Emma (Emma Gorge, El Questro Station, Zebedee Springs, WA)

The first activity for the day was optional and Jayne opted out. The dreaded Emma Gorge walk. Aside from being informed by a random tourist that the walk was very difficult, we had the usual build up from our guides. Water, sunscreen, sturdy shoes and so on. The opinion of the random tourist was questionable, she was completing the Galvans Gorge walk in thongs. As for the tour guides, well, they need to be super careful. I wasn't really expecting anything particularly strenuous and so it turned out to be.

Today's title was too easy. Emma by Hot Chocolate all the way from 1974. Enjoy.

We left early dear reader, not just to beat the sun and the heat, but to be in front of the crowds that the gorge walk attracts. It was probably the same length as many of the other walks and there was some scrambling, but at no stage did I remove my camera from my hand. For me, Jayne keeps emphasising that, for me, the level of difficulty was 'meh'.

Shadows in the morning light.

As the sun rose we experienced the changing colours of the gorge walls and enjoyed most of the journey in the shade. We crossed the creek a few times as the track snaked its way to the falls and its pool. Emma Gorge pool is fed by a droplet waterfall and a thermal spring. The destination, like all the gorge walks we have experienced, is stunning and the walk to the pool also has its own natural beauty. It is vast, it is remote but it is just so stunningly beautiful.

Changing colours as the sun gets up.

We were overtaken by a young couple and their two children on the walk in and by the time we reached the pool they were drying off, ready to make the return journey. I asked the two young boys if they had enjoyed their swim. The reply came in stereo, "It is freezing." Their departure meant our group had exclusive use of the pool - for a while.

Crystal clear water.

The water was indeed cold, as the boys had indicated. However to one side of the pool away from the falls there was a thermal spring supplying warm water. It was decidedly more pleasant swimming in that area. Again, the area is captivating. The sound of the falls gently splashing into the pool, the backdrop of the hanging fern garden. It is easy to see why the Emma Gorge walk is so popular.

The falls and the hanging fern garden.

The crowd began to build up as the day wore on and we were soon making our back down the track to our accommodation. It was noticeably warmer and the track was congested with people heading up to the pool for  swim. The decision to leave early had proven to be wise.

A rainbow Bee-eater with a bee for lunch.

After a quick shower and change back at Emma Gorge El Questro, it was onto the bus to drive the relatively short distance to El Questro Station for lunch at the famed Steakhouse. In 2019 we missed out on an opportunity to lunch at El Questro because numbers were restricted. At the time, one of the guides said we weren't missing out on much and the activity we ended up with was preferable anyway. Today we would find out if that was true.

A Silver-crowned Friarbird outside our tent.

El Questro is a landmark in its own right being over 280,000 hectares in size and covering almost 5,000 square kilometres. The notes from APT suggest much of "this remote wilderness is unexplored". They should add "by white fellas". Not for the first time is there a subtle undertone that dismisses the legacy of the first nations people.

Little Corella.

The Pentecost River runs through the station and is a popular destination for the travellers staying at El Questro. There is also a campground, a helipad, a souvenir shop, a bar, an art gallery and the restaurant. The prices at the shop and gallery were exorbitant. The artist in residence had many artworks on display the main feature of which was the Boab Tree and, while we admired the work and the clothes on sale, the prices were way too high for me to make a purchase. There was a pair of yellow boardshorts depicting scenes from the Kimberley. I liked them, but not for almost $100.

Artwork from NAIDOC week on display at El Questro.

Rather poignant don't you think?

Lunch at the restaurant was fine but again, nothing out of the ordinary. It appears that our guide in 2019 was correct, we didn't miss out on much then and had we not made it here this time, I would have been unconcerned.

A Red-winged Parrot at Zebedee Springs.

The last stop for the day was Zebedee Springs, a series of thermal pools, not far from the Station. They are closed to the general public in the afternoon, so our group had the entire pools to ourselves for an hour. Negotiating entry to egress from the water proved to be a little tricky with less than stable footing, but once in we relaxed and enjoyed the 30° water and floated and chatted with other members of our group.

