Sunday 18th June 2023 was a perfect Brisbane winter’s day – and perfect for flying. Not a cloud in the sky, no wind. The forecast maximum was 23 degC, so not too hot, not too cold. Yes there was a bit of fog out west in the early morning but it had cleared by 10am. Redcliffe Aero Club had planned a “coffee hop” flyaway to a variety of small airfields west of Brisbane and when the planets aligned weather wise it was too good an opportunity to miss. We could practise those short field landings and takeoffs and a bit of VFR navigation. Brett Silvester came with me in MSF as copilot and navigator. There were 8 aircraft that took part from Redcliffe, Caboolture and Southport. The “official” course included Kilcoy, Watts Bridge, Gatton Airpark, Clifton, Boonah and Heck Field. I decided to avoid Kilcoy and Heck Field due to tight runway length for the Cirrus and diverted to Warwick rather than Boonah at the end as I’d been to Boonah a few weeks before and I wanted to meet up with Tony and Shawn, a couple who have a hangar at Warwick, and were planning a trip to the Kimberley in August. I wanted to share our knowhow of where to go when they get there.
So our first stop was Watts Bridge. Although the other seven aircraft had flown to Kilcoy, they’d left earlier than us so all eight aircraft happened to converge on Watts Bridge within about 5 minutes of each other but all managed to sort ourselves out to land in sequence without any traffic jam eventuating. https://wattsbridge.com.au
There was instant coffee and bickies provided by the airfield owners, and a chance to catch up on a few old friends from the aero club and make a few new ones.
Less than an hour later we were heading about 20 miles south to Gatton Airpark. This time I led the pack in MSF as it was the fastest bird in the flock. After we landed each of the other planes followed us in quick succession.
Luc George lands WKE at Gatton
Gatton Airpark (https://gattonairpark.com) is an impressive setup created by a husband and wife when they subdivided their property and had it designated an airpark about 15 years ago. There are some twenty or so houses there now, each with its own hangar that they can taxi their planes up to. A group of the owners were waiting for us when we landed and had prepared a magnificent BBQ.
They also had a professional espresso machine in the hangar and were soon preparing barista coffee for us. Once again we made some new acquaintances and learned about their particular aviation adventures.
An hour later Brett and I led the way again, taking off in MSF for Clifton, about 25 miles to the south west. I thought I’d been to Clifton many years ago during my PPL training but realised on landing (after thinking on the way in that it looked nothing like I remembered) that I’d actually flown into Pittsworth before, not Clifton. Not far away but very different layout. Part of the reason I had trouble recognising it.
After a bit less than an hour we split off from the main group. After they all took off for Boonah, Brett and I flew the 5 minute hop across to Warwick where there was some confusion as a glider pilot on final called RWY 09 when he was really on RWY 27. After a quick call on the radio one of the other pilots confirmed it was really 27 that was active. We had one more cup of tea with Tony and Shawn, sitting on the deck of their hangar house located directly next to the taxiway.
By 3:30 we were heading back to Redcliffe, flying over the dividing range and directly over the top of Gatton Airpark at 3,500ft.
We were careful to skirt around the Amberley airspace that had become active in the early afternoon. It was good light as the sun descended in the west and we passed back over Lake Wivenhoe.
We touched down in Redcliffe at 4:30. The end of another perfect winter’s day in SE Qld.
On May 1st 2023 we did a quick trip out to Boonah for lunch to check that everything was working well on MSF before we departed on our big trip to the Kimberley in WA. Brad Green and Luc George came along for the ride. From the airstrip it was a 15 minute walk to the Dugandan Hotel. It has a great beer garden (we drank Zero beer of course) and delicious traditional Aussie hamburgers. The airfield owner Nigel Arnott showed us around his impressive hangar/workshop.
Purnululu (Bungles) – Hooker Creek – Tennant Creek – Barkly Wayside Inn – Mount Isa – Winton – Emerald – Agnes Water – Hervey Bay – Redcliffe
29th May 2023 dawned like all the other days in the Kimberley. Blue sky and not a cloud in sight. The only difference was the temperature. Being so far inland and with clear skies it had dropped to about 8 degrees overnight. So it had been a cold night at the Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge and the cabins weren’t exactly warm. If you’re heading that way in May – September take some thermals with you for the early morning. A beanie and gloves will also be worthwhile. It’s a desert climate.
