Gibb River Road has something for everyone. Get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime as you journey through one of Australia’s most iconic road trip destinations.

So, what are you waiting for? Read our guide and itinerary, prepare and pack up the car and van accordingly, and get ready to embark on the family road trip of a lifetime!

After spending a night in Derby, where we were advised to lock everything, leave no valuables out, and sleep with our keys, we set off in our convoy to start the Gibb River Road.

About ten minutes in, we stopped at the information bay to snap photos of the iconic Gibb River Road sign.

We then drove the 120 kilometers to our first camp, Lennard Rest Camp, located at the turnoff to Windjana Gorge.

Lennard River Rest Stop

This free camp has no facilities, but if you’re fully self-contained, it’s a great alternative to Windjana Campground. There’s plenty of firewood to collect, fires are allowed, and we enjoyed a very peaceful night. While there are a few campsites available close to the road in front of the gate, we think the better spots are through the gate, offering plenty of space for everyone.

From Lennard River Rest Stop, we visited…

Tunnel Creek - Dimalurru National Park

This walk is a 45-minute drive east on a slightly corrugated road from Lennard River Camp. Conditions change frequently, but here’s what we found to be true during our visit:

Be prepared to get very wet.
Bring head torches or a torch with a small waterproof bag.
A GoPro might come in handy to avoid water damage to your phone.
Avoid big backpacks or baby carriers as you’ll need to swim a small section of the cave.
If you’re not a confident swimmer or are planning to take kids, make sure you bring a pool noodle or another flotation aid. You can pick these up cheaply from Broome’s Kmart.
Water/rock shoes are highly recommended to protect your feet from sharp rocks in some parts of the cave.

When you enter Tunnel Creek, you’ll scramble over rocks before stepping into the mouth of the cave, where you’ll immediately find knee-deep water. This space is enclosed and feels surreal to enter, but trust us – it’s worth it. After about five meters, the cave opens up into a magical system.

After walking for a while, you’ll need to swim about 15 meters. The water is very cold, and without a light, you’ll be in complete darkness.

We didn’t see any crocodiles, but our friends who visited the same day did – a small freshwater crocodile. Always be croc wise.

Windjana Gorge - Bandilngan

We had planned to complete the 6km return walk through Windjana Gorge, but due to flood damage in 2023, the walk has been shortened to just 1.9km return. While we found the gorge itself to be a bit underwhelming, we still recommend checking it out. It’s also the place where we saw the most crocodiles along the Gibb, and the shorter walk was an easy one for the kids to complete.

Windjana Campground
Although we opted to stay at the free camp, Windjana Campground offers both a generator zone and a quiet camping zone, along with toilets and showers. It’s a great option if you’re not fully self-contained. The cost is $20 per adult per night.

Lennard Gorge

After leaving Lennard Rest Stop, we stopped for a photo at Inglis Gap Lookout before heading to Lennard River Gorge.

When you get to the access road, we recommend finding somewhere safe to unhitch your van if you’re towing. The road to the gorge can be a bit rough.

To access the gorge lookout, it’s a 3km return walk on a grade 4 track. We suggest wearing supportive footwear due to the number of rocks and uneven surfaces you’ll need to navigate. This walk does include one incline section, but nothing too serious.

The walk takes you to a lookout only, however depending on your risk tolerance, we saw people venture beyond the lookout and make their way into the gorge for a swim. Although they made it down safely we opted not to do this with the kids.

Make your way to Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges Lookout for a great photo opportunity if you want to capture your setup on the Gibb. There is plenty of space to pull over and have a break (just make sure to take your rubbish with you).

Imitji Community Campground

We stayed at Imitji Community Campground for 2 nights. It had basic toilet and shower facilities, a communal fire pit, picnic tables, and drinking water.

The community runs a roadhouse where you can fill up with diesel, and it’s also where you check in for the campground (500 metres down from the campground).

From here, we visited Bell Gorge without the van. If you want to stay closer to Bell Gorge, we’d suggest Silent Grove Campground (no dogs). You can safely take your caravan up to this point, but we recommend unhitching to travel the final 10km to reach Bell Gorge. There are 4 water crossings heading out from the Gibb to Bell Gorge. When we travelled, the crossings were nothing serious, but after some rain, we know of people who were cut off due to the fast rise in water levels. Be mindful of this when travelling.

