Thread: Back from the Kimberley - Tablelands track

Just returned from my annual trek.

This time we took the Mt House turn-off on the GRR and headed down to the Mornington Wildlife Park for a couple of days. I really liked the place in spite of the fact that I'm as green as brown coal. Did some canoeing at Dimond Gorge. The we headed out and on through Glenroy to the Tableands Track which took us through Tablelands Station (now called something) else through Bedford Downs onto the Springvale/Lansdowne Road and then the GNHW to the Bungles.

Everybody told us to avoid the Table track like the plague anbd all the books and guides said do not even think about the jump up track. When we got there and chatted to the bloke after failing to find any trace of the recommended Teronis Gorge track he said the Jump up should be doable but nobody had been along the track since the wet. He mentioned some blackfellas were coming along the track that night from Kunnie. So we set out. I had the track on my GPS but we left it many many times. It was all overgrown with grass and hard to see but we motored along quietly in LR 4th and admired the scenery. We got to the Jump Up just before dusk. We were glad we were going down it but it was 800m pretty bloody hairy. I walked down in LR 1 and slid on some rocks across where I looked down the ledge at the abyss. Hung on and crept down. I am no offroad expert really and I walked it down without too much stress but, yep it was hairy.

We all got down and made a fantastic camp thrilled we had made it safe and sound. Beer and wine flowed and lots of tucker came off the plate and out of the camp ovens. That morning a dingo strolled into camp right in front of us and some brolgas did a low pass over our heads. It's those moments that send me bush in the first place.

That night whilewe were sleeping about 230am we heard the engine and saw the headlights of the blackfellas in the old Toyota chugging along. They drove on past after slowing right down, gobsmacked to see us there, and then headed on to go up the Jump in the Middle Of The Night!!! OMG.

One of our party was sleeping high up and watched the lights go up the jump. They just plodded through the night and up the 800m climb - not a change of pace or a stop to check.

Anyway it was good to see them becasue they had come from the place we headed so we knew it could be done. It was a hard road but a great one.

We went on into the Bungles. Does anybody hate that road in and out as much as I did. Give me the overgrown and ignored Tablelands track any day. I don't know if it is the cars coming the other way or the fact that the GPS tells you that most of the time you are heading in the wrong direction but the Bungles Rd really gives me the irrits. Glad I went in becasue there was a Camel Trophy Defender in there and I met briefly a guy from the Vic LROC with his fully kitted new Defender, He had the Milford barrier and an Airtec snorkel apart from everything else.

After some RnR in Kunnie we headed east to VRD where we had a great couple of nights camp by the Wickham and then onto Birrindudu where the Manager who was a mate of a mate showed us the flood plains and the paddocks that back on to the Tanami with no fences.

The rest of it was the usual wonderful Kimberly stuff, GRR, Broome etc. Don't get me started on stars, boabs and jabiru. You have to love the North. Fancy being just a few days Landy drive from paradise? We are all very lucky to live here.

I'll do a fuel report on the two 300Tdis when I've got all the data organised. But the best economy we got was on the worst sections when we were plodding along at 30kph or so.

Imitji Roadhouse, Diesel was $2.23 - fair enough it's the back of beyond. Top Springs it was less than $2.20. Outside of the big towns you paid about $2.15. Around $2 in the big towns. We were prepared for the worst and came away pleasantly surprised. (Happy at $2 a litre?? Go figure.)

The Bowser Of Shame goes to the Nullagine Roadhouse back down "south" in the Gascoyne. $2.39, 20c more than Manilya just up the road. Thank God for the second tank that got me from Broome to Karratha without re-fuelling. But they still got me, $3.95 for make it yourself instant coffee and about $4 for a Picnic bar. The dressing down from the rude old hag for not returning the milk back to the fridge was free, I think.

Originally Posted by stusgonesailing

sounds excellent james, but you know what they say no photos......didnt happen

Photos coming. I left that job to somebody else and i know she got some beauties.