Anyway, the hot breakfast warmed us all up and at 8am we were transferred back to the Bellburn airstrip. MSF was a bit reluctant to start due to the cold but Luc’s tip of rotating the propellor to get the oil flowing and positioning the prop to ensure minimum effort required by the starter motor did certainly help.
From Purnululu it was a “long haul” flight to Barkly Wayside Inn via Hooker Creek and Tennant Creek. We did a quick pass over the Bungles and then tracked direct for YHOO, losing 90 minutes as we crossed into the NT.
The first leg was 60 minutes with some smoky parts to fly over. At Hooker we had to queue for Avgas as possibly the only other customer for the day had landed ten minutes before us and then discovered his company credit card had no money on it. I presume he resorted to his personal card as he eventually filled up and pulled his Cessna out of the way.
Meanwhile Sigi and Rita had bought sandwiches and salad at the community store so we were all set for a picnic at Tennant Creek. Taking off we spent the next 90 minutes flying over the northern end of the Tanami Desert that was uncharacteristicly green. They have had a lot of rain this past wet season. An Airnorth King Air was also planning to land at Tennant Creek so we let him land first while we did an orbit over the town.
After refuelling we had intended on walking down town as it was only 1 km but decided we’d rather just get to Barkly as soon as possible as we were keen to see whether the new roadhouse had really been completed and was open for business. We were soon flying the last 30 minute leg. We landed and taxied towards the apron while an elderly couple watched in amazement. They didn’t realise they were standing in the middle of the taxiway! After a bit of furtive sign language they suddenly realised they were about to be sliced and diced if they didn’t move out of the way so our way was clear to the bowser once more. No cement mixer this time and no wayward trucks and the apron looked a little bit less like a scrap yard.
After filling up again we pushed MSF back into a gap between the building materials that covered the lay down area. And were we impressed by the new buildings? You bet we were. A great new roadhouse complete with live music and all completed in 4 months according to the manager. Quite an achievement.
It was another big day from Barkly Wayside Inn to Winton. It is a big country isn’t it? At only 10 degrees it meant we needed to rug up again until the sun got up a bit. MSF required a bit of coaxing again to get going but after a few attempts the engine fired up and we taxied out of the lay down area to the strip, avoiding pedestrians on the taxiway as we went.
Departing Barkly Roadhouse
It was over an hour VFR to Mt Isa where I did a practice RNP instrument approach. The terminal was open and the cafe was selling coffee so we struck the jackpot.
There was VHF coverage from there on so we were IFR to Winton, passing over the Diamantina River on the way.
After another RNP approach we tied down for the night. Adam from the Outback Motel was waiting for us and before long we were taking in the wonders of Winton. There was a poetry recital by Gregory North at the North Gregory Hotel followed by dinner at the Tatts Hotel as the sun set. We finished the day with a nostalgic movie night at the open air Royal Theatre. It’s one of only two open air cinemas in Australia. Where’s the other one? You guessed it – Broome. As the temperature dropped to 10 degrees we watched newsreels from the 50s, old adverts, cartoons and silent movie skits. Very funny. And we could remember many of them from our childhoods.
ur Kimberley Krusade was drawing to an end and it really was time to head for home. Another cold morning start at Winton meant we had time to observe the feeding of the Brolgas at the Outback Motel and do a quick walk around town before breakfast. We checked out the Winton Club, site of the first QANTAS board meeting.
After breakfast Adam dropped us back at the airport. Our track to Emerald had us passing directly over Shandonvale so we couldn’t resist a couple of orbits at 5000ft to say G’day to Deon and Lane.
Another opportunity to practise an RNP instrument approach led to a straight in approach at Emerald.
We where we did a quick refuel and ate a sandwich before we were off further east, passing over a cotton gin, some irrigated fields and a Blackwater coal mine.
We descended into Agnes Water, still our favourite beach resort, where we’d decided to spend the last two nights of the trip. A few stratocumulus clouds met us as we approached the coast. The first real clouds we’d seen for nearly three weeks. As recommended by resident “ARO” Woody, we did a 300ft overfly to chase away any lingering kangaroos and then returned for a full stop. It was time to relax and enjoy an east coast sunset and sunrise for a change.
One last day at the beach before returning to normality. We made the most of it, enjoying the sunrise, then coffee and breakfast at the Holidays Cafe.
