Iconic Aussie cattle routes are an increasingly popular destination for the owners of 4WD Dual-Cab utes like the Mazda BT-50, including Western Australia’s challenging Gibb River Road
- A road trip 360,000 million years in the making
- Engineered for the land Down Under
- Million-star accommodation
- Hidden gems
- Nearing the end…
- How’d the ute go, mate?
Ask anyone keen on exploring Australia’s famed four-wheel drive tracks and the Gibb River Road is bound to be on their bucket list. Like the Canning Stock Route and Birdsville Track, the Gibb River Road is one of a number of iconic Aussie cattle routes now more popular with Grey Nomads than Murray Greys, providing a fascinating insight into not only the toil and hardship faced by early pastoralists, but also the immensely rich history of the Kimberley region’s earliest inhabitants. Starting at Lake Argyle near Kununurra, we hit the ‘Gibb’ in Mazda’s updated BT-50 GT and XTR four-wheel drive utes for a corrugated five-day journey to Derby on the rugged Western Australian coast.
A road trip 360,000 million years in the making
Iconic Aussie cattle routes are an increasingly popular destination for the owners of 4WD Dual-Cab utes like the Mazda BT-50, including Western Australia’s challenging Gibb River Road. Dwarfed by the boab trees and bull dust, the ‘Gibb’ is a small, almost inconsequential path by Outback standards, yet stands in celebrity for its links to a bygone time.
In reality, the Gibb River Road is just decades old, carved to sustain the pastoralists of this frontier land. But for the increasing number of tourists that traverse the ‘Gibb’ each year it’s also a path to other riches – natural riches that include spectacular scenery, Dreamtime tales, and plant and animal life found nowhere else in our wide, brown land.
Long before European pastoralists penetrated the isolated region between the central Kimberley and the north-west Western Australian coast, the expansive ranges and cavernous gorges that flank the King Leopold ranges were home to as many as five Aboriginal language groups: Bunuba, Gooniyandi, Nyikina, Walmajarri and Wangkatjungka.
Abundant food and fresh water supplies supported generations of communities who developed lingual, spiritual and cultural customs, and whose vestiges can still be found in the sheltered caverns that abut the chasms and canyons of the Gibb River Road.
Ancient rock paintings suggest occupation of the area dating back almost 60,000 years, the most notable being the Wanjina and Brolga Complexes close to the King Edward River crossing. There are more than 10,000 examples of figurative rock art in the region, examples of which depict mostly human and animal figures, and detail movement of nomadic tribes across an area larger than Germany.
Contact with native residents is recorded as early as the 1830s, but it wasn’t until 1898 that gold prospector and explorer Frank Hann ventured properly beyond the Kimberley plateau. Hann named many of the rivers and ridges that we recognise along the Gibb River Road today, and opened passage to the pastoralists who followed.
The beef industry expanded quickly, with numerous cattle stations established throughout the region. By the late 1940s the Air Beef Scheme saw frozen carcasses flown twice daily for export from the Glenroy Station abattoir, but as volume and costs rose, the Western Australian government recognised the need for a road, and by 1956 the Gibb River Road (as we now know it) was opened to truck live cattle to market.
Named after English-born geologist Andrew Gibb Maitland – who accompanied the Drake-Brockman expedition through the area in 1901 – the Gibb River Road stretches 660km from the Kununurra-Wyndham junction at the Great Northern Highway through to Derby on the rugged Western Australia coast.
Open seasonally (typically from April to October) the former cattle route now serves primarily as a tourist road accessing the region’s staggeringly diverse geological formations, awe-inspiring scenery and unique flora and fauna.
Engineered for the land Down Under
Mazda’s trade-tough BT-50 utility is our weapon of choice for the corrugated five-day trek west. Sharing a chassis, driveline, roof and front and rear glass with the Aussie-developed Ford Ranger, it was initially launched Down Under in 2011. Yet, in spite of its shared origins and cheaper list price, the BT-50 sells less than a quarter of the volume of its twin-under-the-skin sibling Ranger.
To help redress that imbalance, Mazda recently updated its 23-variant BT-50 line-up with more equipment and a fresh new look that’s unique to the Australian market.
Designed and developed by Victorian company EGR, the BT-50’s new face includes a restyled lower bumper design, squarer fog-light apertures, and horizontally-slatted grille with chrome finish on GT and XTR variants. Top-spec BT-50 GT also scores new-look alloy wheels, a chrome sports bar, tub liner, remote tailgate lock and a 12-volt power outlet and light for the tray.
Power continues to come courtesy of Mazda’s proven MZ-CD (nee Ford Duratorq) 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel. The direct-injected unit is of iron block/alloy head construction and fed by an electrically-actuated and air-intercooled variable geometry turbocharger. It claims 147kW at 3000rpm and 470Nm from 1750-2500rpm when driving the two-speed transfer case and six-speed automatic transmission combo tested, an ideal match for the challenging terrain of the Gibb River Road.
