Touring the Karunjie Track in WA

Over a century ago the Karunjie Track in the far north of Western Australia was used by drovers to move cattle across the Kimberley from the south up to Wyndham for export.

My journey here started at the end of the Gibb River Road, where I had spent several days at the beautiful Home Valley Station on Balanggarra Country.

Home Valley is situated right on the Pentecost River where big crocs and big barra abound. There are two camping areas on offer, a great bar and grill, as well as tours on to country with traditional owners showing off their stunning waterfalls and rock art, with the majestic Cockburn Ranges as a backdrop.

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I spent several nights at both campgrounds, one situated near the homestead and the other on the Pentecost River near Bindoola Creek.

Leaving Home Valley Station it was only about a 10km drive before I was parked and standing in front of the wide Pentecost River crossing. The river was named in 1882 by expedition leader Michael Durack who was surveying it. The crossing is several hundred metres and with the thought of estuarine crocs lurking about, I didn’t consider walking it first.

But generally speaking the Pentecost has a hard rocky base and if the water isn’t too deep most 4x4s, tour buses and trucks get across easily enough in the dry season. On the eastern side of the river is where the blacktop starts (or stops - depending on your direction) on the Gibb River Road, all the way to the east coast.

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The Karunjie Track

Having just explored the east Kimberley, I crossed the mighty Pentecost River and turned left to follow the river along the 80km-long Karunjie Track.

At the start of the track is a popular free camping spot where travellers pull up either before or after tackling the Gibb River Road. Here most people fish for barra, take in the stunning views of the Cockburn Ranges or just relax on the river. We not only caught some Barra here but also happened to hook a couple of endangered sawfish.

Once a stock route, today Karunjie Track is a remote 4x4 track that is only traversable in the dry season, and it is not maintained for its entire length. Departing the Pentecost River the track is slow going for the first 20km, following with deep ruts and plenty of washed-out sections.

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It’s hard to keep your eyes on the track as you follow the river, passing beautiful old boabs and gazing at the majestic Cockburn Range to your right. The first gate you pass through signifies you are onto private property until you reach the end of the track, owned by El Questro Station.

Once down onto the huge moonscape like floodplains, the track smooths out and you can pick up the pace. The massive floodplains become an impassable quagmire in the wet season and trying to cross here would be simply impossible… and stupid. This location was used in several scenes for the film Australia.

The flats soon give way to some higher rocky country and the boundary gate signifies the end of the Karunjie Track. Officially, no camping is allowed between the two gates, only near the Pentecost River, as El Questro is still a working cattle station.

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King River

Once through the last gate you’re now onto the King River Road where, if you turn left, will take you to Diggers Rest campgrounds, or straight on towards Wyndham.

Not far along this road, a brown historical marker caught my eye so we swung in for a look. What I had spotted  was the infamous Boab Prison Tree, also known as Hillgrove lockup. Way back in 1890 this boab was hollowed out and used as a holding cell for Aboriginal prisoners on their way to Wyndham for trial, where they made them stay inside the tree overnight.

Used for about 30 years, the inside of the tree was dry during storms so the police officers would gather inside while leaving the prisoners chained up outside under guard.

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Putting the grim history aside, this boab is huge, and is estimated to be around 1500 years old, with massive low-hanging branches and a girth of about 12 metres. Signatures and dates are carved in the tree from 130 years ago.

Crossing the King River the next point of call is Moochalabra Dam and some stunning cave rock art just 10 minutes down the road. Throughout the Top End, rock art tells a story of families, local animals and passing trade.

At Moochalabra Dam it’s no different, and the more you look the more you find, with a variety of rock art up on the ceilings and walls including depictions of animals, handprints and other shapes.

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This site is important to the Balanggara people where there are also depictions of Wandjina Spirit ancestors, all painted with natural ochres found in the cliffs.

This is a peaceful place where quietly sitting and looking at the art, and down below towards the boabs and waterholes, one can only imagine how life was here for the thousands of years prior to European settlement. Moochalabra Dam is a further 5km up the road where you can laze around with a picnic and watch for birds, especially the Gouldian finch.

Follow the King River Road for about 30km beside King River, passing through areas of thick plain grass and more saltpans, you’ll eventually come to the Wyndham to Kununurra road.

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Wyndham

My journey neared its end at the beautiful old town of Wyndham, where I wanted to see where the Pentecost River ends its journey into the Cambridge Gulf.

The best viewing point is up at the Five Rivers Lookout about 15 minutes drive out of town. From this stunning lookout there are literally five rivers that drain into the gulf: the Pentecost, Durack, King, Forrest and the Old rivers.

Down below the lookout is Wyndham Port, where drovers used to move their cattle after traversing the Karunjie Track. Established in 1885, the port was a hub with slaughterhouses, a freight centre and the nearby original town of Wyndham.

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While the new town is situated away from the port, the waterways are still used for the export of fuel, freight and live cattle, and occasionally cruise ships visit here.

While the Karunjie Track may only be 80km long, it’s a fascinating and off-the-beaten-track part of the east Kimberley that is well worth exploring. Is it an iconic track? With its stunning views, its sheer remoteness and isolation, and the history along the way, I would say it is.