• Peter Jung (first published July 2021)
Holidays are something that all of us need, and withoverseas travel restricted for the foreseeable future, now is your opportunityto explore the amazing country we call home – Australia.
For me, the Kimberley region in Western Australia – in particular El Questro Station – was somewhere I had always wanted to go. Inspired a VERY long time ago by an episode of Rex Hunt Fishing Adventures, this year (despite a few COVID scares) I got my wish, and I want to share with you what it’s all about.
The sign telling you your El Questro Kimberley adventure is beginning.
The sunsets were quite stunning during the author’s trip.
A new day dawning over the Chamberlain Gorge.
A couple of guests enjoying the spoils of the 4WD barramundi tour offered by El Questro.
It is well worth taking advantage of the tours that are available. The information provided and the knowledge of the Rangers is fantastic. Here Ranger Vinnie is pointing out El Questro Gorge.
You don’t need a lot of gear, just an assortment of lures and good rod and reel.
Taking in the surroundings on the Chamberlain River Cruise is a must do.
Kununurra
The township ofKununurra is the gateway to the region and proved to be well worth exploring.Getting there from the East coast can be done by air either through Darwin orvia Perth, with flights arriving most days.
There are plenty ofaccommodation options available (most with airport transfers) or you can hire acar or 4WD to get around and take in the area.
There is more to do inKununurra than I expected, and the afternoon and morning my wife and I hadthere wasn’t really enough to do it justice. A couple of days could easily bespent exploring places like the Sandalwood Shop, the Hoochery Distillery, artgalleries like Artlandish (they have a great collection of indigenous pieces)and then of course you have the famous Argyle pink diamonds that the region isfamous for. Add to that a cruise on Lake Argyle or the Ord River, and youshould have a couple of days covered easily. I would also like to mention themarkets; I got a fabulous charcoal drawing of a Boab tree by a local artistthere, plus a few other things!
I cannot tell youabout the local fishing because I didn’t fish here, but I was told by a numberof the locals that good fishing is on offer in the waters around town.
El Questro
The El Questroproperty itself is huge. Originally 1 million acres, it is now 750,000 acres (recently250,000 acres in the form of the co*ckburn Ranges was returned to thetraditional owners) and has gone through a number of owners in its more recenthistory. It’s now back in Australian hands through the G’Day Group.
The property offers avariety of accommodation options, from camping or staying at the Station toprivate campsites along the Pentecost River, glamping at Emma Gorge or theluxury of staying at the Homestead. All are incredible experiences, and providea great base from which to take in the sights and sounds of the area.
Tours and experiences can be organised through the property, or again there is the option to take it in yourself. I found doing some of the organised tours to be the best option for me. The knowledge of the area that the staff have gives you a true insight into what this part of the Kimberley is all about. Some of the tours we did were the Chamberlain River Cruise, the Emma Gorge walk and the El Questro Gorge tour, however there are many other options including enjoying Zebedee Springs (an amazing thermal spring), going horse riding, doing a sunset tour, going bird watching or trying your hand at fishing on the Pentecost River, or going on a helicopter tours. As with the accommodation, there are options for every budget. The property offers something for all the family or a little time out for mum and dad.
A 74cm barramundi caught by the author during his Helispirit helifish experience.
If space allowed the author would have added these items to his tackle box. Kimberley barra love surface lures, and sooty grunter are plentiful too.
Glen, the guide for the author’s trip to the Pentecost River, with a nice 53cm fish caught while trolling.
Being able to get to remote locations via helicopter is a special thing. Here the author is hooked up to a barra in the upper Chamberlain River.
The Pentecost River below the Gibb River road crossing is the closest tidal influenced water in the area, and it offers the best option to catch a fish of a lifetime. This fish needs a few more years of growing. It was caught by the author on a cast Reidy’s Little Lucifer.
A couple of guests enjoying the spoils of the 4WD barramundi tour offered by El Questro.
It is well worth taking advantage of the tours that are available. The information provided and the knowledge of the Rangers is fantastic. Here Ranger Vinnie is pointing out El Questro Gorge.
