Manning Gorge is one of the most beautiful gorges along the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Roughly halfway the Gibb River Road, it is 7km from Mt Barnett Roadhouse. You need to purchase a permit to visit the Gorge (at Mt Barnett Roadhouse). It is included in the cost if you stay at Manning Gorge campground.
Getting to Manning Gorge
Getting to the gorge is a bit tricky and will require probably half a day for a return trip. The most interesting and fascinating thing about this gorge is that you would first need to cross Manning Creek to get to the other side of the trail.
You can either swim 100 meters across (if you don’t mind the cold water and fresh water crocodiles which inhibit the creek 😊). Or you can use the plastic boat, provided by the campground to pull yourself along the ropes to the other side. If you swim, there are plastic drums to put your belongings to get across to the other side.
The hiking trail is approximately 3km one way. It starts as an easy track but not so clearly marked, so it is easy to get lost. Unlike many other hiking trails that follow the creek, this trail goes overland and has hardly any shade.
It gets more challenging with many steep rocks to climb and steep inclines, which get even harder towards the end. The good thing is that when you get to the swim hole, you are in for a treat with one of the best views on the Gibb River.
The waterfall is multi- tiered and the swimming area is very large. It can be tricky to get in, as the edges are slippery and the rocks are quite big.
One thing that we learnt during this hike was to always carry at least some high energy snacks and plenty of drinks. We could have stayed longer at the waterfall, if we had some food with us to feed hungry children. 😊