 

That night we were back at Emma Gorge El Questro. The resort proved to be somewhat disappointing. The staff were indifferent and inclined not to be helpful, in fact some were just rude and the common areas badly needed cleaning. The bar area doubled as coffee shop in the morning and the spills from the previous night's festivities could be clearly seen on thee bartop. Not good enough really given the price tag for accommodation is over $500 per night with breakfast but not dinner.

Tomorrow we are heading for Purnululu or the Bungle Bungles. This has been a bucket list destination for years. I hope I haven't overhyped it in my mind.

Until next time.

Gorgeous (Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge to El Questro, WA)

Another early start saw us back on the Gibb River Road for a massive 450 km road trip to our accommodation at El Questro Emma Gorge Resort. There would be the usual breaks for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, but we were staring down the barrel of 8 or so hours of corrugated road. As such, this will be a short post my dear reader.

In a back to the future move, our first stop was Drysdale River Station. Happily we were not staying here - it was for morning tea and re-fuelling. Back in the bus for more bouncing around and a lunch stop that was clearly not memorable because I have no idea where we stopped and Jayne has no notes. Hmmm. Pretty sure we had wraps, fruit and juice for lunch.

Afternoon tea was a treat. We drove into Ellenbrae Station for scones. There was also the potential for "good coffee" but I have been disappointed by other people's version of "good coffee" previously on this trip. I decided to stay with water.

Double-barred finches.

Ellenbrae is a working station, running cattle. As tends to be the practice out here, contractors come in annually and muster the cattle for a fixed price per head. Prior to our scones arriving, we were treated to an informative and highly amusing talk from the station manager. Amongst other things he covered the challenges of the living out here, isolated, during the wet season.

A sulphur crested cockatoo.

Scones are turned out in their thousands during the dry and are enjoyed in the shaded garden beside the old homestead. The garden is a haven for birdlife, particularly doves, double-barred finches, bower birds and sulphur crested cockatoos.

Bar-shouldered doves.

The scones were delicious and time was spent trying to capture the perfect photograph of the local birdlife.

All too soon, we were back on the bus and heading once again for El Questro Emma Gorge Resort. Before we arrived, we made one last stop overlooking the Cockburn ranges as the sun was setting. Cockburn is not pronounced as it is spelt. It is pronounced co-burn, not cock- burn. And yes dear reader, juvenile jokes were made but we need not repeat them here.

The Cockburn Ranges.

Once again the Kimberley did not disappoint. There is much carry on about a Kimberley sunset, but in reality it is not the sunset but the colour changes of the mountains and landscape that is impressive. So it proved to be here. Our group invaded the solitude of some campers who were set up to watch the colour changes on the mountain range that lined the horizon. They accepted our arrival with good humour and we chatted about where we'd been and where we were heading. They snapped a group photo for us and we left them in peace.

The Pentecost River at sunset.

We arrived after dark at El Questro Emma Gorge Resort at around 6pm, and were shown to our accommodation. Similar in style to Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge, but the tents were newer and the dining facilities catered for more people. There were 60 glamping tents in all, so they couple potentially cater for up to 240 people. We were warned to check the toilet prior to use, lest we get a surprise from some local residents. Green frogs appear in the toilet bowl regularly. Although inconvenient, it demonstrates the health of the ecosystem.

He wasn't in the bowl, but clearly had been.

Dinner was not a favourite. It was buffet-style and we are not fans, however, given the time of our arrival it was a sensible option. After a long day in the bus, most of our group retired early in preparation for tomorrow's walk, sorry, hike, to the gorgeous Emma Gorge. Today's song title is by some unknown, a woman named Taylor Swift from 2017. Apparently she's touring Australia soon. Have a listen.

Until next time.

Shooting Star (Galvans Gorge, Manning Creek, Drysdale River Station, WA)

Another early start, another seat rotation, another long trip down the corrugated Gibb River Road to another gorgeous gorge for another swim. It's easy to be dismissive of the current itinerary as more of the same. To a certain extent it is, but every gorge is different and offers its own spin on the startling beauty of the Kimberley. From the ever changing colours of the rock walls, the meandering creeks, the different vegetation to the immaculate, cloud-free blue skies, the Kimberley is breath-taking and stunning.

