Kimberley – National Park El Questro
The Kimberley Territory (three times the size of England) which stretches across the entire north-west of Australia is one of the wildest and most sparsely populated places in the world, reasons why we put this part of Australia at the top of the list as well as the mythical Gibb River Road which will be our next destination. First of all, we will discover El questro Gorge, known for its natural landscapes in the heart of the Kimberley. Swimming and hiking guaranteed.
Kimberley Region
Kununurra – 09 September
It's in Kununurra (the only major city in the Kimberley) that we do the last full of errands, especially drinking water and vegetables, which will be scarce given the isolation of the region. We go to the Visitor Center to get as much practical information as possible about the Kimberley and the Gibb River Road in order to anticipate our stages for the next few days.
A last stop at the Emma Gorge Resort to book the campsite ( El Questro Station) located close to El Questro gorge and we set off in the direction of the gorge.
El Questro gorge track
After thirty minutes on the track on El Questro Road, It turns into a muddy river. As it is too deep for the car, we continue on foot along the marshy bank and find the path again.
It's sweltering hot, The sandy track is scorching hot with recent tire tracks. Another variety of baobabs and eucalyptus trees line the path without really providing us with any shade.
Finally, a little freshness among the Livistona palms 🌴, endemic and emblematic trees of El Questro.
Blue or red markings on the rocks indicate the degree of difficulty. So far, so good, they're blue!
We arrive at the foot of the jagged cliff, The trail becomes steeper and the rocks slippery.
The further you go, the more you have to climb. I decide to leave it at that and let Philippe continue further up to the small pool where he can cool off.
Beyond this rocky area, Completely submerged in the wet season, It is possible to continue. According to our information, the journey is long and difficult. The clock is ticking, Philippe has to turn back.
Zebedee Springs – 10 September
The next day, morning walk through the rainforest to Zebedee Springs.
It's already warm and the Livistona palms are cooling us.
It is a permanent natural hot spring with small pools at different levels. The place being touristy we arrive around 6:30 in the morning.
At this time there is no one there and we have no difficulty finding our private pool with a mini waterfall at the 35 degrees.
Emma throat
After this invigorating session, head to Emma Gorge, considered to be the most spectacular and one of the busiest in the Kimberley. We are at the end of the tourist season and we hope not to see anyone there.
The beginning of the trail that starts at the Emma Gorge Resort is no longer accessible from 12 noon because of the extreme heat that has been raging for a few days as well as the little shade all along the route.
The narrow path presents some difficulties, Sometimes we play balancing on the rocks and have to stay focused on where to put our feet.
The cliffs rise before us.
We are almost there to hear the echo of voices that reason between the cliffs.
It's confirmed, we're not alone!
The waterfall that makes 65 meters high is impressive.
As the sun moves, the color of the water changes from emerald green to a bright yellow revealing rocky bottoms.
The water is a bit chilly but it's so hot that you don't notice it! Tourists start to leave, we have a leisurely lunch with our feet in the water.
The return trip seems very long after this busy day.
We reach the El Questro Station campsite by crossing the Pentecost River. The water comes just above the doors, it's borderline but it's okay!
Too tired to cook, we had dinner at the campsite pizzeria and went straight to bed because the next day we had a long road ahead of us to reach Mitchell Plateau National Park via the Gibb River Wyndham Road.