Bell Gorge

To access the gorge, it’s a 4km return hike with a mix of grade 4 and 5 sections. We’re glad we allowed the whole day for this gorge, as there is so much to explore once you arrive. We opted to skip the top pools and followed the track into the gorge, where we relaxed and swam. There are plenty of different areas to check out, including the waterfall, lower pools, and even people rock jumping. It was the perfect place to sit in the sun and enjoy a picnic.

After pulling ourselves away from the water at the lower gorge, we couldn’t resist stopping for a swim at the top pool. We took the opportunity to sit on top of the waterfall and enjoy the view before hiking back to the carpark.

The next day for us was a driving day however we stopped at both Adcock and Galvins Gorge on the way. These walks are only short, 1.3 km return and 2km return respectively – both suitable for swimming.

Adcock Gorge

This was a cool little waterhole which is about 5km off the GRR. It has a waterfall and rock ledge access into the water. We saw someone here, enjoying a coffee in their Nakie hammock. We were all a little envious of how relaxing this looked.

Galvins Gorge

This is by far the most accessible gorge on the Gibb, with a car park right off the side of the road and a flat, easy walk in. This gorge was much quieter than some of the others, and although not as big, we found it stunning and peaceful. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, there’s a ledge underneath the waterfall where the water cascades over you, massaging your shoulders, along with a nearby rope swing into the water.

Mt Barnett Road House and Manning Gorge Campground.

We arrived at Mt Barnett Roadhouse, the access point to Manning Gorge Campground, and to our surprise, we found the roadhouse closed. Unfortunately, due to staffing issues, the hours are currently not always as advertised. We found the camp host at the gate to the campground, who was taking cash payments from people wanting to stay the night. When we entered the camp, we couldn’t believe how busy it was, particularly if you wanted to be close to the amenities.

If you prefer slightly more space and are happy to be further away from the amenities, we recommend continuing further into the campground. You’d be surprised how far the campground goes, and you might even be able to pick up a spot near the river. The campground offers toilets, showers, and washing machines ($4, but must have $2 coins). If you need water, make sure you fill up at Mt Barnett Roadhouse. Apparently, the tap has really low pressure, encouraging you to pop into the roadhouse and buy a delicious burger or something while you wait. The roadhouse also had fresh fruit, so we restocked our banana stash.

Manning Gorge

After enjoying a campfire (collect firewood prior to entering) on our first night, we spent the next day tackling the Manning Gorge hike. The trailhead starts from the campground, but there is a day-use parking area you can utilise if you don’t want to walk from your campsite.

This is the longest hike on the Gibb and feels longer than the advertised 5.6 km return. We had some rain the night before, so it was nice to walk in the cooler conditions. We would recommend starting this hike early to avoid the midday heat. As soon as you start, you are required to wade and then swim for about 50 m to cross the Manning River. There are plastic drums which you can use to float small kids and belongings across to keep them dry. From the other side, the hike continues where you need to follow white painted markers on rocks and trees, as the track can get a little confusing at times.

Getting down into the gorge was challenging in parts, and the boys needed some help due to their shorter legs. Although the boys (4 and 6) did an exceptional job, this hike was probably at the end of their hiking distance limit based on the difficulty, but it was absolutely worth doing. Again, it’s such a beautiful spot to have a picnic and a well-deserved swim. Make sure you pack pool noodles for the kids or for relaxing around. Take a swim behind the waterfall – it’s amazing. We required some tunes to pep the kids up and get them back to camp without tantrums setting in.

After our second night, we packed up and prepared to continue on the Gibb. Up until this point, the road had been sealed or recently graded, so it was a pretty smooth drive. However, due to some overnight rain, the road between Mt Barnett and where we were heading, Ellenbrae Station, was wet and slippery. It took us 4.5 hours to drive 150 km.

This is a reminder that conditions can change quickly on the Gibb, and you need to adjust your driving style accordingly. Due to the time it took us to drive this stretch, we didn’t stop at any side attractions and therefore missed Wunnamurra Gorge. From what we understand, it’s a gnarly 12 km 4×4 track that will take you over an hour to complete before arriving at the gorge. Do not take your caravan. We also passed Gibb River Rest Area, which seemed like a great stop as it was busy with other travellers.

