11th September 2015 - Galvans Gorge and Derby (unplanned) & on to Broome

Yet another beautiful day.  We packed up intending to drive to Bells Gorge via Galvans Gorge but our car had other plans for us.  After filling up at Mt Barnett Roadhouse (the last fuel stop for approx 300km) we drove along the Gibb & turned off to visit Galvans Gorge.  We followed the creek for the short walk into the gorge - very pretty with Indigenous artwork on the rocks.


The walk beside the creek into Galvans Gorge

Galvans Gorge - very pretty

 Linnie enjoying a break 

            










        Aboriginal Art

























        A Boab Tree - a Kimberley Icon












We left Galvans Gorge and travelled on along the Gibb.  Bells Gorge was still our intended destination today.

It was hot and dusty and we stopped on the side of the road to stretch our legs and retrieve some fruit from the fridge in the back of the car.  After about 5 mins we decided to continue but the car wouldn't start.  We checked under the bonnet but with no joy.  We stood there waiting for help to come along. It was very hot with absolutely no shade at all but luckily, we didn't have long to wait - we could see a white ute in the distance and flagged the driver down.  He turned out to be a local aboriginal guy that we had seen at the Mt Barnett Roadhouse. He was very helpful and agreed to try and jump-start our car.  Success!  We thanked him and he went on his way.

However, this changed our plans.  Our new battery was fine so we did not know what the problem was and dare not switch the engine off again - we suspected it might be the starter-motor.  There was only one decision to make - we must drive non-stop to the next service station which was in Derby!  So we hit the road...........  approx another 280km to Derby - which would be slow going on the unsealed roads although the last stretch was bitumen.

How blue is that sky?

We reached Derby without any trouble and had the car checked out.  At first the mechanic thought it was the starter-motor and of course being a remote area it would take at least 5 days to get the part delivered!  Luckily for us, further investigation found a loose connection due no doubt to the rough corrugated roads and the problem was easily rectified.

We decided that we would travel on to Broome and have some r n r.   We still wanted to see the gorges that we had missed but decided we would visit them on the way back so off we drove on passing the Curtin Air Base (on bitumen roads - oh JOY!) heading to Broome only another 220km!

A Vast Country

Sealed Roads at last

We reached Broome and booked into a caravan park.   It had been a very long, hot and dusty day.