The Gibb River Road - Australia
PO Box 5001
Bedford West, WA 6052
ph: 0416147776
anthony
The Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges (formerly between 1879 and 2020, the King Leopold Ranges) are a range of hills in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia.
There are two conservation parks within the ranges, the Wunaamin Conservation Park (in Wilinggin land) and Miluwindi Conservation Park (in Bunuba land), both formerly part of the King Leopold Ranges Conservation Park
There had been several proposals and attempts to rename the range, given its link to Leopold II of Belgium, whose reign over the Congo Free State beginning in 1885 is claimed to have resulted in the deaths of 10 to 15 million African people. Leopold had no connection with Western Australia, but a number of geographic features in the Pilbara and Kimberley were named after European royalty.
The renaming was proposed in 2008, and again in 2017,but was delayed as due to the range's size spanning several different regions and native title claimant areas, negotiations with traditional owners to decide a name were ongoing.
In 2020, prompted by the removal of a statue of Leopold II in the city of Antwerp as part of a reconsideration of various names throughout the world, Lands Minister Ben Wyatt stated that he hoped to establish consensus on a name with the two main native title groups and would then quickly proceed with the name change.
The range was officially renamed on the 1 July 2020 by Lands Minister Ben Wyatt
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The King Leopold Ranges are a range of hills in the western Kimberley region of Western Australia. The range was named on 6 June 1879 by the explorer Alexander Forrest, during an expedition in the Kimberley area, after King Leopold II of Belgium, "for the great interest taken by His Majesty in exploration".
Crossed by the Gibb River Road about 134 kilometres (83 mi) east of Derby, part of the ranges are covered by the 3,921 square kilometres (1,514 sq mi) King Leopold Ranges Conservation National Park, managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation. The ranges separate the main Kimberley plateau from the southern Fitzroy plains and consist of quartz sandstone intruded by dolerite.
The ranges are shaped like a crescent with a length of 567 kilometres (352 mi) running from the northern end of the Durack Range in the East to east of Secure Bay in the West Kimberley. The range is estimated to cover a total area of 30,794 square kilometres (11,890 sq mi)
Containing some of the Kimberley’s isolated patches of remnant rainforest, the ranges are a haven for bird life and offers spectacular scenery for photographers.
The ranges, which have an average height 600 metres (1,969 ft), were named by Alexander Forrest in 1879 after King Leopold II of Belgium. The highest point of the range is found at Mount Wells which is 983 metres (3,225 ft) above mean sea level.
The next two highest peaks are Mount Ord at 936 metres (3,071 ft) and Mount Broome at 927 metres (3,041 ft).
Open savannah woodlands cover the sunburnt landscapes. Groves of river gum, stately paperbark trees and dense thickets of screw pine shade watercourses. Water lilies and other aquatic plants fill permanent pools in the creeks and rivers, providing cool relief from the starkness of the harsh escarpments.
Nearby features include Mount Hart, Bell Gorge, Silent Grove and Lennard Gorge as well as the Napier Range and Queen Victoria's Head granite outcrop. Fitzroy Bluff is formed where the Fitzroy River carves through the range. Camping is permitted at Mount Hart Station, Bell Creek or at Silent Grove.
The traditional owners of the area are the Ngarinjin, Konejandi and Bunaba peoples.
Cattle were first overlanded across the range in 1903. Leaving from Fitzroy Crossing and used to stock Mount Barnett Station, the trip took over six weeks to completeThe park’s other main visitor destination, Mount Hart Homestead, has camping facilities and more comfortable accommodation.
Access is four-wheel drive only and closed during the wet season, when roads are impassable, but the waterfalls, which are swollen after the rains, can be viewed by aerial tours from Derby and Broome.
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Disclaimer: The information provided on this web site is for use as a guide only.
If you are planning to undertake this trip YOU MUST SEEK OUT other authoritative advice and information - eg visitor centres
Outback travel can be a very exciting adventure but it also can be very hazardous especially off road and in remote and isolated areas.
Your Outback trip should only be undertaken after lengthy and careful planning, plus having plenty of water, fuel, food, working communication devices etc
Understand the distances between fuel stops by ringing ahead and checking with the roadhouses, cattle stations and visitor centres - that what you want is at the next stop.
NEVER ASSUME!
Understand what is the best time of year to travel and what is not, understand your vehicle and its capabilities and how to repair it plus have spare tyres (Min 2 extra)
The owners of this website shall not be held responsible for any damage, injury or death that you may experience during any trip on or off The Gibb River Road
You are responsible for your own actions.
Enjoy...
The Gibb River Road - Australia
PO Box 5001
Bedford West, WA 6052
ph: 0416147776
anthony