El Questro began as a cattle station and became something else. This vast property in the East Kimberley, a short drive from the Gibb River Road's eastern end, was once a working pastoral lease, and it has been turned into a wilderness park, with gorges, hot springs and waterfalls set in a country of red cliffs and baobab trees. Emma Gorge, with its cool swimming hole beneath a high waterfall, and Zebedee Springs, a series of warm pools among palms, are the best known, and the walk into El Questro Gorge ends at a deep pool shaded by rock walls.
The Gibb River Road itself is a legend of Australian outback travel. It runs some six hundred and sixty kilometres through the Kimberley, originally built in the 1960s to carry cattle to the coast, and most of it is unsealed, corrugated gravel, with creek crossings and a few rough sections. The usual season is the dry, from about May to September, and in the wet, from roughly November to March, the road is closed by flooding. Ask for current conditions at a roadhouse or the visitor centre in Kununurra, about a hundred kilometres east, before heading in.
The turn-off to El Questro is marked by the Pentecost River crossing, a broad, shallow ford below the dramatic ridge of the Cockburn Range. It is a famous photograph spot and an obvious place to take care, since the crossing can be deep after rain, and crocodiles live in the Kimberley rivers. Never swim in a river or waterhole unless a local or a sign says it is safe, and be careful of the edge.
The riding is a serious undertaking. Corrugations shake loose bolts and can unsettle a bike, so ride a light, well-prepared machine with good tyres and a spare tube, carry plenty of water and tell someone your route. Dust is everywhere, and heat can be fierce, with afternoon temperatures well above thirty-five degrees even in the dry season.
The station has a small store, a bar, a restaurant and fuel, though prices are high and supplies can be limited, so confirm before relying on it. Camping and cabins are available. At sunset the cliffs glow deep orange, and the evening air smells of dust and eucalyptus.