Tour details

MITCHELL RIVER NATIONAL PARK

 Bushwalking

Start: Kununurra.

Finish: Kununurra

Duration: 14 days

The expedition starts early on the scheduled date. We will meet our plane at Kununurra for our flight to the Mitchell Plateau. Mitchell River National Park is located on the Mitchell Plateau in the West Kimberley.

Once we land, we will drive to our departure point and begin our walk.

The tour will be split into two sections to organise a food drop and to carry only one week's worth of supplies.

The weather in the area can vary significantly. In July, it is the dry season. Daytime temperatures can still exceed 30°C. The nights can be quite perfect or quite chilly.

At the end of the trip, a plane will fly us back to Kununurra.

We require at least six participants for this tour to go ahead.

Inclusions:

Plane flight  from Kununurra

Plane flight to Kununurra

Evening 3-course meal

Experienced guide with extensive knowledge of the area

Permits

Exclusions:

Accommodation at Kununurra

First night dinner in Kununurra

Breakfast, lunch and snacks

Farewell dinner in Kununurra

Optional activities:

Helicopter flight over the Falls.

Equipment

Please view the equipment list to ensure you have the right equipment.

https://notraces-bushwalking-australia.com/bushwalking-essential-gear/

Presentation

The Traditional Owners of Mitchell River National Park (Ngauwudu) and the surrounding area are the Wunambal Gaambera People. They have a profound connection to this land and saltwater country in the North Kimberley.

I want to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Mitchell River National Park, where we will be travelling for two weeks, and pay my respects to Elders, past and present.

Mitchell River National Park is another remote and difficult-to-reach national park in Australia, located in the West Kimberley. The park is accessed via a rough dirt road starting from Kalumburu Road, which itself is halfway along the remote Gibb River Road. An airstrip is situated on the Mitchell Plateau, which we will choose. The park is about 15 km from the airstrip, and we will drive this final section to the Mitchell River NP campground. The Mitchell River winds through an untouched, pristine landscape that is almost forgotten by the modern world. This is the kingdom of nature. The park showcases the vast Kimberley wilderness, with savannah, gorges, cliffs, waterfalls, and creeks of the Mitchell River.

A variety of fauna inhabits the park, including 213 bird species, 22 mammals, such as wallabies, bats, dingoes, quolls, and sugar gliders, and 64 reptiles, including freshwater and saltwater crocodiles. Additionally, 378 plants have been identified, among which 360 are flowering plants.

We will start our journey in Kununurra; a one-hour charter flight will take us to Mitchell Plateau. From there, we will drive 15 km along the Mitchell River track to reach the National Park campground and the start of our walk.

Over the next 14 days, we will explore the Mitchell River. We will dedicate half of our exploration to the Lower Mitchell River and the other half upstream of Mitchell Falls. A food drop will be organised on the 8th day at Mitchell Falls, so we will only need to carry a week's worth of supplies.

We will search for the magnificent Aboriginal Art Sites that feature all painting periods, from the mysterious Gwion Gwion depicting a forgotten era of dancing and ceremonies to the more recent Wandjinas, which are powerful Creation Spirits and rainmakers from the Creation Time (Dream Time).

To enjoy the most pleasant hours, we follow the rhythm of the sun, starting our day as early as we can. We will walk between 5 and 8 km per day, depending on our discoveries, which we will take the time to admire.

We plan to return to camp around 3 p.m.

We will look for the best spots to set up camp by the river, ideally near a cascade or waterfall, to enjoy a swim. Upstream of Solea Falls, swimming is easy. It is less the case downstream of Mitchell Falls, even if no salties have been seen there for decades. But there are some safe spots for a dip, especially at this time of year.

At the camp, I will prepare our delicious 3-course dinner and boil water in the morning for our breakfast.

On the final day, we will drive back to the airstrip and fly to Kununurra.

Pictures of our Bushwalking Expedition

Mitchell Falls in the early season

Mitchell Falls from another perspective in the late season.

Little Mertens Falls, on our way to Mitchell Falls, where we will enjoy our first swim.

And Big Mertens Falls & Gorge

We will explore the Mitchell River.

Walking along the river and the savanna.

Camping near the river.

Enjoying a swim...or two!

Searching for Aboriginal Art Sites

In a landscape full of surprises and beauty.

With your NoTraces guide Séb!