The 2018 Mazda BT-50 range is priced from $28,990 through to $51,990 (plus ORCs) and is backed by a newly announced five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Improved 12-month/15,000km (previously 10,000km) service intervals add up to $1522 over three years, which Mazda says represents a saving of $530 over the outgoing range.
For this journey, we’ve opted for the range-topping Mazda BT-50 GT 4×4 (from $56,990) and BT-50 XTR 4×4 (from $53,190). Our ‘Cool White’ GT is fitted with a tonneau cover with tailgate dust-seal kit and ezy-down strut, plus a 3500kg tow pack with electronic brake controller, while the ‘Titanium Flash’ (grey) XTR support ute boasts an outback-appropriate canopy, bullbar, side steps, UHF radio, dual-battery kit, tow bar, rubber floor mats and heavy-duty neoprene seat covers. Full option fit-out and pricing details are listed below.
Million-star accommodation
Although the Gibb River Road offers resort and station-style accommodation in parts, the majority of travellers opt for the comfort of their own caravan, tent or swag – just like we did. Travelling light offers the best option for access to the dozens of narrow trails that intersect the main thoroughfare, allowing admission to the picturesque gorges, towering ranges and eon-old caves that punctuate this expansive landscape.
For us, and many others, no trip along the Gibb is complete without first visiting Australia’s largest man-made lake. First flooded in 1971, Lake Argyle – named after the cattle property it consumed – forms part of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme and boasts a surface area of some 1000 square kilometres, the 98m high dam wall towering over the Ord as it meanders its way towards the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf hundreds of kilometres further north.
Topping up the BT-50’s 80-litre tank in Kununurra, and purchasing the fruit and vegetable items that couldn’t cross the border from the Northern Territory, we learn that many tourists ‘short-cut’ the Gibb by hitting the 33km asphalt section between the Great Northern Highway and El Questro, before doubling back and taking Highway 1 through Fitzroy River to the King Leopold Ranges. It’s a way to save time, sure, but for us anything short of the full end-to-end trek felt akin to cheating.
We made the mandatory stop-off at the famous El Questro Wilderness Park and spent an afternoon exploring a portion of the million-acre property. Many of its spectacular views are only accessible via four-wheel drive, the crossing over the Drysdale River alone taking eight minutes to complete, such is the rocky nature of the man-made ford.
In truth, El Questro deserved more of our time. But with deadlines looming we pushed on to the 3.5 million acre Home Valley Station to set up camp on the bank of the Bindoola Creek. Estuarine (or salt water) and freshwater crocodiles inhabit many of the waterways in these parts, including the muddy banks of the Bindoola, but we’re assured “they can’t climb the bank”. We spend the twilight hour admiring the rich red hues of the sunset against the soaring Cockburn Range.
As we leave Home Valley Station we’re reminded of how hazardous travel in these parts can be. Even in the dry season animal strike, fine dust and car-breaking corrugations can test the less prepared. The BT-50 doesn’t flinch at the challenge.
Hidden gems
It might seem that taking on the Gibb River Road means “roughing it”, but the camp sites dotted along the way are superbly maintained – hidden gems that make the stop worthwhile. One particular highlight is the camping grounds at Manning Creek.
Located 7km behind the Mt Barnett Roadhouse, the shaded sites offer access to a crystal-clear (and croc-free) swimming hole and a set-off point to the picturesque Manning Gorge with its ancient rock art and breath-taking views. We especially enjoyed the ‘tinny ride’ that begins the hike.
Gorges like the Manning, Adcock, Bell and Lennard punctuate the flat dusty landscape more frequently as the Gibb River Road nears the Napier Range. Most require a hike from the car park – which in 38c temperatures means being prepared to carry a few litres of water onto the deal – while a few others seem to miss the tourist maps, relying instead on word of mouth from fellow travellers to be discovered.
Staying at Silent Grove Campground for a couple of nights gave us plenty of time to chat with like-minded trekkers, and served as a wonderful base for accessing several of the King Leopold Ranges headline acts. Located adjacent to the world-famous Bell Gorge, Silent Grove provides shaded camping and well-maintained facilities ideal for canvas or caravan camping, as well as a number of hikes we reckon are well worth the boot-leather.
Of course not all of the big-ticket sites in the Kimberley require a couple of hours on foot. Some, like Dog Chain Creek and Queen Victoria’s Head are visible from the main road, while others like Adcock Gorge require short but intricate navigation in low-range four-wheel drive. Here the BT-50’s low-range gearing and generous ground clearance make careful wheel placement easy, the short but challenging trail between pandanus bush and rock terminating at this veritable oasis.
You can’t camp at Adcock Gorge, and believe us, there are freshwater crocodiles in the lily pond below. But the soaring stone walls clung to by tenacious rock figs create an attractive setting to enjoy a cup of tea, the cooler temperatures and near-silence of the surrounds a wonderful break from the busy Gibb River Road.