Ellenbrae Station

After using nearly all our brainpower concentrating on the wet road, our first stop was scones at Ellenbrae, which were delicious. We then had the choice between two campground areas – Ringers and Jackaroo. We opted for Ringers due to its proximity to the waterhole and the fact it had outdoor showers. Jackaroo camp had a donkey shower (water heated by woodfire). The showers were hot with good pressure and very much welcomed after a crazy day on the road. If you stay at Ellenbrae, you can also visit Sandy Gorge, and there is also an option for a paid experience of a bath in the bush.

On a side note: You can also fill your water tanks at Ellenbrae, and they offer tyre repair services if you need help!

Home Valley Station

We set off for Home Valley Station, 110 km from Ellenbrae. We stopped in at Bindoola Falls on the way. It’s an easy 10-minute walk from the rest area where you park (15 km out from Home Valley Station). Once you’re there, take a left over the top of the falls to check out the second, faster flowing waterfall. As you continue, make sure you take in the view of the Cockburn Ranges and the Pentecost River at the lookout about 3 km before you hit Home Valley Station. It’s spectacular and one not to be missed.

We finished the day at Home Valley Station, where there is a big kids’ playground, swimming pool, amenities, and a licensed restaurant. Although the menu has limited choice, we found $22.50 for a chicken parmi to be good value and thoroughly enjoyed the live music.

After setting up, take a drive down to the Pentecost to watch the sunset. If you prefer to free camp and are self-contained, there is an option to camp on the east bank of the crossing. Please be croc vigilant.

We didn’t realise before visiting, but Home Valley has diesel available between 8 am–5 pm weekdays and 8 am–12 pm on weekends. It was $2.50/l at the time of writing.

The Pentecost River

The Pentecost River is tidal, so depending on the time of year, it is important to know when the best and safest time is to cross. Home Valley staff suggest adding an hour and a half to the Wyndham tides to gauge the high and low of the crossing.

Once you have crossed the Pentecost, there is about 20 km of sealed road to reach the El Questro entrance sign. We opted not to air up and drove slower, as once you get to the El Questro turnoff, you are met with 16 km of road that is quite rough and rocky. To get into the campground itself, you have to pass through two water crossings. At the time we visited, we thought these crossings were the deepest on the Gibb (May–June).

El Questro Station

El Questro campground is actually leased to Discovery Parks, so if you have a membership, you will be able to save a few dollars, as it is an expensive place to stay. Unfortunately, caravans can’t access the private riverside sites. However, if you don’t need power, we would recommend the unpowered riverside sites, as these were more spacious than the other options.

El Questro has all the standard facilities, including showers, toilets, a dump point, water and power options, laundry, as well as fuel. There’s also a bar with live music from Tuesday through Sunday.

From El Questro, you can spend a pretty penny by trying your hand at one of the many activities, including helicopter rides and horse riding. In terms of free things to do, there’s heaps around the El Questro area. We did just about everything that was open.

Pigeon Hole Lookout

We only got to Pigeonhole Lookout the first afternoon. It is an easy 4-wheel drive track with one deeper water crossing and one steep section towards the end. The lookout was beautiful and worth a visit. People said it was best for sunset, but we preferred the hour beforehand when we had it all to ourselves.

The other 4-wheel-drive track that was open was Saddleback Lookout. Heading in the same direction as Pigeonhole, this track is relatively short, good fun with a water crossing and an awesome uphill climb that were slightly more challenging than Pigeonhole.

Unfortunately for us, Explosion Gorge and Brancos Lookout (the only other four-wheel-drive tracks in El Questro) were closed while we were there. We would recommend checking this out once the water subsides.

Amalia Gorge

Next up for us was Amalia Gorge. A grade 4, 3.4km return hike not far from the campground. We really hadn’t heard about this gorge at all prior to getting into camp and therefore had no expectations. What an adventure we had! With several different waterholes to choose from for a swim and two lovely waterfalls, this walk had a few challenging sections where you shuffle along a ledge and hold onto chains, as well as some steep rock climbs. We swam at both the top waterfall and on the way back, stopped for a dip at the mid-way point! It was one of the quieter gorges around and we loved that.

