The road from Derby to the Windjana turn-off is fully sealed. At the turn-off, you’ll find the Lennard River Rest Stop, a popular free camp (listed on Wikicamps). It’s a good spot to leave your caravan while you explore Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek.
Tunnel Creek: Bring wet shoes and a torch. The walk is about 900 metres long, with water up to chest height in one short section (just a couple of metres).
Windjana Gorge: A spectacular place to explore, especially for spotting freshwater crocodiles.
Bell Gorge
Stay at Silent Grove Campground (a National Park site, bookable online). From here, leave your van and enjoy a day trip to Bell Gorge—one of the highlights of the Gibb.
At Mt Barnett Roadhouse, you pay for camping at Manning Gorge Campground (7 km from the roadhouse). Bookings aren’t taken, and there’s usually plenty of space.
Fuel: Available here (a bit pricier than at Imintji).
Water: Potable water available for topping up.
Supplies: Basic groceries can be purchased.
Campground facilities: Toilets and showers. Tip—hot water is only available in the middle of the day! 😊
We stayed four nights here and used it as a base for day trips:
Adcock Gorge and Galvans Gorge: Both can be done in a single day.
Manning Gorge: To reach the start of the walk, you’ll swim across the river! There are plastic 200L drums to float belongings or small kids across. The walk itself takes about one hour each way.
Road Conditions Towards Kununurra
Heading east from Mt Barnett, the road gets noticeably rougher. After the Mt Elizabeth turn-off, it becomes heavily corrugated all the way to Home Valley. Honestly, there isn’t much to see between Mt Elizabeth and Home Valley, which makes the drive feel longer.
An alternative is to backtrack:
Return via Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek, then continue south to Fitzroy Crossing. The road is a bit rough up to Tunnel Creek but reportedly much better from there onwards.
From Fitzroy, you can approach El Questro and the Pentecost Crossing from the Kununurra side. The road from Kununurra to the Pentecost is sealed all the way, making for a much smoother entry.
We almost regretted towing the caravan from Mt Elizabeth through to the Pentecost—the road is very rough and tiring. Unless you’re set on doing the full Gibb with your van, consider turning back at Mt Barnett going via Fitzroy Crossing for a more enjoyable journey.
✨ Tip: The Gibb is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure—take it slow, stop often, and don’t be afraid to adjust your route to suit the conditions and your comfort.