Review: Emma Gorge Resort

Right around the corner from the luxury El Questro Homestead, with one eye on the setting sun and the other on his G&T, is the base of Emma Gorge Resort Accommodation.

The Cockburn Range rises rugged and fortress-like from the sandy valley of the Pentecost River. Its buttressed headlands glow a fiery orange against a sky of metallic blue. Ephemeral channels scar towering walls guarding a plateau of spinifex and concealing the unique Emma Gorge Resort.

As my partner and I rattle along the dusty Gibb River Road, a patch of bitumen appears like a shimmering mirage on the road ahead. We slow and take the turn-off to Emma Gorge Resort.

Just up from the Kimberley’s El Questro, the gorgeous Emma Gorge waterfall.

The mirage grows as we splash across a shallow pandanus-lined creek and roll into the green surrounds of the resort’s boab-guarded reception. Just an hour’s drive (4WD recommended) from Kununurra, Emma Gorge Resort is an oasis in the ruggedly beautiful East Kimberley. Part of the iconic El Questro Wilderness Park, it’s one of many accommodation options, including the famous El Questro Homestead.

Emma Gorge Resort Details

Where: Emma Gorge Resort 80km west of Kununurra in WA’s East Kimberley region.
Best time to go: The resort is open each year from April 1-Oct 31(depending on the ferocity of the wet season).

What to expect at Emma Gorge

Originally one of the Kimberley’s working cattle stations (they still run a few thousand head), the rundown million-acre property was purchased in 1991 by the then 23-year-old English aristocrat Will Burrell, for a princely one dollar an acre.

After 14 years of development by Burrell, Voyages took ownership in 2005 – for around $17 million – retaining the former owner’s eco-friendly focus and adding it to their long list of unique Australian accommodation destinations.

Rebuilt in 2005 after cyclone Ingrid washed the previous infrastructure away, Emma Gorge’s accommodation consists of 60 tented cabins with ensuites.

Our cabin, while not spacious, comfortably fits a queen size and two single beds. The ensuite is functional and the high ceilings are designed to facilitate airflow. We turn on a pedestal fan to assist the ceiling’s efforts. Through the flywire mesh at both ends of the cabin, the towering Cockburn’s provide an impressive backdrop.

Emma Gorge rooms

Although huddled together in a relatively small area, the surrounding bushland of spear grass, spiral palms and boabs mean the cabins are surprisingly private. We relieve ourselves of luggage and wander along a crushed stone path to the resort’s bar, restaurant and pool, as the clouds of a gathering storm turn the sky a pewter grey.

Emma Gorge provides a comfortable way for the whole family to sleep under canvas

A soft breeze drifts through the expansive verandah bar, which affords colourful glimpses of the surrounding escarpments.

Eating at Emma Gorge Resort

On dusk we move to the open-air restaurant and nestle into a table for two overlooking a dusty, pink Kimberley sunset. The menu – modern Australian with a Kimberley slant – has us stalling the waiter as we struggle to choose

You won’t however have to sacrifice all the comforts of home

I settle for the Amelia Park Lamb Rack with spiced eggplant, Persian fetta, pine nuts and sultana crumble. My partner goes with the Crispy Confit Duck in an Asian wonton noodle broth with mange tout and fresh coriander.

The main courses are just as impeccable, and the wait staff pull back the concertina-style ceiling and our meals are served beneath a chandelier of stars, with the warm evening breeze rustling in the nearby trees, adding to the outback atmosphere.

We roll back to our “tent" via a quick dip in the salt waters of the pool, and fall to sleep with the sound of a nearby creek bubbling over shallow rapids.

Things to do at Emma Gorge

With a million acres to explore, El Questro’s activity options are suitably numerous: do a lot, do a little or do nothing at all. Our time is spent swimming in the subtropical waterhole of Emma Gorge, bathing beneath an impenetrable umbrella of palms in the warm waters of Zebedee Springs, and taking gin and tonics by the pool.

A cluster of postcard accommodation awaits

Other options include exploring the park’s 4WD trails, cruising the Chamberlain Gorge, taking one of the guided tours and – for the more adventurous – jumping aboard a chopper for a spot of heli-fishing at one of the property’s more remote waterholes.

We’ve timed our visit late in the season and, while keeping the hordes away, the 35-degree October days don’t encourage us to stray far from our G&Ts on the veranda bar. Not a problem, I decide, as I sip my gin and fade into the ochre hues of another Kimberley sunset.

MORE: Our ultimate guide to the Kimberley.

This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs. — Adventure starts where the road ends.

1. Discover Broome, and beyond

Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea. — Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters. — Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs. — Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance. — See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia — Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .