Curious Gorge: Exploring Australia’s remote and wild Kimberley region

Sky highs

Getting to El Questro does require a sense of adventure, though. The 90-minute drive from the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it airport at Kununurra is all going swimmingly – until it really does start to go swimmingly. As we venture off the main road for the final 20-minute leg over private parklands to the homestead, we cross ‘puddles’ that would put Lake Windermere to shame. My guide, however, isn’t fazed, pointing to a tree stump sticking up out of the water and telling me with classic Aussie nonchalance that it was even higher last week. That answers my question as to why this 1,100-square-mile wilderness park restricts its opening period from April to October – the wet season renders the roads impassable during the southern hemisphere’s summer. Puddles happily in the rearview mirror, I arrive under a blanket of stars and wake to the ghost of the moon fading in the sky as our early-morning birdwatching tour gets under way. With eagle-eyed guide Gab Murphy at the helm and a pair of binoculars in hand, we trundle past pale green grasslands with slivers of bright red earth peeking through.

The soil is almost as vibrant as the red-winged parrots we spy – first appearing as little more than a dark shadow between the branches before erupting into a scarlet-feathered spectacle as they take flight overhead. We become adept at spotting the kaleidoscopic hues of the rainbow bee-eater and the crimson finch, learn to listen for the screeching calls of little corellas and admire the slender S-curved necks of little egrets. When Gab turns off the engine at the edge of the escarpment, we’re surrounded by sing-song chirps and fluttering leaves that signify the wealth of bird life around us. Taking a moment to pause, we stare out at a near-vertical cliff face long enough to begin to recognise the tiny telltale movements of short-eared rock wallabies darting in and out along the narrow ledges. For any traveller who assumes adventure always has to be high-octane, suggest watching and waiting as the natural world slowly wakes up around you – it’s the biggest thrill they’ll ever get.

Spring tides

There are more energetic activities to be found, however – from the short hike to Emma Gorge and a chance for a dip in the pool of a natural waterfall at the end, to a heli-hiking tour over the weathered domes of the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park, both of which feature on a five-day Walk into Luxury tour introduced at El Questro in 2022. I opt for the highest effort-to-reward ratio with the easy walk up to Zebedee Springs, a series of tiered rock pools fed by naturally occurring hot springs and shaded by the fan-like fronds of Livistona palms – a true tropical oasis in the outback. It gets busy in the mornings – it’s open to the public from 7am-12pm – but it’s exclusive to homestead guests each afternoon and is blissfully empty when I arrive. Steer clear of swimming in the waters of Chamberlain Gorge, though, as crocodiles lurk and curious archerfish roam just below the surface. These long, narrow fish have the unusual ability to ‘spit’ water out of their mouths to reach surprising heights in the air and fell passing insects. Observing these creatures is just one of the natural highlights of a gentle late-afternoon champagne cruise through the steep-sided gorge, watching the setting sun turn the rust-red sandstone – which is a mind-bending 1.8 billion years old, too ancient even to have fossils embedded in its layers – into a fiery blaze of burnt orange.

‘It’s your country’

Amid such prehistoric landscapes, El Questro’s modern heritage – established as a cattle station in 1903, before turning to tourism in 1991 – could easily be overshadowed. But this outback retreat is setting the agenda for a more sustainable future for community tourism in Australia. In November 2022, half of El Questro was returned from owners the G’day Group to the Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation, the traditional owners of the land, which then granted a 99-year lease back to the company to allow it to continue operating as a tourism enterprise. The Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) has been celebrated as a model for reconciliation and a way to ensure Indigenous communities can shape the future of their homelands, not only providing employment and training in tourism but also offering a better experience for visitors keen to learn. Arnold Sahanna, director of the Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation, says: “The ILUA is designed to bring people back home. It’s not set up for my generation – it’s for the next one and the one after that. “My grandfather was from the stolen generation – he said he would never come back here. This is what drives me. I just hope one day my grandkids will do what I’m doing. I’d remind them, ‘It’s your country, don’t forget it’. Country is important, we have got to look after it.”

El Questro Homestead

This 10-suite, adult-only lodge occupies a prime spot in the sprawling wilderness park high above the Chamberlain River, where guests might spot the resident crocodile creeping up onto the banks if they’re lucky. Thankfully, there’s safe swimming in the modest pool and no end of impossibly scenic spots to sit and soak up the view. The Chamberlain Suite and Cliffside Retreats have the best vistas to wake up to, but even the lead-in Gorgeview and Homestead Rooms come with spacious accommodation, private verandas, a self-serve bar and amenities from Aussie brand Aesop. Five new clifftop villas are under construction too, increasing capacity by 50%. Don’t expect a key at check-in – in this comfortable enclave, where staff don hiking boots and greet each guest by name, there’s no need. The main lodge has ski chalet vibes – centred around a cosy fireplace with maps, telescopes and a well-stocked open bar – but most of the time, guests can be found enjoying each other’s company at the communal dining tables on the deck. Exquisite three-course lunches and dinners – think scallops, lobster, barramundi and perfectly seared steak – are matched with sommelier-led pairings, but the true joy is in sharing stories of the day’s excursions and getting recommendations for what to try tomorrow.

Book it: Audley Travel offers a nine-night tailor-made trip with three nights each at the InterContinental Perth City Centre (B&B), El Questro Homestead (full-board) and Smiths Beach Resort in Margaret River (B&B) from £7,650 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes international flights with Singapore Airlines, domestic flights, transfers, a day trip to Rottnest Island, a Bungle Bungle heli-tour and a Voyager estate tour including a seven-course lunch.
audleytravel.com