A few walks and a couple of swims and a bit of lazing around filled in the day. Then we caught a taxi to 1770 to enjoy a picnic while watching the sun set.
Following a relaxing day at the beaches of Agnes Water and The Town of 1770 we had to refuel once more for our flight back to Redcliffe to finish our Kimberley trip. The decision was to refuel at Hervey Bay so we could have lunch there. We took off and headed south along the coast.
It was another perfect day as we flew along the coast past Bundaberg and Bargara.
A short taxi ride brought us to Enzo’s on the beach, a great little lunch spot where we could enjoy fish and chips while gazing across the water to K’Gari Fraser Island.
Taking to the air again we tracked for K’gari Fraser Island and flew down the coast at 2000ft past Cathedral Beach, Ely Creek, Eurong and on to Double Island Point before reaching Noosa. A Virgin 737 was taking off from Sunny Coast so we had to fly over the top of the airport to avoid his wake turbulence then on past Caloundra and over Bribie Island to Redcliffe.
We were home. Just in time for our monthly aero club barbecue.
It had been an amazing trip of over 4700 nautical miles and 33 tacho hours over 22 days. The Kimberley is definitely one of the most scenic parts of the country, even if you have to fly a long way to get there. I must give a plug for Birgit Bradke’s excellent downloadable pdf travel guide “Destination Kimberley”. At $32.70 it is a bargain. I bought it online in 2019 when I was first planning this trip and it was extremely helpful in identifying the best places to go. Once you buy it Birgit updates it annually for free so you have up to date information whenever you finally get to go (in my case almost 4 years later). And I’d also like to give thanks to Alec Munro from AviAir who was so willing to share his knowledge of the Kimberley with me both before and during the trip. The guys at the Tower in Broome were also very kind. I recommend a trip to Kimberley to anyone who can spare the time and the resources to get there.
Drysdale River – Derby – Horizontal Falls – Cygnet Bay – Broome – Halls Creek – Purnululu Bungles
It was the 22nd May 2023 and the start of the second week of our flying safari in the Kimberley. Just when we thought the trip couldn’t get any better, it did.
Departing Drysdale River Station
From Drysdale River we had an exceptionally scenic flight over the Prince Regent River and along the coast to Horizontal Falls. The Prince Regent River bed is in a fault line that runs NW to SE for some 50 or so miles in a pretty straight line. It delivered us to the Bonaparte Archipelago with its hundreds of islands and waterways.
The coastal part passed over Montgomery Reef before reaching Horizontal Falls where we did an orbit over the top to check out where we’d be staying that evening. From there it was a 20 minute hop to Derby.
We had a few hours to kill before we’d be delivered to the Falls by seaplane so called a taxi (thanks to “DLA” in OzRunways notes for the phone number) into town and visited the Mark Norval Gallery. Mark is an art teacher who has lived in Derby with his wife Mary for 40 years and has helped develop the artistic talents of local indigenous people. His gallery has an amazing array of traditional and modern art by artists from all over the north of WA. He also has a huge collection of vinyl LPs.
Back at the airport Izzy our seaplane pilot helped us aboard the amphibious Cessna Caravan for the 30 minute flight back to Horizontal Falls. With the sun lower in the sky and a prime window seat for all on board we had spectacular views of the country north east of King Sound with its thousands of islands and promontories.
Landing on the water next to our floating hotel we felt like we’d entered some sort of James Bond movie. It was populated with smart young girls whose hospitality skills surpassed anything I’ve seen for a while. It felt pretty special as the 10 of us who were staying overnight were greeted as the day visitors departed on a couple of sea planes bound for Derby. The check in was followed by a shark feeding demonstration where we could swim next to the sharks (separated by a metal grill).
With Swiss precision we boarded a fast boat for a trip out on the water to explore the surrounding bays and delivery to the Horizontal Falls for a few passes at high speed just as the sun set in the west. Hayley our skipper couldn’t help but burst with enthusiasm as she explained the geology and history of the region.
Back at the mother ship the cheese and nibbles was followed by a meal of freshly caught barra, cooked skilfully by a couple of the other girls. Those girls were all a credit to their employer. It was just fascinating how they all worked together seamlessly. After a very satisfying meal they left us to enjoy the sunset and chat with our new friends while they retired to their own cabins at the far end of the mother ship.
