Sat 23rd August – Day 105: Kununurra – El Questro

Pack up, Shop at Coles (sorry Stork no Woollies here!). Today we begin our Gibb River Road Adventure – a 670 km dirt link, originally built in the 1960’s to transport cattle to the Derby abattoirs from stations between Kununurra to Derby through some of the most remote country in the world, and now a major tourist route.
We arrive just after lunch at Emma Gorge on El Questro Station just 83km on the gravel; already we are hot and dusty, forgetting how rough it is to ride the corrugations of dirt. Payment of our $30 wilderness park entry allows us to complete the gorge walk. A partly shaded 3.6km return walk along the edge of Emma Creek through small forests of swamp bloodwood & Pandanus palms, passes huge boulders with ripple patterns created when sediment was deposited under shallow tidal waters millions of years ago. The walk ends at an impressive and icy plunge pool with a small waterfall cascading 70-90m down 1 side. On the other side, thermal waters trickle from the rocks overhead and this is where Chloe & Toby camped out, while Pete and I raced around the invigorating, crystal clear waters of the main pool.
16km onwards we came to the main El Questro township where camping is allowed along the edge of the Pentecost river. El Questro homestead is a further few kms up the road and offers $1600/night accommodation overlooking Chamberlain gorge – we didn’t visit!
Deemed as one of the most successful and unique holiday destinations in Australia we could see how in the early days this Park would have been 1 of a kind. However, either we are getting cynical in our older age or just a little more jaded but the whole place seemed a little contrived and ‘man-made. Don’t get me wrong the area is stunning and the gorges spectacular, but it is just soooo touristy now – every man and his dog goes there – what’s so special about that!
There are many other Gorges in the Park but given our limited time frame we decided to push on to others hopefully a little less commercial further down the Gibb River Road.
The campground was clean, spacious, had all the amenities and had the added bonus of being beside the Pentecost River and so a little cooler than some not directly near water.
With live entertainment after dinner, Pete took the kids up to see the infamous
‘Buddy Tyson’ – stockman, whip cracker and general joker, while mum had some quiet time (read fed up, tired and just wanted to stay home and read my book!)
El Questro Wilderness Park – $30 entry to Park (bush camp $30/night)