The fishing
The primary targetspecies in the East Kimberley region is the barramundi, and the four rivers onthe property can hold a good head of fish or a sparser population, depending onhow much rain occurs during the wet season. Consecutive good wet seasons willsee a greater number of fish and a better variety of sizes, while poor seasonswill see the existing population grow to bigger sizes, but little or no newrecruitment will occur. The downside is that once you do get a season of goodrain, these larger fish will follow the water to the ocean (looking to spawn)and are replaced by a new year class of smaller fish. That was the case withthe wet season just gone.
Barramundi are not theonly options; there are large populations of sooty grunter, archerfish and fork-tailcatfish as well.
Exploring by 4WD or on foot
The track system on ElQuestro is well looked after with the property employing a driver to maintainthe upkeep of the tracks fulltime. These tracks offer those with a 4WD theoption to explore the property and find likely looking areas to fish. I did notdo this, but a fellow guest while I was staying there did, and he caught anumber of 70cm+ fish using the track along the Chamberlain River towardsExplosion Gorge and a couple of spots around the area where the Chamberlain andPentecost Rivers meet.
I chose the on footoption, and there are a few things to be aware of if you want to do this. Thereare both salt- and freshwater crocodiles present in the waterways, so wading orbeing in the water is not advised. Snakes are also about, so be aware,particularly if you’re walking in long grass. And last but not least,sunscreen, water and a hat are a must.
I spent a morningfishing the area at the base of the Chamberlain Gorge down to where the Chamberlainand Pentecost rivers meet. I managed a couple of small barra and missed a fewmore opportunities. The hiking wasn’t overly difficult, with getting to thewater to cast being the most frustrating thing.
In hindsight, if Iwere to visit again, I would pack a lighter spin outfit and fish this area. Thebarra lures were a little too big for the abundant number of sooty grunterpresent; they would have been a lot of fun to play with using lighter tackle.
4WD Barramundi Tour
El Questro offers aguided fishing trip to the Pentecost River below the Gibb River Road crossing.They have a boat located there to take guests/clients out to target barramundi.The fishing is trolling orientated, and although the location is some 70km fromthe ocean, there is a tidal influence. This area, in my mind, provides the bestoption to come across a bigger fish and to find bigger numbers. All the gear, abit of food and light refreshments are included.
I joined another guestand Glen, our guide there, to try our luck. Although the set-up is suited totrolling, we did a combination of it and casting. It was amazing to see a 7.8mtide find its way up past a rock bar where we fished. It was the first time Ihave seen a river flow backwards.
We had a fun morningwithout finding that big fish we all want (they are in there though, check outsome of the pics hereby), but Glen managed a nice 53cm on the troll, while I andthe other guest got seven fish, including a couple of double hook-ups casting, althoughthey were on the small side.
This spot is certainlya place that if you had a car topper, it could be put in here and you couldhave a world of fun exploring. Fishing from the bank is also an option; justremember to be crocodile safe.
Helicopter fishing
Another experienceavailable is fishing areas on the property that receive minimal fishingpressure through the use of a helicopter. In the past this included areas on neighbouringproperties, and waters with a tidal influence, but at the time of writing thenew owners were still in talks with the traditional owners to ensure everythingis done in the right way, so it was not being offered.
I did however get outwith my wife for a few hours fishing the Chamberlain River well above where thehomestead is situated. Seeing the property from the air is something I willnever forget. There is something amazing to see everywhere you look.
After travelling somedistance upriver we landed at the bottom of a likely looking stretch of waterand fished it on foot. We didn’t walk terribly far (maybe a kilometre), fishingany likely looking water as we went. It was a pretty big body of water, withthe occasional rock or piece of timber in it to focus our casts at. I managedto hook a couple of barra in an area where they were hiding amongst some rocks,and landed a 74cm fish.
We also hooked a fewcatfish around a tree overhanging the water that we promptly called the CatfishTree. My wife Mary hooked the biggest catfish I have ever seen.
It would have been greatto have more time to fly off and explore some more, but we had to head back.
The East Kimberley rocks
As I write this I havebeen back from El Questro for two weeks. The sunsets, sunrises and everythingwe saw will not soon be forgotten. We are so lucky in Australia to have suchdiverse and spectacular holiday options available to us.
There is no better time than now to plan your Aussie getaway. If you like the look of El Questro check out their website at www.elquestro.com.au, or use Mr Google and check the East Kimberley region for yourself.
