KIMBERLEY REGION CHALLENGES 2023
YEAR OF CYCLONES ELLIE & ILSA
In December 2022 and January 2023, flooding generated by ex-tropical cyclone Ellie caused significant damage to sections of the Great Northern Highway at Willare Crossing and Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
As a result, the Fitzroy River Bridge was destroyed, making road traffic between West and East Kimberley nearly impossible.
In order to fulfill maintenance painting commitments in the remote East Kimberley Indigenous Communities, Eric Hood Painting formulated an audacious plan to deliver their Broome-based, purpose-built 4x4 Hino 10-tonne truck to Balgo. The truck was ready for their tradesmen to fly in on a charter flight and commence their annual servicing of these communities.
They drove south from Broome to Port Hedland, due east across the Great Sandy Desert, into the Northern Territory to the Tanami Road, and finally north to Balgo, after again crossing the Northern Territory/ Western Australia Border.
In total, they travelled 3000km of dirt roads that had been washed away by Cyclone Ilsa just one week earlier. Despite the tough driving conditions, the awe-inspiring landscape made it all worthwhile. After six nights camping under the stars and cooking over a campfire, they arrived in Balgo on schedule. After handing over the work truck to the painters, they boarded a charter flight back to Broome.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, so enjoy ours below:
