Travelling Duncan Road from Kununurra to Halls Creek

After an enjoyable stint driving through the amazing Kimberley region I was hesitant to leave Western Australia, but with daily temperatures rising I knew I had to leave soon.

Crossing the border into the Northern Territory and watching the edge of the Kimberleys fade away in my mirrors, I was really hoping something would draw me back.

I was about 10 minutes into the Northern Territory when I saw a sign south to Halls Creek and the Buntine Highway. Now, always looking for adventure, I had a quick look at the map to see what was south and it all looked good to explore. The sign said that Halls Creek was nearly 450km away and that this was a remote and isolated area where travellers proceed at their own risk.

In the big scheme of things, I found Duncan Road just like many other outback roads, in pretty good condition, easy to drive after dropping some air out of the tyres, and with stunning scenery to pass the miles away.

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Heading south

Duncan Road was originally cut through in 1949 to service remote cattle stations and for the transportation of cattle out of the area, and it is notable in that it starts in the NT, crosses into WA, then back out into the NT and finally back into WA where it meets the Buntine Highway.

Along its length I was expecting a nice drive through savannah-type country but honestly, it blew my mind. I was travelling on the eastern edge of the Kimberley region the whole way down, intersecting stunning mountains with million-year-old rock formations covered with spinifex.

Heading down Duncan Road there are several rivers and creeks that are safe for swimming, and some really nice rock pools and gorges where you can set up camp for the night. Just make sure you respect the country where you stop to ensure it won’t be closed to future travellers; all along Duncan Road is private property.

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Halfway down a huge rock cairn caught my eye and I discovered that it was a memorial for the Ord River Regeneration Reserve.

The project was to regenerate and stabilise some severely eroded sections of the Ord River catchment which covered nearly 10,000km². They fenced the area, removed feral donkeys and cattle and reseeded the damaged and barren areas.

I was a bit bemused seeing potential flood warning signs along the way, but after seeing just how wide some rivers and creeks get in flood season I was amazed by just how much water must flow through this area. Duncan Road ends at Nicholson Station at the Buntine Highway, where I would continue west towards Halls Creek.

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Purnululu

On the southern side of Purnululu NP, the scenery is spectacular with the sun bathing mountains covered in golden spinifex grass and huge white gums.

Strangely, I didn’t see any Kimberley boab trees along this section of my journey. While it’s only 170km to Halls Creek, I camped 50km shy of there at Sawpit Gorge. There is a narrow and slow track into the gorge, where there are two camping areas near the Black Elvire River.

There’s a towering rock wall on one side and sandy shaded banks on the other where raging flood waters have cut a path over time. It’s a secluded and beautiful location to stop. Free overnight camping is allowed and there’s an eco toilet and rubbish bins here.

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The lower camp is 4x4 access only, and is set beside pools of water amongst gums and the massive rock wall. At different times of the day the sun lights up the wall with a stunning red glow.

There are several walking trails along the creek to spot wildlife or to find a private swimming hole and I have no doubt you will appreciate the tranquility. Back out on Duncan Road, a popular local swimming hole is Palm Springs. Also on the Black Elvire River, this palm-fringed spring-fed pool also has free camping.

With permanent water it’s called ‘an oasis in the desert’ where palms and soft grasses line the waterhole. It’s thought that Afghan teamsters planted the original date palms found here. One Afghan man, Sam Hazlett, and his Aboriginal wife Duddru, lived at Palm Springs for many years, where they used the springs for drinking water and to grow vegetables, which he sold locally.

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Gold rush

Not far down the road is Old Halls Creek, where the first gold was discovered in Western Australia and where the state’s gold rushes began. It was in 1885 that Charles Hall found a 28oz nugget here, hence this area becoming known as the Golden West.

Old Halls Creek was the site of the original gold mining community where prospectors followed the gold up the creeks and gullies from Brockman to Old Halls Creek. Today, some of the original mud buildings are protected under a huge shed from the belting sun and weather.

The 1885 gold rush was short and sharp here, but it brought people from the coast, and as far away as California. At its peak the town had stores for commercial and private trade. Out the back of the old town there’s a memorial for the RFDS that was erected for the service’s 90th anniversary, as this is the location where the idea for a remote doctor service originated.

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A chain of events in July 1917, with the accident of stockman Jim Darcy, eventually led to the founding of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia.

Further towards Halls Creek a natural phenomenon has occurred where softer rock has weathered away leaving a striking pure white quartz wall rising up to six metres out of the ground.

Called China Wall, the white quartz stands out along its length over several mountains and into the gullies. It’s said that this wall of quartz can be traced all the way north to Kununurra.

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With nearly 500km under my belt I needed to head into Halls Creek to fuel up, but not before finding a couple of old stone huts on nearby Sophie Downs Station.

A horse track back in the late 1800s up to Wyndham, where the main port was, followed creeks for watering points, and the huts were built as rest stops or hotels. These are of significant historical value to the area.

If you have the time, like getting off the main roads, driving through stunning scenery, and setting up at amazing campsites, then this route is a no brainer. With amazing history and dramatic landscapes following the Ord River, I personally consider the Duncan Road to be one of the most scenic in the whole of the Kimberley.