We woke on Monday, 20 July full of hope that the replacement intercooler would arrive and be installed early, so we could head out of town by early afternoon. However, we were in a perfect catch-22 situation - if we packed up the van completely we'd be courting trouble that it wouldn't happen that day at all, but if we didn't pack up then it might get done early and we'd be unprepared and waste time. In the end I maintained a slow and steady packing process, while Bob stayed on the phone keeping up the pressure on the service centre. The car was ready to collect till 4 pm, and then we had to do a bit of grocery stocking up for the next two or three weeks. Unfortunately that meant the sun had set by the time we turned onto the famous Gibb River Road, and it was well and truly dark by the time we had to do the relatively gnarly drive into our first stop, El Questro Station. It made for a slow and nerve wracking 16 kms, plus we then managed to take a wrong turn in among the many caravans and had to do a 37 point turn to get back out onto the main thoroughfare. Thankfully the people next to the empty site we were using to make the turn were very sympathetic and didn't laugh too much!!
We had a slow start to the first full day (a recurring theme of the trip, and our lives, to be honest!) and spent some time to set up the camp, including the hammocks. I, of course, did some washing. In the end, we headed out to check out the first of the gorges on the station, the eponymous El Questro gorge, and I decided to have a turn at the wheel for a bit of 4 wheel driving. I did question that decision as I came upon the first really big river crossing of the trip. It was A LOT. But everyone was very encouraging, and I took Bob's advice of 'just don't stop whatever you do' to heart, and we made it through unscathed.
Unfortunately, by the time we started the walk it was a bit it too late to make it even to the half way point, as we didn't want to have to risk doing to drive back to the station in the dark. But it was still a fun attempt, and Toby got a chance to blow his horn (📯🤘) and Josie and I had a quick dip in a side pool. Poor Nora still had another week before she could swim with the injured leg - she handled it like an absolute champ!!
The next day was a special one for me - 4 years since my beloved Dad died. We wanted to avoid the mistakes of the day before so got up and moving at a decent hour and made the drive out to Emma Gorge, which is also technically on El Questro Station but a solid 30 kms or so away, so it was back out onto the highway for us. We were particularly pleased once we worked out that there was a whole other mini station at Emma Gorge, including restaurant, so we'd be able to eat lunch on our return from the walk, rather than having to wait to make it all the way back to the main station.
As with so many of the gorges in the Kimberly, it was a decent hour to hour and half walk in to a lovely swimming spot, which was very welcome after getting good and sweaty on the way in. The hard part was the walk back out, but knowing the restaurant and bar were waiting for us at the other end definitely made it easier! Many of the bar staff we've met on the trip have been international tourists doing the regional/remote stint required by their holiday working visa, so I've had several opportunities to explain how to make a shandy over the last few weeks 😝.
The pool and waterfall were stunning, but the water was FREEZING! Thankfully I overheard some folks sitting in a little rock pool mention how warm it was in that particular spot, which reminded me of a tip that Wes Newman gave me about a thermal spring that came out from some rocks in one of the walls of the gorge. Then I realised some others had climbed up to a little shelf where the warm water was flowing out from, so I clambered up to experience it myself. It was pretty spectacular!!!
Then Bob and I decided to brave the cold and get into the pool proper, and we even swam all the way over to get under the waterfall. It was REALLY intense, with the water falling from so high it was like being pounded with freezing cold needles. But then the water on the swim back felt really mild in comparison, so I took some time to float on my back, looking up at the sunlight sparkling in the waterfall, and felt pretty bloody lucky to get to experience such a magical place.
On the Thursday Bob and I took a mini break and headed to Zebedee Springs, a lovely thermal hot spring in a little patch of gorgeous rainforest. It was pretty busy, so we didn't stay too long, but it was delightful!
After breakfast we all joined a cultural immersion tour with Injiid Cultural Experiences, run by some of the local traditional owners, the Ngarinyin people. Our hosts were a family group, Nelson and Mary and their daughter Shonelle.
