Manning Gorge WA

It was another adventurous day on the Gibb River Road. 

It was an early start leaving camp at 7am. Our first port of call was the rubbish dump point at Imintji Roadhouse. A service provided due to the lack of bins. The only other option is to burn what you can and carry out the rest. That was one of the main reasons we made sure to beable to take our rubbish bag carrier.

We also topped up with fuel at $2.85, it’s the cheapest until Kununurra.

We travelled 73km to Galvan's Gorge arriving at 8:35 am. 

Dusty road at times

Also sections of bitumen 

We had breakfast before walking along the easy 2km return trail leading past picturesque lily pools and lush vegetation to a stunning multi-tiered waterfall-fed pool. The gorge offers a peaceful escape. 

We enjoyed a refreshing dip. 

We even spotted the rainbow bee-eater. 

20km further east on the GRR we stopped at the busy Mt Barnett Station. Here we had to buy a day pass ($10pp) to visit Manning Gorge. 

We drove 7km to the day use area found at the camp ground. 

The hike begins with a crossing of Manning Creek before continuing. This requires a bit of a swim so blue half barrels are provided to put our shoes and gear in.

Accessing the gorge from here entails an adventurous 5km return hike, marked by rock cairns, pink labels, and white arrows. It offers scenic views but involves uneven terrain, rock scrambling, and an incline toward the end. Spotted a few flowers too.

We manage to get there in 50mins, find a spot to swim and enjoy the refreshing water whilst watching the daredevils jumping off the falls edge into the deep cool water. It’s a popular spot for everyone.

Eventually we leave and return to Buster and drive back to the roadhouse to fill up with potable water. Also not in huge supply out here. Luckily the morning que has disappeared. We then make a v line for a spot on WikiCamps 30km away that looks to be away from the crowds. As the sun sets over the Boab tree and the red escarpment, it appears we may be on our own for the night. 

132 km today