The Gibb River Road - Across the Tropical Savannah

[il padrone]

Continuing with some slideshows of my Thorn Nomad expedition travels, in 2017 we did the tour of the Gibb River Road across the Kimberley in northern Western Australia. 900km of mostly gravel road through tropical savannah with associated access approaches.

We commenced with a week of sightseeing in Darwin, then travelled by bus to Kununurra. Here we did a tour of the Lake Argyle dam, a boat ride down the Old River and flight across the Bungle Bungles. After this, with final supplies packed, our bicycle tour commenced. We had made plans to get to the Mitchell Plateau and Mitchell Falls, but reports of the road conditions (4WDs spending a whole day to travel the last 70km) meant we decided that this diversion was more than we could endure. The Gibb River Road was quite a challenge, with its remoteness, and the interminable corrugations, and the heat every day, getting to 37C by midday and staying that until at least 4pm. In hindsight, we may have been better riding it in June before several thousand 4WDs and other traffic drove across to reestablish the corrugations. At least getting water was not such an issue as there were frequent creeks and rivers with water at least once a day or often more; we simply had to treat the water with Puritabs as it is cattle country.

For a lengthy section of the tour (about 8-9 days) I rode separate from my companions as they set out 'marching to the beat of a different drum' by riding straight through the 37C heat of the day to get to camp as early as possible. In the heat once temps hit 35-37C I chose to stop for lunch and to rest in shade, or preferably by a waterhole. After the first two riding days I had a saddle-sore and decided I needed to rest for a day and let them go on ahead. At my own pace, I could ride and enjoy the journey. After the three weeks of the Gibb, it was a delight to kick back with a week of relaxation in Broome by the Indian Ocean.

Kununurra to Home Valley - https://youtu.be/EqmK0kbF5gk
Home Valley to Imintji - https://youtu.be/zZlzIwvSDb8
Imintji to Broome - https://youtu.be/lgHLYNp7PHU

[Mark Manley]

I take my hat off to you for cycling The Gibb River Road, I have ridden it on a motorcycle which was hard enough, especially after I managed to cartwheel it bruising a few ribs in the process which made the rest of the journey rather uncomfortable, a memorable route for sure.

[Moronic]

Amazing.

How much traffic did you grt on that road? A motor vehicle every half hour? Every two hours? Every 10 minutes?

Heat aside, it would have been a nice ride if you had the road to yourselves most of the time. 

[il padrone]

Most traffic was in the mornings (people moving on to the next camp). About one vehicle every 10-15 minutes, sometimes more frequent, at times large gaps. After 3-4pm the vehicle numbers dropped RIGHT off; everyone is in camp or accommodation. I had the road to myself. One afternoon I dropped behind my friends and was trying to get to a camp, but the sunset caught me out. With the sandy corrugations I got frustrated and walked in the dark along the road for 5-6km. Absolutely NO cars.

The best day of the whole tour was probably the Karunjie Track on the third riding day - 50km of extremely remote vehicle track through savannah grassland and vast mudflats, twin wheel tracks, rough dirt, lumpy mudflats and some sandy bits. In the whole day I only encountered ONE car.

[Moronic]

Thank you. Hmm I think I would have found the mornings a bit irritating then. Lots of dust I imagine, and I'd have been fearful of overtaking drivers losing control on the gravel.

Day 3 sounds fantastic, if somewhat challenging on the loaded-bike control front. Sounds like just the sort of thing the Nomad was designed to make the best of.

My touring ambitions haven't extended beyond stuff I can do on my Mercury - in large part because I'm wary of pedalling the big loads needed when you're remote and self supported. But your pics and reports are contributing to a flickering of interest, maybe in a few years if I find I can get away for long periods.

I'm realising that if you can escape the motor traffic, or most of it, and can set daily distances that allow plenty of downtime, then big loads don't feel so onerous. And doubtless the Nomad carries them beautifully. I hope Thorn is still making bikes if I decide that I want one. 

[il padrone]

Thank you. Hmm I think I would have found the mornings a bit irritating then. Lots of dust I imagine, and I'd have been fearful of overtaking drivers losing control on the gravel.

Yes, there was dust, but judicious road position meant that the wind normally carried it away, and it was rare and soon gone. Many drivers would see me and courteously slow to drop their dust. Only some of the bigger 4WDs (often towing a caravan, I am guessing with really robust off-road suspension) would fang on by at 80+km, trying to do the  '70km and you ride the corrugations' trick. They were generally the rude and obnoxious toss-pot variety of people, but gladly less common. Sitting out the heat from noon till 4pm meant that I did avoid a fair bit of traffic.

Day 3 sounds fantastic, if somewhat challenging on the loaded-bike control front. Sounds like just the sort of thing the Nomad was designed to make the best of.

Yep, where I got landscapes like this.

[il padrone]

More of the Karunjie Track here:

https://landibradshawphotography.com.au/karunjie-track/

[Andre Jute]

Yep, where I got landscapes like this.

Man, that's one violent landscape. Hat off to you for undertaking the adventure.

[il padrone]

Not violent at all. Mighty harsh to deal with, but most of the time it was remarkably peaceful and quiet. Soul-restoring actually at sunset, overnight and in the early morning.

[John Saxby]

Once again, brilliant photos.  Loved the baobabs!  Many a time, i thought I was looking at a Southern African landscape.

Those landscapes are powerful, in this sense:  Twenty years ago, a South African colleague was visiting.  We were at a conference in Banff, Alberta, and she was delighted to visit the mountains -- she'd studied Canadian geography for her A-levels, she said, but never thought she'd see them in person.  We took a day trip along the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Icefield. 

At Saskatchewan Crossing, she remarked, "You know, John, these landscapes remind me of Africa. They have great power. If you were travelling alone here, you wouldn't want to make a mistake, would you?"

Your photographs brought her words back to me  -- thanks!