Zebedee Springs

We got up early and headed to Zebedee Springs. It’s an easy 1.2km return (in and out) walk with amazing hot springs waiting at the end. The springs are only open from 7am until noon. Everyone we spoke to said to get there early at 6:45am as it gets busy. We arrived at 7am, and it was mayhem. We had to wait some time to find a pool, but when we did, we really had a good time and enjoyed the warm water. We left about 8:20am, and it had cleared out a lot. Our hot tip for Zebedee is not to get there at 7am; instead, let the early birds have their moment, and they’ll be just about finished if you arrive around 8am.

Emma Gorge

After finishing up at Zebedee Springs relatively early, we decided to tackle Emma Gorge. In hindsight, we probably should have done it on our way out (as it’s back out on the main road and about 10-15km towards Kununurra), but the kids were keen, so off we went.

The walk is 3.2km through varying terrain, including stepping stones, rock hopping, and a few steep climbs. We were rewarded with a very chilly swim underneath a spectacular 65m waterfall. Being almost surrounded by the cliffs was awe-inspiring. There was even a small thermal water flow coming out of the right side of the gorge, where someone had made a makeshift spa out of rocks.

The boys were tired on the way back, so there were a few refuelling stations (snack stops), and lucky for us, we came across two lovely ladies the boys had befriended at a lookout earlier in our stay, who chatted with them all the way back to the carpark.

Don’t forget to jump into the swimming hole during your stay at El Questro Station. The waterhole can be found just behind the pub.

We had our sights set on the challenging 9.2km hike at El Questro Gorge, but due to the water crossing you must take before getting to the trailhead being too high, the road was closed, and therefore, we couldn’t do this hike!

OTHER INFORMATION AND HOT TIPS.

Highly Rated Free Camps

Lennard River Rest Stop
March Fly Glen
Pentecost River Free Camp
Durak River Camp (Top of the World)

Fuel

Be prepared. Make sure you have a full tank when leaving Derby, and we would highly recommend at least one full jerry can. Fuel is limited (and expensive) on the Gibb, so we would recommend fuelling up at each possible stop.

Imitiji Community Store: Has one fuel bowser. Diesel only.
Mt Barnett Roadhouse: A decent-sized convenience store with fuel. Diesel and unleaded options here. Opening hours vary, so try to get here in the middle of the day.
Home Valley Station: When starting the Gibb, we didn’t know this was an option. The maintenance team fuels from 8 am until 4 pm, but only until noon on weekends.
El Questro Station: An easy self-serve system on the left as you come into the station— the dearest on the Gibb.

Water

There is nowhere to stop to fill up with water on the Gibb outside of your accommodation options.

You can fill your tanks at:

Imitiji Community Campground
Ellenbrae (the best drinking water on the Gibb)
Mt Barnett Roadhouse
Drysdale Station
Home Valley
El Questro

Dump Points

The only official dump point on the Gibb is at El Questro Station.

Travelling with Dogs

Travelling with dogs and other pets limits your access to some areas. Pets are not allowed in National Parks, which means Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Mitchell River, Bell Gorge, and the surrounding campgrounds are all no-go zones.

If You Have Extra Time!

If we had more time, we absolutely would have added in Mitchell Falls. The road conditions change often, but head to Drysdale Station.

From there, you can unhitch and do a long day trip, take a swag or tent setup into Mitchell Falls Campground, or take the van further up to King Edward River Campground.

Whatever way you choose to explore (helicopter or walk the 8km), we’ve only heard good things and would put it on your list of places to visit.

If you’ve made your way north, you can continue on to Kulumburu. Be prepared and purchase your road permit online (free of charge) and make sure you stop by the Kulumburu store to buy a community access pass.

If time isn’t an issue, check out Mount Elizabeth and Mt Hart too.

10-day Recap

Night 1 – Lennard River Rest Area (or Windjana)

Night 2 and 3 – Imitji Community Campground (Silent Grove or March Fly)

Night 4 and 5 – Manning Gorge Campground

Night 6 – Ellenbrae Station (Top of the World – Durack River)

Night 7 – Home Valley Station (Pentecost River Free Camp)

Night 8, 9 and 10 – El Questro

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