About Ellenbrae Station on Gibb River Road in the Kimberley in Western Australia

Ellenbrae Station is primarily a cattle station, however, in recent years we have been adding to our facilities to make sure we can also be a welcome destination for those travelling along the Gibb River Road. Ellenbrae Station covers 1 million acres in the Kimberly, Western Australia. It is approximately 230km from Kununnarra on the Gib River Road. Predominantly a cattle station, it has become a popular stop over for tourists during the dry season. Ellenbrae also invites day visitors to come and enjoy a hot cup of tea in the beautiful gardens and the best home made scones on the Gibb River Road! Ellenbrae’s driveway is only 5km long so it is well worth the trip in to stop off and stretch your legs, play with our homestead cattle or just to marvel at the gardens and surrounds.

The Ellenbrae Station offers the following services for day guests:
• Toilets • Picnic Area •Tyre Repairs • Cold Drinks/Food

The Ellenbrae Station offers the following services for our overnight guests:
• Cabin Accommodation (Ellenbrae Stockmen’s Cabins) • Two Campsites • Toilets • Showers (with Hot water!) • Dinner and Breakfast (for Cabin Guests) • BBQ facilities (for Cabin Guests) • Outdoor Camping Kitchen (for Cabin Guests) • Fishing • Swimming • Bush Walks

• How far is it from Ellenbrae Station to Mt Barnett Roadhouse 180kms (approximately 3.0 hours driving)
• How far is it from Ellenbrae Station to Kununurra 230 kms (approximately 3.5 hours driving)
• How far is it from Ellenbrae Station to Derby 485 kms (approximately 7 hour driving)
• How far is it from Ellenbrae Station to Home Valley Station 110 kms (approximately 2.0 hours driving)
• How far is it from Ellenbrae Station to El Questro Wilderness Park, Station Town Ship 155 kms (approximately 3.0 hours driving)
© source and courtesy of https://www.ellenbraestation.com.au/

Courtesy of https://www.outbacktravellers.com.au/ maps and book guide

Gibb River Road
Self drive along the Gibb River Road from Broome or Darwin is a Australia four wheel drive hire camper or wagon. The Gibb River Road was initially constructed as a beef road to transport cattle from the surrounding stations to the ports of Derby and Wyndham.It spans some six-hundred and seventy kilometres from Derby to the junction of the Great Northern Highway between Wyndham and Kununurra.

The Gibb River road travels some 700 kms through the central Kimberley Plateau from King Sound at Derby to the Cambridge Gulf at Wyndham. The whole road is now the responsibility of Main Roads WA and improvements to creek crossings and jump ups are being made every year. The majority of the road surface is of dirt and gravel construction with only some floodways paved.

The Derby Visitor Centre recommends use of high clearance robust vehicles, preferably 4WD, for DRY season (May to October) travel.

Towing of any type is not recommended. However, well constructed off road trailers may survive the often corrugated conditions in the DRY. Caravans are definitely NOT recommended.

Wet season (November to April) travel can be severely restricted by flooding and road closures as the countryside can become very waterlogged. Access to the gorges is very often not possible and, if travel occurs, is restricted to the Gibb River Road itself and not to the sidetracks into the gorges. A 4WD vehicle equipped with a snorkel is essential once the rains have started. Travellers in breach of official Road Closure and Road Restrictions are subject to fines.

Land Ownership
All of the land along the Gibb River Road is owned, leased and managed by someone. Much is subject to pastoral lease and some belongs to Aboriginal Communities. The Department of Conservation and Land Management manage the national parks, conservation parks and nature reserves. If travellers wish to travel on any roads bar the Gibb River Road, Mornington Road, the Kalumburu Road, or gorge access roads as listed in the Gibb River Road Guide, then they should seek permission of the landholder. All roads other than those listed above are constructed and maintained by the landowner and are not public roads.

Travelling with Dogs:
There are very limited places along the Gibb River Road that will allow dogs. No dogs are allowed in any of the National Parks along the Gibb River & Kalumburu roads. It is not advisable to be travelling with your dog, land on both sides of the Gibb River Road is owned, leased or managed by someone. Frequent aerial baiting is carried out posing a high risk of danger to your domestic pet.
© source and courtesy of https://www.derbytourism.com.au/

When can I travel on the Gibb River Road
Gibb River Road conditions improve greatly after the Derby and Kununurra local roads graders complete the grading from Derby and Kununurra.

Normally from this time onwards the Gibb River road is great to travel on, usually with hardly any corrugation or washouts. Though at the very beginning of the season after the graders please travel carefully as out clients got 2 punctures the day after the grader went through as the shale was chipped from the grader.

Also late in the season the roads becomes corrugated again with dust banks on the verge so again please be careful. The other suggestion is make sure you passenger talks to keep you awake and alert as the long open stretches can mesmerize the driver especially with the sun flickering through the branches of threes on certain stretches

What rivers, springs, creeks cross the Gibb River Road
• Pentecost River - The Pentecost River crossing is in a pleasant setting though very much like the Durack River this is one of the rivers that can be rather tense to 4wd first timers to cross early in the Dry Season. From Derby to the Penecost River it's approximatley 605 klm. (Distance is approx only). Beware of crocodiles and see the offical vistors information centre in either of the Kununurra Visitor Centre, Derby Visitor Centre, Broome Visitor Centre first.
• Lennard River
• Bindoola Creek
• Billy Goat Springs
• Durrack River - The Durrack River crossing can be high at the beginning of the Dry season. It's prone to flooding in wet season so make sure you check road conditions. Also check the road is passable and open. From Derby to the Durrack River it's approximatley 510 klm. (Distance is approx only). See the offical vistors information centre in either of the Kununurra Visitor Centre, Derby Visitor Centre, Broome Visitor Centre first.

What Gorges are on the Gibb River Road
• Following the Gibb River Road you can visit:
• Barnett River Gorge
• Manning Gorge
• Galvans Gorge
• Adcock Gorge
• Bell Gorge
• Silent Grove and
• Lennard River Gorge

What roadhouses are on the Gibb River Road
• Mount Barnett Roadhouse
• Imintji Roadhouse