The first half of the day was spent cruising along the Chamberlain River, another of the lovely rivers that run through the station. We were told about the significance of the many rivers of the Kimberly, how they are all connected in the same way that the many related and neighbouring groups are connected. In particular, we were shown a very special women's place where women went to give birth for generations. The significance of the area was highlighted by rock art depicting a mother and child, rock art that was so ancient and significant that it was crucial in the group's successful native title application for the area. It was such a culturally sensitive area we were asked not to take any photos.
We had a break for some fruit and juice for us (and some bubblies for the grownups!) and some food for the local fish who came up to visit us on either side of the boat. I also asked Mary a few questions about the native title processes, and she let us know that native title had been granted over the vast majority (over 95%) of the Kimberly, although not necessarily exclusive use native title (in which the traditional owners have the right to possess and occupy an area to the exclusion of all others). We also had a chat about some of the threats to the Kimberly, including mining and fracking.
On the way back up the river Mary told us about the Wandjina, the creation spirits who are part of the Dreamtime stories across the Kimberly. The Wandjina establish order and balance, ensuring the survival of the land and its people. She also told us the story of Dunbi the owl, who was tormented by 3 young boys. Dunbi went to the Wandjina to complain about this treatment and the Wandjina sent a great flood to remind the people about the importance of obeying the lore and respecting all living creations. Mary said that for the Ngarinyin people this story still applies today, noting that the record breaking wet season of 2012 led to floods that were just like the ones the Wandjina sent to punish the young boys who tormented Dunbi.
She also showed us some big boulders from a rock collapse that occurred a few years ago that blocked the river completely. They actually had to use some dynamite to break up the rocks to make the river passable again.
In the final stretch of the cruise we got to hear some music from Nelson, including a moving tribute to his mother and a song about the importance of the rivers in the Kimberly.
After the cruise we had a break for a lovely lunch, then jumped back in the bus to head out to a quiet spot along the river to learn a bit more about the culture and history of the Ngarinyin people. In particular, Shonelle told us the story of her paternal great grandmother (Nelson's grandmother), Injiid, who their company is named after. Injiid parent's were the first generation to have contact with the white pastoralists who settled/invaded the Kimberly, and she and her younger sister watched as their father was murdered by a white stockman. When the police arrived to investigate the incident, they put Injiid and her sister into handcuffs and chains and made them walk all the way across the Kimberly to Derby, where they were kept in the infamous boab prison tree. They were then shipped to Perth to be witnesses at the trial of the pastoralist who shot and killed their father. The man was, unsurprisingly for the time but heartbreakingly, acquitted and let go. Injiid and her sister were simply turned out and left to make their own way home back to the Eastern Kimberly, with no money, no way of speaking the (many) local languages in the country they had to traverse to home. The journey took over a year, and by the time Injiid got home, her first born child, a son, had been removed by the authorities, and she didn't see him again for 42 years.
Despite this horrific trauma, Injiid became a strong spiritual and cultural leader of the community, continuing to practice and teach ways of her ancestors. It is in her memory that Nelson, Mary and Shonelle so generously share these stories, wisdom and traditions with those of us lucky enough to spend the day with them. The session ended with a particularly moving ritual involving a blessing by Mary and Shonelle, using the river water from the Chamberlain to cleanse and renew our ears, our eyes, our minds, our arms, hands and our hearts. It was particularly emotional for me to see the kids receive this blessing, and I really hope it stays with them into the future.
As we headed out on Friday morning we had one final hike to see Amalia Gorge. Toby chose to sit this one out, so stayed behind in the car with a walkie talkie, while the other 4 of us attempted one of the more challenging treks we'd experienced so far.
After reuniting with Toby, we returned to the station to fill up on diesel before heading back out onto the Gibb River to our next stop, Home Valley.
