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.

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.