Day twenty-five saw us pack up camp at Manning Gorge in the morning before one last walk to enjoy the sunrise at the nearby ‘beach’.
We were heading to Silent Grove Campground today, with a stop at Mt Barnett Roadhouse and Galvans Gorge on the way.
Mt Barnett Roadhouse was only a 7km drive, and we arrived around 7:45 am, fifteen minutes before opening, still greeted with a line up at the door. It’s busy for good reason though. It has fuel, potable water and a well stocked store with real coffee, takeaway burgers, and even fruit and vegetables - which are scarce and hard to come across out here on the Gibb.
After the Roadhouse we had 96km left in front of us to Silent Grove Campground. The road was okay and we were even treated to 10km of sealed road along the drive. 14km on from the Roadhouse and we arrived at Galvans Gorge, and it was an easy walk into what was a picturesque spot.
It’s small and peaceful and a real paradise
There’s a rock ledge below the falls, a swing rope for little and big kids and also ancient Windjana rock art to be spotted. Only Leigh had a quick swim before we were back on the road.
Arriving at Silent Grove Campground around 11am, we set up camp, unhooked the van and set off to travel the 11km track to Bells Gorge.
In contrast to Galvans Gorge, Bells Gorge is grand and impressive. The walking track is a 1.5km return and brings you out at the top of the gorge, which was a real treat. We had an awesome view of the waterfall, complete with a pool to dip into and look out from to the stream below - it was absolutely amazing.
We were satisfied with our adventures for the day and had plans to return back and explore more tomorrow. Back at camp we spotted some Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, Lorikeets, Bower Birds and Bee-Eaters.
Silent Grove Camp is a beauty. It’s a National Park camp and very well cared for, and set in a shady valley beside a seasonal stream with flushing toilets and hot showers. We watched the Wallabies play in their loss to France before heading to bed.
We were fortunate enough to spend our twenty-sixth day on the road staying put at Silent Grove Campground and Bell Gorge. After arriving at the Gorge’s bottom pools by 8:30am we were rewarded with no crowd and a clear view of the surroundings.
The falls from the bottom were magnificent. We swam and lay on the rocks to dry off while taking in the spectacle, and once the crowd started to move in we relocated to the top of the falls and walked upstream to find a quiet spot on some more rocks.
We relaxed there for a while, spotting a water monitor basking in the sun and an egret doing the same. Spot the water monitor if you can!
Bells Gorge is another outstanding stop along the Gibb.
When arriving back at camp we ran into two fellow Toowoomba tourers Christine and Glenn and met another lovely couple Ann and Neil. It has been a pleasure meeting friendly travelers and hearing about their adventures.
We also met a young couple from overseas who pulled in beside us with a busted fuel pump - the Gibb was over just as it started for them. They had only headed off from Broome two days earlier and were now waiting for a tow truck, a reminder of how unforgiving the Gibb River Road is.
In the evening Leigh spotted a long tailed finch outside our van, and we went to bed early in preparation for the drive to Windjana Gorge tomorrow.
Day twenty-seven saw us travel 135km from Silent Grove Campground to Bandilngang / Windjana Gorge Campground. To start with, the road took us through the Wunaamin Miliwundy Ranges (formerly known as the King Leopold Ranges). The Ranges are massive and an absolute spectacle - with the Gibb River Road taking us up and over them.
The drive was mainly unsealed corrugated road but we did have a few patches of sealed road. As we were getting closer we came upon the Napier Range which is a rugged wall of grey limestone that is the fossilised remains of a 350 million year old Devonian coral reef.
We pulled in at Windjana Gorge Campground and set up in the afternoon. While preparing a firepit a nearby fellow camper approached and asked if they could put some potatoes in the coals. We obliged and she kindly left us some wood to help the fire along - soon after we had another camper ask if he could put a camp oven in the pit. This kicked off a fun social evening with Lucy and her husband Liam, their Canadian travel buddy and a Broome family - Kim, Stu and their kids - joining us around the fire. They were great company and we enjoyed all the stories told, laughter shared and the experience of meeting such nice people on the road.
We spent day twenty-eight properly exploring Windjana Gorge.
After a magic early morning walk through the gorge we visited Tunnel Creek - known also as Dimalurru - which is an absolute highlight. You get to traverse on foot through water and explore an ancient barrier reef that was formed around 350 million years ago, when it lay beneath a tropical sea. The tunnel reaches up to twenty metres high and dark within, making a torch necessary. It’s awe inspiring to walk through.
Afterwards we covered our bases with work before settling back into camp with our new formed friends around the fire. Another great day.
