Journeying along the Gibb River Rd is an experience, particularly towing a van behind. We go along at a gentle 45 to 55km an hour, slowing down of course for creeks and other dicky road conditions. Allthego remembers he did blunder once though! It has now been fixed. Others seem to speed by leaving clouds of dust to peer through.

Going slow allows you to look around and ‘soak in’ the changing scenery. It is indeed a remote special place. The road is nowhere near as bad as media make out, but perhaps it is early in the season and the corrugations are yet to develop. Perhaps, it also depends on what you think is a ‘bad gravel road’ and how fast you go. One of the joys of travelling early!

One of the other joys of travelling the Gibb early is that the wet has not long ended, albeit with a recent unseasonal top up. There is plenty of water still around; rivers and creeks are flowing, waterfalls are pumping and the plunge pools are full. Fortunately, people are a bit light on in numbers and there are no crowds.

Stopping at Mt Barnett and Manning Gorge for four nights gave us the opportunity to ‘soak in’ the local scenery.

The Manning gorge campground is right beside a big waterhole. Shallow and clear in places and deep in others it is a place for a cool refreshing dip. Late in the afternoon the sun shines down the length of the waterhole lighting up the surrounding vegetation.

On the others side of the waterhole is the track that leads to Manning Falls, one of the icons of the Gibb. You have to swim across the waterhole with your walking gear in a tub. Then a 5km return walk to the Falls. The first 80% of the walk is fairly easy.

Many pass Allthego along the track in bare feet, thongs, bare chests and bikinis. The last section as you descend to the plunge pool is quite steep in parts. At the last drop Allthego was foiled by a 6 ft drop to the platform below! There are a couple of foot and hand holds.

Others seem to have taken it in their stride. But the view from this point is still great. The return walk to camp went ok, Homealone had progressed a cross stitch.

In the afternoons we generally sit under the awning looking out at what is going on in the camp and thinking about what to have for dinner. Cups of tea and coffee as well of course.

Next on the gorge list was Adcock gorge, we went there after seeing the man about a snake and getting fixed up with the new tyre and rim.

The gorge is about 5km off the Gibb down an average to what Homealone found concerning in parts track. But we made it!

From the carpark Allthego had a 500m walk to the Falls and plunge pool. Had to trot through a shallow creek to get started but the remainder of the track was good going. On the way passed by a Lilly pond. Adcock is a pretty spot with water cascading down the Falls.

Galvans Gorge was the last one we visited from our base at Mt Barnett. The car park for this one is beside the Gibb. There is then a very easy 1km stroll to the Falls.

Memorable spot with the old boab tree standing at the top of the Falls looking down on those below. On one side of the gorge there is some aboriginal rock art, the Wandjina is very prominent.

Some great moments over the last few days ‘soaking in’ the Kimberley’s campground life, the gorges and waterfalls.

The next day we moved about 80km further along the Gibb to the Inimjti campground and Community store, an indigenous run business.