Mitchell Plateau, Mitchell Falls
and Kulumburu
The Kimberley
To get to the Mitchell Plateau you need to turn north off the Gibb River Road onto the Kulumburu Road. The turnoff is approximately 214 kms from the Great Northern Highway, and 406 kms from the Derby Highway. It is a challenging 4WD route with fuel only available at Kulumburu once you leave the Drysdale River Station. It can be slow going up the Kulumburu Road (162 kms from Gibb River Road) before you come across the Mitchell Plateau Track, and then another 85kms to the Mitchell Falls campsite. At one point you pass a sign on the side of the road which voices and answers everyone's thoughts - 'Are we there yet? - NO'. The Mitchell Plateau Track does however provide for some spectacular scenery with Livonian Palm Forest, the crossing of the King Edward River and views over the Mitchell Plateau.
Lookout for the used tracks just after you cross the King Edward River on the way up to Mitchell Falls. The first one is on the left, and the second on the right, and both have fantastic Aboriginal Rock Art to view.
Drysdale River Station has a general store, a workshop, camping areas, some with powered sites, twin and family units and also has a great bar and restaurant (make sure you book to avoid disappointment) with home style cooking. On the way to Mitchell Falls there is also a large camping area along the King Edward River on the Mitchell Plateau Track.
Mitchell Falls
The 3km walk from the camping area to the Mitchell Falls passes through a variety of habitats, wateholes and falls - Mertens Falls is a great spot for a swim. There are also fantastic examples of Aboriginal Rock Art (including Bradshaws) to be found as well as abundant bird life. The Mitchell Falls themselves fall for 80 metres down a number of tiered ledges. The falls are seasonal and are most spectacular during the wet season (where the only way to see them is via flight from Kununurra) and at the beginning of the Dry.
To get another perspective of the Mitchell Falls, tours operate from the campsite where you can take a helicopter flight either one way, or return.
Kulumburu
Continuing north along the Kulumburu Road from the turnoff to Mitchell Falls is the aboriginal community of Kulumburu. There is a picturesque mission here that was built by the Benedictine monks in 1908. There is a store, fuel and accommodation available here.
There are three scenic northern beaches you can camp at including McGowans Island, Honeymoon Bay and Pago. You need permits to visit Kulumburu and the northern beaches, and alcohol is banned on the reserve. There are also some restrictions that apply to fishing here.