The Bond girls had our hot breakfast ready at 6am on the dot. We packed our bags and vacated our rooms and Hayley was ready and waiting in the speed boat as we climbed aboard at 6:30. It was off for another few passes through the wide gap as the sun rose. Hayley is a bit of a rev head so was clearly enjoying shaking us up a bit. We arrived back at the mother ship as four amphibious aircraft landed, full of day visitors. Climbing on board one of them we took off and did a couple of orbits over the falls as the day trippers whizzed through the falls below us.
On the way back to Derby we passed over the Cone Bay barramundi farm that had supplied our dinner the night before.
Landing back at Derby the bus took us into town for a coffee and a visit to another gallery who do silk screenings of local art. The wharf at Derby is pretty famous because of the 11 metre tides so we had to walk out there to have a look, passing some larger than lifelike sculptures on the way. Afterwards the Jila Gallery provided lunch and coffee.
Back at the airport we took off in MSF for one last pass over Horizontal Falls before tracking along the coast past Cockatoo Island and its iron ore mine. We landed at Cygnet Bay at the north end of Dampier Peninsula. The dirt strip is bull dust over a clay base apparently. No good when wet but fine when it’s dry. It was time for a refreshing swim in the Pearl Farm’s infinity pool. Sigi noticed she’d left her favourite Cirrus pullover at the Jila Cafe in Derby. Don’t panic! A quick phone call and the cafe owner arranged to post it to us in Brisbane free of charge. And it arrived a couple of days after we got home. Now that’s service! https://www.jilacafe.com.au
The next day in Cygnet Bay started with a 6:15 departure on an amphibious boat to the Waterfall Reef about 30 minutes away. The 11 metre tide was on the way out so there was plenty of water cascading over the edge. Flocks of terns were busy diving for fish that were being swept along by the rushing tidal waters.
Back at the Pearl Farm we took part in a tour of the operations where our guide went into great details of how pearls have been cultivated since the place was set up in the 1970s.
The accommodation at Cygnet Bay varied between bare campsites to refurbished pearler cabins to luxury glamping tents. They had a great communal kitchen for the campers and a great restaurant/bar/cafe overlooking the infinity pool. The only real negative was the $50 each way transfer fee from the airstrip. A bit steep for what it is. The deck restaurant and bar area were well designed and the food was good and reaonsably priced. The kitchenette was well fitted out so that we could make our own breakfast easily. We enjoyed both dinners there while having our breakfast out the front of our glamping tent.
After a morning walk to explore the local area we were driven out to the Cygnet Bay airstrip just after 11am. There was a bit of traffic around so I was glad to have my Ping USB device that identifies all the ADSB transmitting traffic in the vicinity and displays them in OzRunways on the IPad. Turning left past One Arm Point we headed west initially in an attempt to spot the Cape Leveque airstrip that has been decommissioned. Couldn’t spot it.
So we continued down the coast at 4500ft, passing Luc in his Cherokee, who was further inland at 2500ft. The sealed strip at Lombadina, used by the offshore oil and gas traffic as a refuelling base, stood out, as did the dirt strip at Beagle Bay. There were lots of fires burning inland so the visibility was not ideal due to the smoke but was still greater than 25km along the coast. Descending to 1500ft by James Price Point we were cleared by Broome Tower and followed a Cessna in to join base on RWY10. It’s a big runway.
After tying down and arranging transport for our passengers to the BNB, Luc organised a minor repair to WKE and we walked over to the tower to have a chat with the air traffic controllers. They were happy to show us around and explain their procedures and systems.
The Courthouse BNB turned out to be an oasis not far from Chinatown. The owner had it on the market as she wanted to retire.
After a quick cool off in the pool we caught the very good bus service out to Zander’s at Cable Beach for a sunset aperitif. It was stunning as expected. After another ride back to Chinatown we grabbed the last table at Johnny Sausage, an upmarket Italian restaurant for a great meal with great service. Highly recommended.
There’s a lot to see in Broome and plenty of history. The Courthouse BNB was a great central base for exploring. Friday started with an early morning tour of the “big art” around Chinatown with Chris from Salty Plum walking tours. The Chinatown and Town Beach precincts were upgraded for $30m a few years ago and part of it was installation of numerous sculptures and other artworks. Chris spent an hour and a half with us explaining the history of the town.
