DAY 82 - THE GROTTO – WYNDHAM – EL QUESTRO

19 May 2008


DAY 82 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip


THE GROTTO – WYNDHAM – EL QUESTRO

After last minute shopping for a few staples we were again on our way for the last time past the Sleeping Buddha. Cockburn Ranges could be seen as we drove towards Wyndham.

There were lots of boab trees, ironwood, blood wood and dry grasses along the way. The Kapok bushes, pindan and elephant ear wattles are flowering.

Our first stop was at the grotto. One look at the stairs down to the grotto and I knew this was not a walk for me. Windy narrow stairs with no rails and a drop off on one side – well this was the best way of freaking me out. So I walked around at the top whilst hubby went down and had a look. There was a pool of water still there.


As you drive into Wyndham you are met by a gi-normous crocodile.

We continued on to Five Rivers Lookout. An awesome site seeing the mighty King, Durack, Pentecost, Forrest and Ord Rivers come together into the Cambridge Gulf and the Wyndham Port.

We had seen this from the air on our recent flight from Kununurra. The surrounding mud flats were enormous in size.

Wyndham itself is very small but it does have a bakery. Kununurra does not have one. After lunch there we went to have a look at what they refer to as the biggest/oldest boab tree. It is about 2,000 years old.

We drove past the giant sculptures of an Aboriginal family. There was work going on there and you could not get up close to them.

We were going to head to Moochalabra Dam and the Prison Tree but we were advised that the road was not good and you couldn’t continue along King River Road to Gibb River Road at this stage past the Prison Tree. So we retraced our steps

to the Gibb River Road.

The road has obviously been graded and was in good condition up to the El Questro turnoff. El Questro Road was much more corrugated and dustier.


We stopped at Emma Gorge but decided it was too late in the afternoon to go walking. There is a beautiful outdoor restaurant here and lovely shaded lawns to sit on. We continued on to what is called the township, with water crossings at Amelia Creek, Moonshine Creek and the Pentacost River, and booked in for three nights. We chose to stay at a private campsite. Before we left the township we stopped to see the work of the artist in residence, David Byard.

The track into the bush camp was good.

So here we are at a beautiful campsite – No 10 called Corella. It is 3.3km past the township. We have a beautifully large site with water frontage.
The Pentecost River is quite down but still running. As we sit here we can hear the water cascading over the rocks, the birds are singing and what look like two corellas are sitting on top of a gum tree. A really lovely spot.