Hi newbie here 

looking for some advice if possible

am thinking of doing the Gibb River Road in Kimberleys 

anyone got any advice on what 4x4 ? what camper trailer set up @

not sure when ill be off just trying to get some info

am a mad keen fisher would be looking at some Barra fishing but wondered do i have to go off road to spots to do this

or can i go to NW ie Kunnanurra and fish in that general area, if so was going to use my Hilux 2.7 petrol  4x2 and purchase a camper

something like a Jayco Outback or Coromal or whatever i can find

If 4x4 is recomended would have to do Gibb River Road but would have to get off road Camper of some sort and would used 4x4 be the way to go

or new > i realise a lot of questions but have looked around the Net and am confused.

Im located just sth of Perth in WA and this wouod be a 6 to 8 month trip

any help will be very much appreciated

thanks in advance

Hi brimhunter and welcome,

So many questions so many unknowns about your circumstance skills and your budget.

For mine a 100 series diesel with along ranger tank.

A smallish 17 foot van with independent suspension if possible. I like dual axle.

300 litres of water tanks.

Take it slow.

Many experienced folks here can expand on that short hit list I'm sure.

All the best.

The Gibb River Road is just another graded dirt road.
Its condition varies with the weather, the traffic and the timing of the last grader.
You probably really don't need 4WD, but it can be slow and corrugated at times and it is closed during the wet season. When it opens depends on the wet season and the repair of the damaged caused. That varies from year to year, but can be April or May, so for Barra you need to get there as so as possible after the wet.

Barra are best caught during the run-off during and just after the wet.
There are a couple of spots along the Gibb River Road where Barra can be caught (down stream from the Pentercost River crossing), but they are very limited. The problem there is that whilst the track that runs south on the eastern side of the Pentercost is a public road, the country it goes through is private (initially it is El Questro).
Another area is the Fitzroy River. Again, you need to have permission from the property owners.
There is fantastic ocean fishing of all sorts from Kalumburu, but you will need a boat and stay long enough to soak up some local knowledge. We have fished a lot from there in the past.
The King Edward River at Kalumburu probably has Barra too, but I never caught one there.

Cheers,
Peter

We caught Barra (and Mangrove Jack and all sorts of others) in the Mitchell River, about half way between the falls and the ocean where the river becomes semi tidal.
Just needed to get to the spot by helicopter from the falls camp site :)

Also caught Barra where the Carson Track crosses the Durack River, but that is a SERIOUS 4WD track in Aboriginal land.

Cheers,
Peter

brimhunter wrote:

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Hi newbie here 

.....

am a mad keen fisher would be looking at some Barra fishing but wondered do i have to go off road to spots to do this

or can i go to NW ie Kunnanurra and fish in that general area, if so was going to use my Hilux 2.7 petrol  4x2 and purchase a camper

.......

any help will be very much appreciated

thanks in advance

 

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12km north of Kununurra on the Ivanhoe Road is the Ivanhoe Crossing, a drivable weir over the Ord river only 6 inches deep. The down stream side of the weir is known as the Ethel River but is essentially the Ord.

Continuing on that road (now called Valentine Spring Road and then Parry Creek  Road) over the next 30KM there is numerous access tracks to the river where a land based fisher can camp and catch plenty of fish from the safety of the 2 meter high embankments. All the meat a man could possibly want, red, white and seafood. Red meat from the wild roos in their hundreds the size of wallabies, white meat from those 4 legged chicken analogues and the fish.
All you need to bring are the requisite tools and some vegies. :)

Hylife wrote

12km north of Kununurra on the Ivanhoe Road is the Ivanhoe Crossing, a drivable weir over the Ord river only 6 inches deep. The down stream side of the weir is known as the Ethel River but is essentially the Ord.

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 Just be very careful with that drivable weir at 6 inches deep.

Very dependent on weather and even when quite shallow, it flows very quickly, creating a huge sideways force on your car.