After breakfast we walked along to the town beach jetty where there are sculptures in memory of the victims of the Japanese aerial attack on Broome during WWII. We were totally unaware of this attack and how many people were killed, mainly refugees escaping Indonesia. We watched a young guy pluck a number of fish out of the water at the end of the jetty. No bait required! Who needs a boat?
The museum nearby gave us a bit more info on the pearling industry over the years while Matso’s Brewery introduced us to mango beer over a Bibimbap.
A short ride on the superb Broome Explorer bus brought us to the Japanese cemetery and from there it was only a couple of km stroll to Cable Beach to see the sun slide into the Indian Ocean one last time. At 22,000 steps for the day it made our hike to Mitchell Falls pale into insignificance.
It was time to head east once more. From Broome it was more than a two hour flight to Halls Creek via the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater. But first another sunrise walk and visit to the Saturday markets.
Then it was Broome Broome out to the airport for an IFR departure from RWY10. Our track was 101 so straight ahead for just over two hours at 7000 feet over the southern reaches of the mighty Fitzroy River. There was a fair headwind (our first for the whole trip!) and some smoke so we climbed to non standard 8000 for the second half.
As we approached Wolfe Creek we descended to 6000 ft and ATC anticipated our requirements by asking what our air work would be over the crater. “Two orbits please. One right, one left.” “No IFR traffic for air work”. All good. The crater is impressive even if “only” 1km in diameter. Must’ve made quite a bang on the day.
It was only 20 minutes from there to Halls Creek where the local ARO jogged past and showed us the best spot to tie down. A refreshing plunge in the pool at the Kimberley Hotel 5 minutes walk down the road was followed by a great steak at the Sportsman’s Bar. Being asked to blow in a breath test at the entrance to the bar was a first. Apparently they have a lot of problems with preloaded patrons. You can’t enter if you’re over the limit. And they don’t discriminate. Everyone has to blow. As a result the place was a very pleasant venue.
It was an early-ish start from Halls Creek to Purnululu National Park (Bungles). We lifted off at 8:30 and tracked via the Macintosh Hills then on towards the south west entry for a spectacular scenic flight around the Bungles at 3000ft, as described in ERSA. It was a maze of gorges in between plateaus for the most part, with the iconic stripy mounds mainly concentrated on the south eastern edge.
Landing at Bellburn airstrip at 9:30 we were greeted with morning tea before bring whisked away on a Bungle Bungle Guided Tours bus for a walking tour to Cathderal Gorge.
It involved about a 4km stroll through the park with lively descriptions of the geology and history by Gabriel and Wesley, two local Gidja people. Gabriel put on quite a show with his banter and clear descriptions while Wesley was more measured in his explanations. Lunch was in the bottom of the Cathedral Gorge itself.
The bus took us back to the Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge where we checked in, had a quick dip then enjoyed the sunset on the opposite rock faces of the surrounding hills before enjoying dinner on the deck. Our tour of the Kimberley had come to an end and it was time to head for home.
The story concludes under “Destinations – Heading home from the Kimberley”
ElQuestro – Kununurra – Lake Argyle – Ord River – Home Valley Station – Drysdale River Station – Mitchell Falls
It was 15th May 2023. We’d made it to the Kimberley after flying all the way across Queensland and the Northern Territory. We were at ElQuestro, a slightly upmarket resort place not far from Kununurra but far enough to be like a completely different world. Nature at its finest. The first day at ElQuestro was a chance to relax after our long journey. Settle in. Swim in the waterhole, explore the facilities, move MSF to let some aircraft from Tyabb in Victoria out so they could depart the next day and source some oil from Broome for our visit next week. There was a great steakhouse with very good food and reasonable prices. Live music at the bar. A few things needed to be fixed however. The glamping tents had a/c but were missing a fridge and kettle. There wasn’t one in the communal kitchen either. We needed to talk to management.
Elquestro day 2 we had an early start to avoid the heat of the day. By 6:30 we’d had breakfast and were hiking to Champagne Springs. We passed a ginormous Boab tree on the way and were held up for an hour when the creek crossing was poorly signposted. Nevertheless, 3 hours after setting out we were swimming in the pools. Very refreshing. We needed a siesta before heading back to the resort.
The well earned siesta was disturbed by a Longranger helicopter that flew in from Kununurra. We walked back to the station in time for a late lunch and another swim in the waterhole.
After a short break Peter, one of the Elquestro tour guides, drove us up to Saddleback Ridge for the sunset over the Pentecost River.
