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We visited the Kimberley for a few weeks this year and managed to spend some time on the Gibb River Road. The adventure is fantastic, and the scenery just superb! We covered the GRR, Mitchell Plateau, El Questro, Mornington and Purnululu areas, all prior to grading for the season, so the roads were a mess. I won't go into the adventure as there is plenty of information out there about this area.
We did however see many interesting approaches to travel in the region, and it brought to our attention some major issues that 4WDrivers have in the Kimberley, and the obvious reasons why. The 4wd and mechanical outlets then backed up our thoughts. One mechanic mentioned that he had 5-6 call outs per day on the GRR during the season. Nearly all were due to high speed and high tyre pressures. The income from these call-outs was substantial enough for him to downsize his business during the Wet and take extended holidays each year!
Every issue that we saw fell into three categories:
Tyre pressures too high! I spoke with my tyre importer before doing the trip and they suggested that, at a full touring load, I could run my particular tyres at 29psi for the whole GRR, as long as I kept my speed under 80kph, and hence the heat build-up down. This I did, with no punctures. We spoke to everyone we saw who had a puncture, and there were many of them! and every one of these vehicles were running pressures upwards of 38psi (Most way over 40psi) with full loads, over gravel and rough roads. One even said to me "why is everyone asking me that question?" Lower pressures equal less punctures and better comfort over this terrain.
Speed too high! We saw 4WD's travelling way over a realistic or safe speed, around blind bends and through river/creek crossings. We received a broken windscreen, had an oncoming vehicle lock-up sideways around a bend and nearly clean us up with their sideways caravan, and had one oncoming idiot decide time was against him so rather than slow down as he passed us he flew past by mounting the grader run off at over 100km per hour! With his camper trailer in tow! A very impressive sight as his Toyota Hilux bashed and crashed through large rocks and dust! It was very clear to us that not everyone understands how to drive on dirt roads - many have probably never experienced these conditions prior to their trip. We even saw a vehicle which had encountered a cow head on and was being pulled out of a drainage ditch ready for flat bedding to Broome!! There were cows everywhere on the road and it was just a matter of slowing down to avoid them.
Mechanical Complacency! The area is still considered remote, although its relatively easy to get help if you need it. However small mechanical issues can really ruin a holiday. In particular I saw electrical and fuel problems in amongst the cheap accessories destroying themselves on the corrugations - spotlight mounts in particular.
Apparently there are quite a few drivers who believe that they are off-road when driving the GRR and they crack a tinnie as soon as they get off the bitumen. The local police say it is a regular problem, and one mentioned that as the driver of one vehicle stepped out a cascade of empty cans fell on the road! The GRR is a gazetted road, normal road rules apply - and there are regular random breath tests carried out.
Members here quite often ask how Pajero's perform in the Kimberley. A stock Pajero will travel easily in this region as long as it is properly mechanically maintained, and I saw plenty of them. Attention to tyres and suspension being paramount, especially with the heavy loads usually carried.
The best advice I can give is reduce both your tyre pressure and your speed so you can enjoy the journey.
We did however see many interesting approaches to travel in the region, and it brought to our attention some major issues that 4WDrivers have in the Kimberley, and the obvious reasons why. The 4wd and mechanical outlets then backed up our thoughts. One mechanic mentioned that he had 5-6 call outs per day on the GRR during the season. Nearly all were due to high speed and high tyre pressures. The income from these call-outs was substantial enough for him to downsize his business during the Wet and take extended holidays each year!
Every issue that we saw fell into three categories:
Tyre pressures too high! I spoke with my tyre importer before doing the trip and they suggested that, at a full touring load, I could run my particular tyres at 29psi for the whole GRR, as long as I kept my speed under 80kph, and hence the heat build-up down. This I did, with no punctures. We spoke to everyone we saw who had a puncture, and there were many of them! and every one of these vehicles were running pressures upwards of 38psi (Most way over 40psi) with full loads, over gravel and rough roads. One even said to me "why is everyone asking me that question?" Lower pressures equal less punctures and better comfort over this terrain.
Speed too high! We saw 4WD's travelling way over a realistic or safe speed, around blind bends and through river/creek crossings. We received a broken windscreen, had an oncoming vehicle lock-up sideways around a bend and nearly clean us up with their sideways caravan, and had one oncoming idiot decide time was against him so rather than slow down as he passed us he flew past by mounting the grader run off at over 100km per hour! With his camper trailer in tow! A very impressive sight as his Toyota Hilux bashed and crashed through large rocks and dust! It was very clear to us that not everyone understands how to drive on dirt roads - many have probably never experienced these conditions prior to their trip. We even saw a vehicle which had encountered a cow head on and was being pulled out of a drainage ditch ready for flat bedding to Broome!! There were cows everywhere on the road and it was just a matter of slowing down to avoid them.
Mechanical Complacency! The area is still considered remote, although its relatively easy to get help if you need it. However small mechanical issues can really ruin a holiday. In particular I saw electrical and fuel problems in amongst the cheap accessories destroying themselves on the corrugations - spotlight mounts in particular.
Apparently there are quite a few drivers who believe that they are off-road when driving the GRR and they crack a tinnie as soon as they get off the bitumen. The local police say it is a regular problem, and one mentioned that as the driver of one vehicle stepped out a cascade of empty cans fell on the road! The GRR is a gazetted road, normal road rules apply - and there are regular random breath tests carried out.
Members here quite often ask how Pajero's perform in the Kimberley. A stock Pajero will travel easily in this region as long as it is properly mechanically maintained, and I saw plenty of them. Attention to tyres and suspension being paramount, especially with the heavy loads usually carried.
The best advice I can give is reduce both your tyre pressure and your speed so you can enjoy the journey.
. Vid is being uploaded to youtube as we speak. Link should be up on the forum tonight.
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