El Questro (1 - 5 Jul)
Our next and last stop was El Questro which appears to be a mandatory stop for all travellers along the Gibb River Road. We broke up the drive by staying at Ellenbrae Station, known for its scones and bush baths, for the night. The camp site was basic and dusty, but it did offer welcomed flushing toilets, hot showers, garbage disposal and water for the caravan. In the morning, the on-site mechanic assured us the squeaks emitting from our caravan were not a concern, and recommended a mechanic in Kununarra should we wish to investigate further.
As we traversed the rough and bumpy road to El Questro Station, the vegetation became increasingly lush and green. We took a drone photo as we crossed the infamous Pentecost River and passed some dramatic rocky landscape before arriving at the station which was bustling with families on school holidays and offered horse riding and scenic helicopter flights at a premium. After squeezing into our cramped camp site, Justin and Millie went for a dip in the river then a ride around the park in search for some familiar faces.
By the next day, I was still not ready to join Justin and Millie at Zebedee Springs (comprising a series of natural hot spring pools which are closed every midday for the exclusive use of El Questro’s homestead guests) as I just wanted a break from the relentless red dirt and the constant upheaval of caravan life. Not yet quite ready to go home either, I spent the day washing, cleaning and re-organising to regain some sort of order in my microcosm that is our caravan.
When I was ready to venture out again, we left early for each of the hikes to Emma Gorge and El Questro Gorge – two of my favourite walks on the trip. For the Emma Gorge walk, we had to pick our way over rocks to reach a water hole surrounded by towering vertical walls. The water was chilly but a small spa pool tucked away to the right provided welcome warm relief until we had to plunge back into the main pool for our return walk to the Emma Gorge Resort for some lunch. For El Questro Gorge, we walked through the lush, green wilderness, criss-crossed streams and clambered over rocks to arrive at Halfway Pool. To reach the water hole located at the end of the walk, we had to scale a large boulder which we decided not to attempt.
During our stay, we returned one day to find Nick, Kristy, George and Fergus (whom we met in Cape Leveque) had checked-in, alongside their good friends, Bruce and Rachel, directly opposite us. What were the chances of that?! We would spend the next days together catching-up, watching the sunset and introducing Dutch Blitzto George and Fergus. Justin also bumped into a colleague, Bianca, who was taking advantage of her parental leave to travel around Australia with her husband and baby son.
On our last morning at El Questro, we enjoyed an early soak at Zebedee Springs with Nick and family, Bruce and Rachel before returning to camp where Millie spotted Adam and Guy (last encountered at Manning Gorge) pulling into their site. After packing up, we said our good-byes and took a fitting photo of the group as our itineraries would now diverge. It is our meetings with these lovely people which have made our trip extra memorable.