Day 3 at ElQuestro we did the full day tour. Starting at 7:15 we were driven over to Emma Gorge where Peter the guide led us up the gorge to a refreshing water hole with a 35 metre high waterfall. It was a bit over one hour each way.
After morning tea at Emma Gorge reception we were driven to Zebedee Springs (ala Magic Roundabout) for a warm bath in the 30 degree water. That was only a 5 minute walk. Lush tropical vegetation surrounds the numerous swimming holes.
This was followed by lunch at the steakhouse and a cruise up the Chamberlain River where we saw a 3 metre salty sunning himself on a ledge and fed some clever little arrowfish that spit water at you. They use this technique to hit insects flying past and make them crash into the water.
Back at the Station we had drinks with new friends from London and then finished the day with a farewell dinner for Louise who was leaving us the next day to head back to work in Brisbane.
The next day it was time to depart ElQuestro. It’s a great spot with great facilities and very helpful staff and you can camp or glamp or stay in the motel rooms. The water hole in the Pentecost River (Creek) is a great place to cool down after a walk. It’s overlooked by the Steakhouse.
We had one last breakfast in front of the glamping tents, packed up and headed to the airstrip.
We took off at 8:30 and after a pass over the station and the exclusive ElQuestro homestead we climbed to 5500ft over Champagne Springs and set course for the Argyle Diamond mine.
I’ve been following the mine’s progress since the 1980s so although it’s now shut down it was impressive to see it from the air.
Next we tracked up the west coast of Lake Argyle to Kununurra. That lake is a huge expanse of water. 20 times the volume of Sydney harbour and 2000 square km in area.
On descent into Kununurra we passed over some of the fields that are irrigated by the Lake Argyle water. On landing we refuelled and were picked up by a shuttle that took us to the Kimberley Croc Motel.
The motel is a great casual place right in the middle of town. A quick sandwich and farewell to Louise, who had to catch her plane to Darwin, was followed by a bus trip out to the Lake Argyle cruise that helped us appreciate all the more this engineering marvel. At a cost if $22m in 1971 it must’ve been the best deal in WA history. There’s a 30MW hydro power station that’s now running at about one third capacity since the diamond mine shut. And sooo much water. Why not build a pipeline to Port Hedland and develop a hydrogen/green iron making hub?
We saw more fresh water crocs than ever before and then went swimming not too far away as the sun set over the hills. What a day! Definitely recommend the Lake Argyle cruise for anyone visiting Kununurra.
Lake Argyle was formed by damming the Old River in the 1970s. So, having spent a day on Lake Argyle, the next day we had to do a boat trip up the Ord River downstream of the dam wall to see what it was like before the lake existed. First though Sigi and I did walk to Lake Kununurra to get a bit of a feel of the town.
The boat trip was with Triple J Tours and skipper Justin was cruising at up to 50km/h. The first 40km upstream from Kununurra is called Lake Kununurra as it’s the level held back by the lower “diversion” dam that’s located at Kununurra. The remaining 15km to the Lake Argyle dam wall is essentially the original Ord River. Along the way we stumbled on rock wallabies, fresh water crocodiles, mountains that formed silhouettes of famous people and animals and even some pumpkin scones, as well as the dam wall itself and the outlet pipes from the hydroelectric power station. Beautiful landscape and another stunning sunset.
We saw thousands of fruit bats take to the sky over the recently reopened Pump House Restaurant.
Rita had been told by someone local to Kununurra that the Pumphouse was pretty special so she’d booked us in there for dinner a week or so before. Lucky for us because the food was impressive. After a quick stop at the motel we were whisked back to the Pumphouse where we subsequently settled in for an impressive array of culinary delights.
Sigi and I woke up to another perfect day and decided to do an early morning walk up to Kelly’s Knob Lookout for a view over the irrigated areas around Kununurra.
After breakfast Luc and I met with Chris, a pilot from Aviair, who, over a coffee, gave us some useful tips about flying in the Kimberley. Then we packed up and headed out to the airport. Around 11:30 we lifted off and followed the Ord River to the coast as far as Wyndham where we had a view of the King River and Pentecost that flow into the sea nearby, then followed the Pentecost River inland to Home Valley Station.