An Olive-backed Oriole, an excellent singer.

The car park was much the same as the others we have encountered. Dusty with pockets of shade, populated by 4WDs attached to caravans. The walk to the gorge was exaggerated in difficulty and much of it was along the side of the creek on rock or in soft sand.

A silky grevillea.

Every bend provided a kodak moment.

The pool at Galvans Gorge was at the base of the falls and was supervised by a Boab Tree on the cliff top marking the difference between here and Dalmanyi. The water was unsurprisingly fresh and crowded with people. There was a tree with a rope swing for the more adventurous and a ledge beneath the waterfall for those who wanted to experience a water spa and massage.

Beside the swing tree was a rock overhang that protected some Gwion Gwion art, a depiction of a Wandjina, one of the spirit people.

The Wandjina watching over the pool.

Given where we were and the relatively early time of day, the pool was quite crowded. Everyone up here is ready for a chat and experiences are readily shared. I met a woman on the track in to the pool. She was wearing thongs, not quite sensible footwear. The track was easily negotiated, but thongs? I think not. As we fell into step she informed me that they had come from Emma Gorge - we were heading there in a few days time. The walk to Emma was quite difficult she explained and should be avoided if possible. Jayne had decided to opt out of this walk so I knew the Emma Gorge walk would be out of the question. She went on to say that the reason they were heading to Galvans Gorge so early was because the Manning River road had been closed at 8:30am and wasn't re-opening until nightfall to allow for some urgent repairs in response to the recent flooding rains.

It appeared we would have to alter our agenda as the Manning River was our lunch destination.

Back at the car park, Jayne, who was attempting to catch up on some blogging, had found it was impossible to be on your own in the Kimberley. Everyone stopped for a chat as she sat in the shade of our bus. She too had heard that the Manning River Road was closed. More interestingly, she reported that there was a large black snake in the car park. It was underneath a caravan and had startled some young girls as they alighted from their car. WA does not have the red-bellied black snake we have in the east. Research reveals it was probably a whipsnake.

We paused for morning tea at Mt Barnett Roadhouse before our guides received the news that the road to the Manning camp ground was indeed closed. Lunch would be at the Hann River crossing. It is a beautiful spot. The water was shallow in the river and still flowing quickly through the grove of Melaleuca trees. The river crossing, however, was not as shallow and there were some deep holes in the middle of the causeway and some even deeper soft sand either side.

The road is closed at the 1 metre level.

The Hann River.

This proved to be an excellent place to have lunch. We had a refreshing swim before our meal and then cars, attempting the river crossing, provided entertainment while we ate. One superstar 4WDer came down to check out the crossing. Serious discussion ensued as he directed one of his travelling companions to take a particular course across the river. He then drove his 4WD straight off the edge of the causeway into the soft sand to become bogged, much to the amusement of our tour group and his friends. A snatch rope was attached and he was towed out of his embarrassment.

Major amusement.

After the luxury of the Bell Gorge Wilderness Retreat, our next overnight stay, the Drysdale Station, was somewhat of a shock. Accommodation was in portable buildings, probably old mining dongas. We had single beds and an ensuite and there was a verandah that we all made good use of prior to dinner. Photographs were shared and we laughed about our lunchtime entertainment.

The dividing walls of the rooms was so thin that you could conduct a conversation with the people next door from the comfort of your bed. Thankfully our tour group is well behaved.

Almost like a demountable classroom.

Well, it's a place to sleep.

The night sky in the Kimberley is another astonishing feature of the area. The lack of light pollution at night allows for the most amazing light show in the sky. Sorry no pictures, just memories of the thickness of the Milky Way and the shooting stars. Which brings me to today's title, Shooting Star by that excellent New Zealand group Dragon, all the way from 1978. If you've never heard it, have a listen.

Until next time.