Roads to Rivers, Western Australia

Location: Broome

Miles: 4065

The last state of the trip and Australias biggest has proved to be tricky when considering the needs of a group coming here during a completely different time of the year. I am here at the very end of the“dry”. Everything is very dry and in much need of a down pour which should arrive very soon. May sees the beginning of the “dry” and there can still be quite high water levels hanging around.

The Adelaide River has been known to flood quite often, stopping everything in its tracks unless it happens to have an outboard motor hanging from its stern. There is a tide mark above the bar from February 1991. Considering the roadhouse is built on the highest ground around, it must’ve been quite a flood. Even the new bridge that was opened last year won’t be of any use the next time they see such levels. Despite regular floods the beer will always get through (see photo). This is of utmost importance down here.  

I have a poke around on the Gibb River road and check out El Questro station. Even now 2 river crossing test my trials riding ability as I bounce off unseen boulders deep within the lengthy crossings. After talking to the station workers I rule this out as a sensible option.  After a couple of days in the region I have decided on the best plan having weighed up risk versus gain and think riders time herewill be thoroughly enjoyed and ridden safely. Multiple crossings of over half a metre and flowing won’t be factored in to the itinerary, especially when these crossings are home to some curious locals with teeth similar in size to their appetites.

Kununurra is situated close to Lake Argyle, a huge inland sea which heads the Ord River scheme, creating vital irrigation for many fruit and crop growing farmers.

Water is not in short supply here as it is in most of Australia, unless you happen to live in Central Victoria right now.

Extremes of weather are the norm. Already I have been stopped in my tracks by deep snow and ice. I’ve battled storms coming off the Bass straight, today saw me crossing rivers and then sweating in the highest temperature of this reccy, a sizzling 41.5. Australia doesn’t do anything by halves. Riders coming down here will quickly learn it isn’t all beer and skittles. You will have earnt that first beer of the evening and it will be instant relief and the days hardships will wither and die.

As I approached the Western Australian coastline for the first time of the trip I noticed the temperature drop considerably which was quite a relief. Humidity was replaced by a refreshing afternoon sea-breeze.                                                                                                    

I’d met Greg the day before as he rode out of Kununurra and I’d tucked in behind him to see how he was travelling. Too slow for me was the answer so I quickly pulled out and left the 2.0L Ultra-Glide Harley in my wake. Remarkably the Harley matched my pace, there wasn’t a lot of cornering and any there are have been designed for road-trains to tackle safely at warp speeds. We swapped a few stories that evening and then continued on towards Broome together.

Derby is a slight diversion of 42kms and has the world’s 2^nd highest tides of 11.7m. It’s worth pulling up to see the jetty and mud-flats at low tide then a cool drink in the small town still gives you time to visit the 1^st West Australian jail in the trunk of a very old Boab tree! The used to pack up to 15 people at a time inside of it through a slit in the side and a guard would stand outside to make sure no-one ran off.  Greg and I stopped for a cool drink at a roadhouse 40kms before Broome when Mathew and Anita rolled in 2-up and heavily loaded on a Trans-Alp.   From England they are on their own RTW journey for the next several years. We all end up on beautiful Cable beach just before sunset.  Fantastic


Jeffrey Condon