King River
Home Valley Station sits at the eastern end of the Gibb River Road and they put on a pretty good lunch. Trish the manager texted me an airstrip report before we left Kununurra that was very useful. It’s the only place that supplied such report. It was a 10 minute walk from the strip to the homestead where they had a pleasant restaurant that had just opened for the season. You can stay there too. It’s surrounded by some stunning escarpment type scenery.
Recharged by lunch, we walked back to the strip, took off and followed the Gibb River Road to the west as far as Ellenbrae Station, another place we could’ve stopped for lunch or stayed overnight but we overflew at 2500ft and continued on to Drysdale River.
Drysdale River Station has a good airstrip and they can arrange avgas but you have to buy it by the 200L drum and order and pay in advance. So I’d arranged with Anne the owner to order a drum for us at the special price of $5 per Litre. Liquid gold. Her son Paul had invested in a new hand pump so he pumped 120L into MSF and about 60L into WKE. 20 L remained to add to WKE the next day. With tanks filled it meant we were all ready for our flight to Mitchell Plateau and Mitchell Falls.
Drysdale River is a great jumping off point for Mitchell Falls in the central Kimberley. The accommodation is basic but clean and well equipped for independent travellers. There’s free washing machines, fridge, toaster and kettle in the communal kitchen. There is also a shop with basic groceries. The beer garden is a great setting and the restaurant/cafe does reasonable pub food. Continental breakfast is included in the overnight rate. Cereal and toast, tea and coffee. Hot breakfast is extra. Owners Anne and Alan are looking towards retirement so leased management of the accommodation to Outback Spirit in 2022 for two years so the new management are still settling in. Steve the manager is a good guy and provided free transfers to the strip with lively banter along the way. The strip is well maintained. Anne and Alan still run the shop and fuel service. They also still run cattle on the property.
Dinner was in their beer garden under the fairy lights as the temperature dropped suddenly to a chilly 15C or so. At about 1200ft AMSL Drysdale River does not retain the heat of the day.
Breakfast at 6:30 the next day meant we were lifting off shortly after 8am for Mitchell Plateau. The forecast was for strong winds so we expected a bumpy ride but at 4500ft it was pretty smooth. Landing at the plateau it was a bit gusty but we had a smooth landing nevertheless. A kind bystander videoed our landing and came over for a chat and airdropped the file to me.
There were a few rocks exposed on RWY 06 but we managed to avoid them and were tied down and waiting for our chopper by 9:15. The Longranger arrived at 9:30 and took us to the Mitchell Falls campground where the 3 hour hike to the falls starts.
It was a great walk with a stopover at Little Mertens Falls where there are some indigenous rock paintings behind the falls. We had a swim first in the pools at the top of the falls and later in the water hole at the base.
We passed Mertens Gorge before reaching the Mitchell River where we waded knee deep across the river just upstream of the falls. We learnt the socks trick. Take off your boots but keep your socks on. Less chance of slipping.
Our picnic spot overlooking the falls completed the walk.
Then at 2pm the Helispirit chopper picked us up for a couple of low level laps over the falls and a birds eye view of our hiking route on the way back to the airstrip. After taking off in MSF we did another couple of passes over the falls before heading back to Drysdale River.
Dinner in the beer garden was followed by chats around the camp fire. What a day.
So ended the first week of our flying safari around the Kimberley. But the best was yet to come!
The story continues under “Destinations – Kimberley Flying Safari Week 2”
Chinchilla – Barcaldine – Shandonvale Station – Winton – Mt Isa – Barkly Wayside Inn – Dunmarra – Kununurra – Elquestro
It was 10th May 2023. The next day we were setting off on our Kimberley trip. 4600nm in 21 days. 4 years in the planning. Two aborted attempts due to Covid restrictions. Finally it looked like we were on our way. Blue skies were on the forecast.
David and Rita had arrived after driving up from Stawell in their 4WD camper. That would stay in Mike’s hangar along with the Boxster while MSF was out and about. David and Rita accompanied me to Redcliffe to check out the hangar and so that I could prepare the aircraft. Our maximum fuel would be 220L with all our bags so I needed a way to check how much we had. At Drysdale River we’d have to fill from a drum without any calibrated flowmeter. A dipstick was required. So we made one. There and then. Using the bowser at Redcliffe to measure the amount we were adding to the tanks.
The next morning dawned clear with blue skies. Rita and Sigi drove out to Redcliffe in the Boxster while David and I took the 4WD. We pulled MSF out and parked the cars. David erected the roof top tent so that it’d air while we were away.