Nearing the end…
Depending on which way you tackle the Gibb River Road, the King Leopold Ranges can be the start, or the end of your trip. And while in truth many of the big-name sites of the road itself are isolated to this comparatively small area, for us they were but the cherry on top of what can only be described as a true ‘bucket list’ trip.
In particular, Windjana Gorge with its sleepy crocodiles, towering 100m high limestone walls and sacred Bandingan Rock sits resplendent over the surrounding sand and scrub. Carving a 3.5km swathe through an ancient Devonian reef (360 million years old), it’s not only incredibly beautiful to behold, but riddled with ageless fossils, many of which are visible from the well-marked walking trail.
But for aboriginal residents, Windjana also shares an infamous and far more recent memory. In November 1894 Aboriginal tribal leader Bunuba Jandamarra shot a police constable called to investigate a dispute between local tribespeople and pastoralists at nearby Lillimooloora Homestead. The initial skirmish lasted several days, but Jandamarra and his men eluded capture at nearby Tunnel Creek for almost three years, eventually captured in the April of 1897.
Visit Tunnel Creek and it’s quickly evident how Jandamarra managed to evade capture for so long (see image below). What began as non-violent resistance to European invasion ended when, tracked by black trooper ‘Micki’, Jandamarra was shot and fell 30m to his death from a limestone pillar at the entrance to the cave system. It’s written that in retaliation for the shoot-out, police and local pastoralists “rounded up and killed” as many as 84 members of Jandamarra’s tribe – including women and children.
Arriving in Derby after just five days on the Gibb River Road we couldn’t help but feeling short-changed. Our trek had served merely as a taste test of all the region has to offer.
Whether north to Horizontal Falls, Kalumburu, the Mitchell Plateau, Prince Regent and Drysdale River National Parks, or south to the Bungle Bungle Range, Purnululu National Park and Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, Western Australia’s Kimberely Region truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
How’d the ute go, mate?
As for our pair of Mazda BT-50s, we’re pleased to say they didn’t miss a beat. Despite the endless corrugations, sharp flinty rocks, endless water crossings and all-day heat (typically between 36-41c) we didn’t experience a single problem.
Sure, the white XTR saw a little dust ingress in the tray (in spite of the fitment of additional dust sealing), but that was it – we didn’t even get a flat tyre. The air-con performed without fault, and the fuel consumption from Mazda’s 3.2-litre ‘five’ was excellent – despite each vehicle carrying an additional 350kg of camping equipment, camera gear, spare wheels and fuel.
The front seats provided very good support for driver and passenger alike, and though there is no reach adjustment for the steering, I had no issue staying comfortable – even on the lengthy 830km stint from Darwin to the Kununurra. The Alpine stereo is a little clumsy to use, but kept us entertained regardless.
On rough roads like the Gibb, and the numerous demanding side excursions you’ll be tempted to take along the way, a 4WD Dual-Cab ute like the Mazda BT-50 makes a lot of sense. It offers the reliability and durability needed to do the job with the carrying capacity, fuel economy and creature comforts a trip like this demands; and out here, that’s a very important combination.
How much does the 2018 Mazda BT-50 XTR cost? Price: $53,190.00 (plus ORCs); $58,380.24 (as tested, plus ORCs) Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel Output: 147kW/470Nm Transmission: Six-speed automatic Fuel: 10.0L/100km (ADR Combined); 14.3L/100km (as tested) CO2: 246g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2011)
Options and accessory pricing (fitted price shown): >> Carpet Floor Mats – $130.83 >> Sports Bar & Tonneau Cover – $866.81 >> Tow Bar – $656.58 >> Wiring Harness – $335.45 >> Tow Ball – $29.46 >> Electronic Brake Controller – $630.86 >> Tail Gate Dust Seal – $559.68
>> Ezy Down Strut – $207.39
How much does the 2018 Mazda BT-50 GT cost? Price: $56,990.00 (plus ORCs); $70,540.10 (as tested, plus ORCs) Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel Output: 147kW/470Nm Transmission: Six-speed automatic Fuel: 10.0L/100km (ADR Combined) ; 15.1L/100km (as tested) CO2: 246g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2011)
Options and accessory pricing (fitted price shown): >> Rubber Floor Mats – $129.97 >> Black Bull Bar – $2541.01 >> Black Side Steps – $692.32 >> Dual Slider Canopy – $3628.00 >> Black Alloy Wheels – $1430.96 >> BT-50 Decal – $219.51 >> Tow Bar – $656.58 >> Wiring Harness – $335.45 >> Tow Ball – $29.46 >> Dual Battery Kit – $1298.77 >> UHF Radio – $960.00 >> Tail Gate Dust Seal – $559.68 >> Tray Mat – $426.84 >> Front Seat Covers – $318.06
>> Rear Seat Cover – $323.49
Keyword: Mazda BT-50 takes on the Gibb River Road