El Questro Station 26-29 July

El Questro Bush Campsite

Our private riverside camp 8.3km from the ElQuestro Station was where we are spending  a relaxing 4 nights.  Camp is on the freshwater side of Pentacost River with plenty of timber for fires.  Our camp had shallow rapids so we risked lying in the water but keep a weary eye out for Salties as per warnings of their inhabitant from staff and signs. (Campsite cost $56 per night for 2)

Pentacost River Beside Camp - Living
on the Edge.

The days temperatures reach the mid 30’s with low humidity which makes it quite pleasant.  We can’t sit still for long and so were off daily exploring the countryside.  At ElQuestro you are required to pay a once off $20 each on top of your camping fees to gain access to the parks many gorges and tracks.  We can highly recommend Zebedee Springs, Emma Gorge, ElQuestro Gorge and the 4wd track up to Saddleback Ridge.  Each gorge is not only picturesque but provides a refreshing safe place to swim.

Zebedee Springs



 

El Questro Gorge - one of the
swimming holes along the way






El Questro Gorge the track- Have to climb up it
and back down

Day 3 we spent 4wding the Karunjie Track, starting at the Pentacost River Crossing on the Gibb River Rd that takes you to Wyndham.  We continued the back way from Wyndham to Kununurra to collect supplies for our fishing journey to Kalumburu.  We have 16 days ahead without much access to any essentials and from experience, supplies are very limited and prices are prohibitive the futher you travel from major centres.


Boab

We never tire of looking at the magnificent Boab Trees that the Kimberley’s are renowned for.  They seem to be trying to express a personality of their own.


Prison Boab - Wyndham


If looking for fuel Wyndham was the cheapest at $150.0, Kununurra $159.9 and we will top up our tank on way out tomorrow at ElQuestro Station before leaving for $2 per ltr.  Always the question of gas as well, do you take the risk in half a bottle or refill?  We refilled at ElQuestro a 9kg bottle for $42.50


Emma Gorge



A little story for our last night at ElQuestro.   Realising we had not yet taken the powerful Croc spotting handheld HID light down to the river off we went.  Now remember this is the spot in the photo with Donna laughing as we have been joking laying around in the shallows thinking we are safe as Crocs don’t like rocks or so they say.   We see two tiny red eyes right in our bathing spot and keep shining the light trying to convince ourselves they are Crocodile eyes.  Next thing a real Croc from where those eyes were, launches off the rocks and splashes into the water with great gusto and heads straight toward us, a ripple in the water.  Mesmerised we are still laughing and saying  ‘Wow look it is a Croc’ when suddenly it emerges from the water towards us mouth wide open!!!  Well, armed with only with a flashlight and without DLM (more about that later) it was lucky to be 1 metre long, however it may as well have been 6 metres, cause we SHIT ourselves.  Brave Croc spotters we are, we bolt back towards the light of the campfire.  Donna in front ahead squealing like a stuffed pig,  running through long grass no light and in her thongs.  Obviously the ‘Ice’ epidemic has spilled over into the Kimberley Salt Water Crocodiles and we have had first hand experience of it.   Someone please call Tony!