There’s a tonne of amazing gorges to do on the Gibb River Road. We had a number of favourites, and to be honest never went to one that we regretted, or thought wasn’t worth the effort.
El Questro Gorge though, was a huge highlight for us. It’s one of the more challenging ones, with amazing natural beauty, in the shade for majority of the walk and the mid way and end pools are simply stunning.
We did it on both visits to El Questro and would happily do it again. It really is a world class walk, and in our opinion the best gorge at El Questro Station by a country mile.
If you are wondering whether El Questro Station is really worth a visit or not, check this out – Is El Questro worth a visit?
At the end of the El Questro Gorge walk
Where is El Questro Gorge?
You’ll find this amazing place on El Questro itself, a short drive from the main centre along a 4WD track that can be a heap of fun.
Coming into El Questro Station
Do you need a 4WD to get to El Questro Gorge?
Yep, absolutely. It’s rare to see any 2WD vehicle at El Questro anyway, but the El Questro Gorge Water Crossing was the deepest one we did on the Gibb River Road, by a long shot.
In both instances, the water in sections would have been over a metre, and if you don’t have a snorkel, you shouldn’t risk it.
The ground is solid and sandy, but a bit lumpy and we did have water nearly come onto the bonnet of our Dmax in one section.
The deepest water crossing we did on the Gibb River Road
How difficult is the El Questro Gorge Walk?
The first part of the walk is quite easy, and can be done by pretty much anyone. From there though, it gets much more challenging. The half way pool requires you to get seriously wet (basically swim) and then climb up a rock that is probably 3 metres tall.
From there, you do a lot more climbing over rocks, and up a few rock faces. It’s certainly not something you’d want to do if you weren’t confident, or with young children that you weren’t overly confident in.
I carried Oliver in a backpack carrier, but a lot of people thought we were crazy.
You need to be prepared to get wet at the half way pool
One of the steeper parts
There’s plenty of rocks to traverse
There’s lots of easy sections too
We did it with our 18 month old on my back
What’s the pool like at the end?
The plunge pool at the end is a very fitting end to the walk. It’s small, cold, and amazingly peaceful if you get it to yourself.
Take some food, kick back for a bit and enjoy the region before you walk back down the gorge, which is guaranteed to make your knees sore by the end!
El Questro Gorge waterfall
What wildlife can you see?
We saw a heap of amazing bugs, butterflies and dragon flies. We also saw a couple of lizards and snakes, and the odd bird.
The scenery on the other hand is nothing short of incredible, and we loved every minute of it.
We saw a few snakes, and lots of insects
What does it cost?
The price is the admission into El Questro. If you are camping, you’ll already have the access pass. If you aren’t, you can get a day pass from the main centre at El Questro. The actual gorges are free to explore.
The gorge is free, but you pay to access El Questro
If you have the energy and are in for an adventure, put El Questro Gorge down on your list. It is truly remarkable, and one that we would happily do again.
Hey so glad I stumbled upon your site. The main concern for us is security when you go off exploring. Leaving our van…cheers Liz
Hi Elizabeth,
If you are in the main camp ground, there are hundreds of people around. Lock everything up, put any valuables out of eye sight and go and enjoy yourself. Most people there are enjoying themselves all day and I’ve never heard of any issues with theft at El Questro
All the best
Aaron