Is El Questro Station Worth It?
- Adventure Lifestyle
- Jun 27
- 4 min read
El Questro splits people. Some will tell you it is the best stop in the whole Kimberley. Others reckon it is an overpriced tourist trap that charges you just to drive in. We had heard both for years, so this time we paid the money, drove in, and gave it three full days to make its case.
Getting into El Questro Station
There is a water crossing right before the entrance, around 600 millimetres deep, enough to make you sit up and pay attention before you have even handed over a cent.
We checked in early and were handed a private campsite right on the river, with nobody else within cooee of us. Apart from the odd vehicle on the main track, it could have passed for a quiet free camp a long way from anywhere, rather than one of the busiest stops in the Kimberley. After moving camp every night for the better part of a week, the plan was simple: bunker down for three nights and explore from here.
Sunset at Brancos Lookout
That first evening we left the Hilux at camp and took the 79 Series up to Brancos Lookout, as the track has a river crossing too deep for the Hilux. We watched the light fade over the ranges, then headed back to get a fire going and rest up, because the next day was a big one.
Emma Gorge
We were up and out early, with Emma Gorge first on a jam-packed list. It was about a 40 minute drive from camp, then a short but rocky walk in, a little challenging and slippery in places. The water was crystal clear the whole way, and by timing our run between the early birds and the late starters we had the gorge almost to ourselves.
The main pool was freezing, properly take-your-breath cold, but tucked off to one side we found a warm spring, so we could sit and stare up at the falls and stay toasty at the same time. It is a beautiful walk and well worth the effort, and we passed people of all ages and abilities making their way up.
Amelia Gorge
From Emma we pushed straight on to Amelia Gorge, billed as a squeeze and a climb of around two and a half hours without a swim. It started flat and rocky, then opened into one beautiful waterhole after another, the kind you would normally hike a long way just to see. We scrambled up through the river, past a couple of big pools and a few families enjoying the water, until we reached the waterfall at the end and jumped straight in.
Anyone who tells you it is not worth it has not been.
The cultural tour that wasn't
Back at camp that afternoon, we got ready for the cultural tour we had lined up with one of the traditional owners. After about half an hour of waiting for our guide, we worked out that the booking had been made for five days later, entirely by accident. Nothing to do but laugh it off. We put it on the list for next time and consoled ourselves with a big camp feed instead, a creamy chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta that used up the last of the fresh food. We never measure anything, we just chuck it all in, and it usually turns out alright.
El Questro Gorge, the big one
Day three was the one we had been looking forward to: El Questro Gorge, the longest hike on the station, somewhere between six and a half and nine and a half kilometres depending who you ask. The crossing in was one of the spicier ones, and we passed a few vehicles that had clearly taken on more water than they should have. We were second car in and first on the track.
It was spectacular from the first few minutes, all palm trees, towering cliffs and water so clear you could count the stones on the bottom.
Past the halfway pool it got serious. You wade through waist-deep water, then haul yourself up and over a near-vertical slab of slippery rock by wedging your feet into a narrow V. No photos for this bit, there's no pretty way to do it!
With a dodgy ankle, Karleah was not keen, but Paul talked her up and over one foothold at a time, and we carried on to the end. The reward was the final gorge and waterfall, entirely to ourselves.
Paul called it the best hike he has ever done, and honestly it is hard to argue.
Sunset at Saddleback Ridge
Wrecked but happy, we headed back to camp, then out again for one last sunset at Saddleback Ridge, the most accessible lookout and the closest to the station. A fitting way to close out three big days.
The one that got away
On our last morning we packed up and made for Zebedee Springs, hoping to squeeze it in before we left. It was still shut after recent rain and a rockfall. It reopened the very next day, just not in time for us, so we left it on the list and pointed the rigs back towards the Gibb.
So, is El Questro worth it?
Yes. Not because it is some hidden secret, half the Kimberley rolls through here, but because the country backed up every single cent. Private camps on the river, gorge after gorge we mostly had to ourselves, swims in water clear enough to see the bottom, and a hike that very nearly finished us off. Yes, there is a fee to get in, and yes, the popular spots get busy. But with Zebedee Springs and that cultural tour still on the list, we already have every reason to come back.
Watch the full episode below.
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