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Published: August 8th 2007
Emma Gorge
Swimming in Emma Gorge, when you have forgotten your bathers. We headed off onto the Gibb River Road for the first time, to the ever popular, and pricy, El Questro Station and Wilderness Park.
We visited Emma Gorge first which was a 2km walk over yet another river bed and very large boulders to a great clean water hole, with towering cliffs and rugged walls. There were rain drops coming from the cliffs above, but because they came through the rocks and cliffs first, they were quite warm and spectacular to watch. Bruce took a tumble coming into the water hole area and bruised his arm, shoulder and ego, but nothing serious. The water in the pool was freezing, as was the water fall, but after the reasonably tough walk we just had to go in. Without bathers, it was a fully dressed - or not - affair, but nice and refreshing. Definitely worth it. The most surprising thing was sitting under a ledge on the far side. The water dripping through the rocks here had heated up as it passed through the 40-60 metres of rock above and the water was as warm as the water you would use for a shower.
El Questro is a very
Emma Gorge
Cold but worth it. short drive from Kununurra so you get a lot of overnight people, or people who have left the vans in Kununurra and out for a day trip. Very expensive - $15 per person just to visit for the day (7 day pass), then another $15 per person to camp the night. Camping is nothing special, a piece of grass, with the use of toilets and showers, although a walk of several hundred metres from the fatherliest common camp spot. We chose one of the private camping spots about 5km from the town station. It was, again, just a piece of flattened wild grass with a steep climb to the Pentecost River. We were away from the tourists, but had a drive to use the facilities. Made it interesting when you needed to go in the middle of the night, well at least for those times when long grass won’t do! We even managed to get a camp fire going, on which we had another go at our traditional Camp Stew, as well as a baked spuds night. Reflective of their management style, El Questro require a $10 bond to be repaid if you vacated your site by 10am on the
Shower Anyone
Bruce getting a shower in the warm water at Zebedee Springs. appropriate day. Sure it is meant to be a carrot to get out on time, although Bruce thought it more of a stick and we saw other examples of this style around the place as well.
Whilst in El Questro we visited Zebedee Springs, which is a natural water hole, with warm water as it makes it way through the rocks - very nice for an early morning soak. By now we were a little annoyed about the raw commercialisation of El Questro, which was galvanised when we saw that Zebedee Springs closes at midday, to “protect the environment” but then the tour buses rock up! Probably hearsay, but we latter found out that these were the “exclusive tours” which had paid for a swim without the rest of us riff-raff. Later, we took the Explosion Gorge 4WD track up to Branco’s lookout, definitely 4WD country here with low range - first gear in use a lot for the climbs and sharp drops. Had a spectacular view over Chamberlain Gorge, out towards the El Questro homestead - which AGAIN was for the exclusive traveller (up to $3000 a night) and we couldn’t even get in for a tour/look. Bruce
recalled a segment on Getaway which they welcomed people to come for a look. Not now! Amanda drove down the steep run from the lookout onto Explosion Gorge, about 20kms of slow rocky 4WD track. Very rough in some places with 1km or more of just large boulders, and drop offs that you did not know where your tyres would end up. Quite hard going in the end, but Amanda did very well for someone who calls herself a beginner. The drive also required crossing the Pentecost river for 200m or more and you could not stop, there were crocs in the water.
We tried our luck at fishing off the so-called Jetty in Chamberlain Gorge but all we caught were 2 snags and 2 very frustrated fisher persons. Bruce’s reel had been damaged during one of the drives and although he tried to fix it, “the bitch is dead”. We pretty much cracked the shits and went back to camp.
The township of El Questro was quite nice, very touristy, prices accordingly - although Diesel was cheaper than Kununurra. A little shop was also there with a grassed area with a swimming hole that was free of
El Questro
Some of the relaxing views in El Questro were not to bad. Sitting by the water reading a book is a great way to spend a holiday. crocs. Good place for a picnic by the water and although you could swim there, we wouldn’t. Bit stagnant. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only people complaining about El Questro, because at our next stop there was a menagerie of people who had just left El Questro, none to impressed.
We are now in Home Valley Station - a large drive of 50km from El Questro. The camping by the station is not that nice, very sandy, but have very clean amenities, with new toilet block opened less than a week ago. You can drive for 4km down to Bush Camping, which is right on the Pentecost River. The bush camping is well grassed and a little cooler, with much construction under way for new facilities down there, but for now you need to drive all the way back to the main camp to do No.2’s. Despite the stunning success of early ventures, Bruce decided to try his hand at fishing yet again, one day he will catch something. This time, on his rod, with Amanda’s baby reel, and chuck steak for bait, he was going after the Barra or pretty much anything would have been nice at this point
Explosion Gorge
Definetly 4WD country this track. - at least it would improve his mood. The fishing guide from the station rocked up to see what was going on and ribbed him for 5 minutes that if he did not catch anything in 10, he should just go back and get drunk. Although, jokes aside, the need to be sober was paramount given the news that Bruce was fishing in the favourite sunning spot of a particularly grumpy 4-5 metre Salty Croc. After about 7 minutes off went the line, with Bruce straining to pull in the catch and the gathered crowd watching our for the resident salt water crocodile, we finally brought in the fish. It was a 3.6kg Yellow Mulloway. Locals had never seen a fish like this caught in the river, although up here you could catch anything because it is tidal salt water. Bruce was stoked, and thought (hoped) Hooper would be proud/pissed, although no stress there. We gutted it, and filleted it on the waters edge, whilst we watched for the croc. I am not kidding here, just the day before the Croc came all the way up the bank and scared the people in the camp sites. Apparently one woman shot
Do not let it get away
Bruce has a fish on the end of that line. Trying not to let the line break. Watch out for the crocs. up a tree to get away.
Bruce proudly cooked up his fish for dinner, after giving half to the guy that help him fillet it. Mulloway cooked in Butter, garlic and onion sauce, with a nice tossed salad on the side. Not bad for bush camping.
There is very little mobile signal along the Gibb River road, but we found some just outside of Home Valley, which Bruce thinks is from Wyndam. Noticed it when on the way in there was a girl standing in the middle of no-where talking on her phone - a video call as it turned out. Some people do anything to use technology. We are now parked in a quarry just by the road posting this. Things you do to keep the fans informed (hello, hello - anyone there).
The Home Valley homestead is quite nice, very rustic. The Bar is good, and food prices, along with beer prices are not too bad given the remoteness. One of the station hands has this mad dog, you try to play pool and it puts his head and paw up on the table of the end you are aiming towards, and occasionally licks the
I got it
I finally got the fish. Look at it Hooper, 3.6kg Mulloway. Fish was ok, but it did need Garlic. ball on the way past. No retake of the shot, that is just another challenge and just part of the rules you need to deal with out here. A group in the campsite next to us ended up drinking heavily with the station hands and played ‘fighting lizards’. In this game you tie 2 long socks around your and your opponents necks, and proceed to pull each other over a line - Tug of War style. Apparently heads and necks were all a bit sore this morning and we heard that some of the other games were born out of the minds of pretty bored individuals.
For those interested in coverage NextG coverage at Home Valley lookout 2ks West of Home Valley turnoff.
Heading up to Mitchell Plateau tomorrow.
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Mum and Dad
non-member comment
Fish
Good one Bruce with the help of Amanda. Will sell you my fishing line as I have caught nothing with it!!!