Gibb River Road by sports car

by Stephen Ford
(Sydney)

Back in 1992 I drove the length of the Gibb River Road (Derby to Wyndham) in a 1990 Celica (semi-sports car, low clearance etc). I broke parts of the car - the car alarm had to be replaced, the fuel filter clogged with dust, and the automatic aerial snapped INSIDE the body of the car.

The most challenging part was crossing the Drysdale River causeway (I think that's the right name). A long causeway made up huge round boulders. My companion walked in front, guiding my wheels, and physically lifted boulders out of the way.

When I started across there was a Landcruiser in the middle of the causeway. By the time I reached the other side I had caught up with him, but he didn't have the courtesy to let me past. I had to follow him to the Wyndham turnoff because I couldn't overtake safely due to his dust cloud.

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Gibb River Road by sports car

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Quite a trip!
by: Birgit

Wow, that would have been quite a trip! Just goes to show what's possible...

You don't happen to have a photo from it?

I can just imagine what type of driver would have been at the wheel of that Landcruiser...

(And I better add for any overseas or city readers who've never been in that kind of country or on roads like this: a low sports car is definitely NOT the recommended vehicle for the Gibb Rive Road :-).)