9

El Questro

The El Questro Wilderness Park is considered to be one of the world's most unique destinations. About a million acres in size, the park was developed in 1991, buried in a region, most of which has never been explored and certainly never settled.

Deep in the Kimberley region in NW Australia it is one of the world's last unspoilt frontiers.

Rugged ranges, broad tidal flats, rainforest pockets, gorges and waterfalls make the place unforgettable.

As we could see coming the day before, our 'trusty steed' was no longer trusty, in fact it was knackered! We luckily managed to take it back to Avis and said "don't want this one...it's broke...I want that one!!" So 1BXG went to the great garage in the sky, well down the road and 1CAH (wonka!) took up the burden of all the tackle we seem to have acquired	The Gibb River Road is infamous in Australian outback travelling. A car buster, a tyre shredder, a "make sure you take days of water and food" road. With the impeding rains we plan to tackle each end and leave the middle bit to the brave (nutters!). The tyre on bottom right is an example of Gibb River Road fever that attacks tyres!
	now that's scary!

This is real wilderness
It's too hot to get out!
	more tyre problems... ..a couple we met later described how their wheel 'just exploded' and the tyre imploded. Another couple claimed the record with five ruined tyres from Derby
"is it warm out there?"
We had booked to stay in tents in the Emma Gorge. Unfortunately (or as it turns out fortunately) the site had been washed away in Cyclone Ingrid in February when 485mm (half a metre!) of rain fell in just 14 hours. El Questro had kindly upgraded us to a township bungalow free of charge woo hoo! This is a big woo hoo because this place is mega $$$$ Given the heat, we doubt our ability to have survived a tent.	not just crocodiles to look out for, the wild dogs too!
a river crossing	and another
	we are here!
Laurie checks out 'downtown'	our room name (not Kairen's)
well this will just have to do if you've no tents left! tee hee!
	this is amazing given that it really is in the middle of a total wilderness

enjoying our balcony....
Bronwyn showing us all about the Boab tree The fruit contains 16 times more vitamin C than an orange, but it does taste quite dry.	It's difficult to age a boab because they don't have rings like a conventional tree. It's estimated that when the branches start to drop towards the ground, as this one has, then they are around 1,000 years old. This one had an initial inscribed by one of the first European settlers.

	A bower bird nest. Made by the male to attract the female, who then goes and lays her eggs somewhere else. They are renown for decorating the nest with anything shiny, like coins, knives, forks etc...
Explosion Gorge. (note the sign)

	cormorants


the debris shows the height that the river rises (about 10m higher than present) in the wet season
	Sunset at Branco Lookout

Oh no...Kairen's got the champagne!
	Cockburn Mountain Range in the setting sun
Jim Downes, who went to the same school as Laurie! (it's a small World...swapping stories)	A perfect end to a great day