El Questro - Homestead

The dining verandah and pool look out over Chamberlain River, with beautiful light at dawn and dusk. We were delighted with our stay, and the rangers made every tour interesting and fun with their deep knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. The high end reputation is deserved. Service and attention to guest satisfaction at this level are rare, and the stay was memorable.

The hikes at El Questro Gorge and Emma Gorge were fantastic, and the changing landscapes were incredible. The place is huge. We also enjoyed the variety of tours, especially the cultural tour, sunset lookout and Chamberlain cruise. The setting is gorgeous, and the staff made our stay even better. Liz, the manager, and every staff member went out of their way to make it special. Meals were wonderful too. My vegetarian dishes felt thoughtfully planned, not tacked on, and my husband loved the meat and seafood. A really special place.

The caravan spots are small, and the prices are outrageous. I paid $65 for a tyre valve. Crackers were $10, though they usually cost $1.50 at Coles. I know it’s remote, but that felt like robbery.

The homestead itself was lovely, with a beautiful room, a bath on our deck where we soaked at sunrise and sunset, and a great pool looking over the Chamberlain River. The tours were amazing, the guides were fantastic, and Vinnie impressed us with his knowledge. Ela was lovely. Emma Gorge was my favourite. We met some great people and traded El Questro stories and recommendations. The homestead staff were delightful. I’d told the staff months ahead, and again before we arrived, that I’m lacto-ovo vegetarian. They still didn’t seem to understand what that meant, and I felt my dietary needs were treated as a problem. That was incredibly disappointing, especially at over $4k per night. They need to make sure guests’ needs are met. On departure day, we’d booked a private vehicle to Kununurra for 8am, at an extra $1600, but no vehicle was there. We waited in the lobby for 90 minutes before it arrived. We didn’t miss our flight because we were travelling on by hire car, but poor communication from management meant we missed a waterfall near Kununurra that my partner and I had been looking forward to. The staff did a great job, but management needs to lift its game. For the price, the service fell nowhere near the level we expected.