MSF was loaded, we climbed in and off we went, heading west, first stop Chinchilla.
The bowser at Chinchilla gave us a bit of grief at first but after a quick call to the aero club president we had it sorted and were winging our way to Barcaldine, via the Carnarvon Gorge. It was a bit cloudy and turbulent over the gorge area but we soon arrived in Barcaldine for refuelling and our first lunch stop. There was a QantasLink Dash8 on the apron so a few locals were around dropping people off or picking them up. Two of them offered us a lift into town and one even gave us a lift back one hour later.
We checked out the Tree of Knowledge and then found a bakery to buy some lunch.
It turned out our friendly husband and wife drivers, Bevan and Allison Doyle, had both been pilots and were keen to know what we were up to and where we were going. Bevan drove us back out to the airport and checked out MSF as he hadn’t seen a Cirrus before.
Then we were off again. This time a 20 minute hop to our first overnight stop. Shandonvale sheep station. It would be Sigi and my second stay here after we visited with Anne and Harpur in 2021. David and Rita were in for a nice surprise however.
The owners Deon and Lane were away in Townsville so we were looked after by Deon’s parents Alan and Laurel. Deon had supplied the food for us however so we were well catered for. Alan was waiting for us at the airstrip with the 4WD vehicle we could use during our stay to get around. Driving over to reception we enjoyed a cool beer then headed over to the Shearers Quarters where we would be staying.
We had to unpack but first things first. The sun was going down already so it was off to Aramac Creek to check out the jetty and go for a champagne laced dip in the spa water tank at sunset.
After a good night’s sleep in the luxurious shearer’s quarters we were ready for breakfast of camel sausages and home cured bacon from Deon and Lane’s own production.
Alan had asked us to be over at the homestead by 9am so we could start our day exploring and relaxing at Shandonvale. He took us on a 2 hour tour of the property after which we were free to explore further on our own.
The day ended with a roast pork dinner supplied by Deon and masterfully slow cooked by Rita and a few yarns around the fire pit.
After another good night’s sleep it was time to continue on our journey. We were going to the Kimberley after all. We headed off for Barkly Wayside Inn via fuel stops at Winton and Mt Isa. On the way to Winton we passed over Muttaburra, home to the Muttaburrasaurus.
They have a great little terminal building at Winton, the town of many firsts.
But we couldn’t stop there this time. We were off to Mt Isa where the terminal was exactly that – terminal. Shuttered and devoid of life. Not even a toilet open. Luckily the BP guy kindly let us use their toilet. Hopeless that Glencore can’t even organise a dunny for the passing traveller. Am I surprised? Not really.
We met up with Luc and Louise at Barkly Wayside Inn. They’d had a couple of days at Roma and Winton on the way while we’d been slumming it at Shandonvale. Meanwhile Barkly Wayside Inn was undergoing a major refurbishment so the aircraft parking area was doubling as a laydown area for the builders. It was a great gravel strip but the taxiway was blocked by a grader at first, then a cement mixer. Finally after the cement mixer was towed away we taxied to the bowser that was surrounded by numerous trip hazards.
The pool was very refreshing and the rooms were great and the new pub looked like it would be great too when it’s complete. They told us that it should be working by the time we returned in 3 weeks. Meanwhile though they were working out of a container as takeaway only.
The next day we flew from Barkly Wayside Inn to ElQuestro via Dunmarra and Kununurra. Heading northwest from Barkly we flew over Rockhampton Downs Station. There was so much water lying around from the recent rains and the country was much greener than expected.
Dunmarra was interesting. They weren’t sure whether the bowser would work so we first did an overfly of Hayfield to check out their strip. They were our Plan B for refuelling. Great strip. Five miles away we landed at Dunmarra where the strip was a bit overgrown but still ok.
Gary Frost the owner needed about half an hour to get the bowser working but finally with the help of two mates plus David he succeeded. Then shouted us a coffee. He is setting up a microbrewery that should be amazing.
Flying on to Kununurra we passed over Victoria River area with some really spectacular country with gorges and escarpments and rivers. And we met up with the Victoria Highway that connects Darwin with Kununurra.
At Kununurra we refuelled again then hopped over to ElQuestro where we were to stay for four nights. Finally after three years we had made it to the Kimberley.
The story continues under “Destinations – Kimberley Flying Safari Week 1”
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