Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge WA

After 3 peaceful nights at May River Crossing, it was time to get back on the road. More precisely, the Gibb River Road which is a 660km mostly 4WD track in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, between Derby and Kununurra. It is known for its rugged beauty and remote wilderness with stunning gorges and waterfalls.

An old twisted Boab tree

We left camp at 7am and drove 65km on the bitumen to the turn off at Lennard River crossing to our destinations for today, Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek both part of a National Park that requires a pass to visit. 

From here on the smooth road is no more, as we hit the corrugations and dusty track. 55km and 1 hour later, we arrive at Tunnel Creek just after 9am. 

It is a very popular place to visit as it offers a unique journey through a water-worn tunnel in the ancient limestone of the Napier Range. 

It was only a short walk to the cave entrance to embark on a 750-meter underground trek. There was a bit of a rock scramble at the beginning before we had to wade through pools of water, some deeper than others.

 Luckily there was only one short section (8m long) that reached chest height. We came prepared, wearing our bathers and of course bringing our torches as it was quite dark in some areas. There was one opening about halfway that gave some natural light. We marvelled at stalactites and saw some bats and a frog. Luckily we didn’t encounter any freshwater crocodiles.

At the other end we managed to find some aboriginal rock art.

We then back tracked 35km to Windjana Gorge.

Unfortunately, the floods in 2023 damaged the track so now you cannot go to the end of the 3.5km gorge that cuts through Napier Range, only 800m or so. The Lennard River runs through the gorge and in the dry season it forms pools surrounded by trees and shrubs. It may look like a beautiful place for a dip except for the freshwater crocodiles that live here. The park ranger said they had tagged 140 before the flood. They also took out a Salty just a few weeks ago. 

From here we drove 25km back to the Lennard River rest stop. At 12:30pm it was  pretty full but still had a few spots available. We picked a small site that was east side of the bridge, overlooking the main camp and were later joined by a family in a camper trailer. 

167km today