Blogs from El Questro Wilderness Park, Western Australia, Australia, Oceania

Today we‘ve booked a tour to…. well we don’t actually know. It was the only tour running either yesterday or today which wasn’t booked out so we thought we’d better grab it whatever it was. We’re now thinking that perhaps we should have asked a few more questions. Our guide Mick gives us a bit more information on the history of El Questro. It seems that it wasn't all plain sailing in the years immediately after tourist operations first started here in 1992. Emma Gorge started life with 27 tents, but they were all wiped out in a massive cyclone only a couple of years later, during which 440 mm of rain fell in only about 12 hours. A few years after they were rebuilt they were largely wiped out again, this time by a fire. ... read more

Today we fly back to Kununurra and from there on to El Questro in the East Kimberley. We’ve got some time to kill so we visit Broome’s Japanese and Chinese cemeteries. These were originally deliberately located outside the town boundary, probably for some obscure reason related to our racist past. Thankfully the town boundary was subsequently moved, so they’re now well inside. The Chinese section is a bit underwhelming and not particularly well maintained. I wonder if Premier Xi knows about this. If not I’m sure he soon will, which will undoubtedly result in yet another mark against us Aussies in his now probably not so little black book. The Japanese area is certainly more attractive, and there’s also a bit more information on its history. The first burial here was way back in the 1890s, ... read more

DAYS SEVEN and EIGHT We leave the Mitchell Plateau and follow the Kalumburu River back to the Gibb. From here we head to the Durak River before we head to Emma Gorge resort, part of El Questro Wilderness Park. Today we went for a swim at the Zebedee Thermal Springs - 30 degrees. Unfortunately there were a lot of people there so you could have a soak but not a swim. After lunch Paul took us on a guided walk to Emma Gorge. The walk takes about 45 minutes (3.2 km return) and can be challenging in parts as you can be scrambling over rocks and boulders. Good hiking shoes required. We decided against a swim but a couple of our group did. It was very refreshing!!!...they said. Under a waterfall... read more

There were many more activities at El Questro and walks to do but we did not have the time or money. We did spend a night at the bar being entertained by the live performance of a fabulous guitar player, Adam Matthews. And time in the pool. Some more walks we did do; Jebedee Springs. - Class 1 An easy start, we visited the very popular thermal pools at 6.45am to bet the crowds. The air temperature already 23 degrees. A short 50metre walk lined with Livistona Palms. A natural Oasis set at the base os sheer cliffs. A permanent thermal Spring fed via a fault line from a supply of water deep with in the earth. The water temperature was between 28 - 32 degrees celsius. The surrounded by the King Leopald Sandstone cliffs which ... read more

Day Two in the Bungle Bungles and we were up early, the dingoes prowling and howling around the camp ground most the night. A cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs, fuel for the day. A 28km drive to the Northern side of the Bungles we commenced our day with the class 3, 10 minute walk to the Osmand Lookout, taking in the ridge line and panoramic views. We then set out on the 2km return, Class 4, Echidna Chasm trail. The most difficult part was the short climb at the end. The chasm lined with some palm trees at the opening is the result of a fault line in the cliff, that has eroded over millions of years. Another amazing natural phenomenon. Back to the car we took on our biggest challenge in the midday heat, ... read more