El Questro Homestead — Hotel in Durack

We have just concluded 3 days at El Questro Station (EQS) in the northwest of Western Australia. There are a range of accommodation options available and we stayed in a Riverside Unit/Cabin. It was fairly basic however largely met our needs. Essentially comprises a bathroom, bedroom-come living area. Small, compact and with ‘no frills’. We arrived at about midday on the first day and went to the cafe/bar and noticed that ‘the pantry’ was largely bare. There were few foodstuffs for sale. Bit alarming as we like our food and weren’t interested in losing weight. This situation was a small flashing red light …….and we wondered what the next couple of days would bring. The reality struck next day when we went for breakfast. I strolled in and enquired as to how I could order breakfast. I was told to go to the refrigerator and select something. The choices centred on muffins, ‘wraps’ and granola/yoghurt. The concept of a continental or cooked breakfast was not on the agenda. We were collectively appalled and dismayed at this outcome. The young staff (bless their souls) didn’t even heat the muffins. In fairness, the 3 on duty were ‘under the pump’ and were dealing with a significant range of issues and disgruntled patrons. The thing that shocked us were the meagre number of foodstuffs available. The park was overflowing (and grossly over crowded) with campers, caravaners and people like ourselves. If we had not booked in advance at ‘The Steakhouse’ for our evening meals then we probably would have abandoned this component of the trip. MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO MAKE SURE YOU CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ON OFFER AS PART OF YOUR BOOKING OF THIS VENUE. I made assumptions, based on their marketing materials as to what breakfast comprised. My definition of breakfast, based on travel to Europe, New Zealand, other parts of Australia, did not apply at EQS. I also made some assumptions on what might be available for lunch. Again, my assumptions were ill founded. I thought EQS might provide a toasted sandwich, a focaccia, a salad, a milkshake etc. I eventually tracked down the General Manager of EQS and we had a constructive and positive discussion in relation to the concerns raised. She recognised there were challenges to be met and agreed to address some of these. The following day there was some marginal improvement in food stocks. If you haven’t been to EQS then you need to understand it is in a very remote and isolated location. They obviously have difficulty attracting skilled and capable labour and this is impacting their operations. The venue is only open for 5 to 6 months a year and this works against getting and keeping a stable workforce. However some of the issues at EQS should be sheeted home to management, namely: overbooking and over crowding, a lack on investment in new buildings and infrastructure, inadequate breakfasts/lunches and badly maintained roads. Until some of these issues are addressed, many tourists like myself, will go to EQS with expectation and leave somewhat disappointed. BEFORE YOU BOOK AT EQS MAKE SURE YOU CONSULT OTHERS THAT HAVE TRAVELLED AND CAN ADVISE YOU ON THE PROS AND CONS.|PS: I should emphasise that the staff generally were good to engage with and were doing their best in difficult...

What went right: The tours were amazing. The guides are fantastic. Vinnie impressed us with his knowledge. Ela is so lovely. Emma Gorge was my personal fave. The homestead is stunning. Great pool overlooking the Chamberlain River. Our room was beautifully appointed. We enjoyed the bath on the deck of our room. We had a sunrise and sunset soak. The homestead staff was delightful. We met some fantastic people and got to share our El Questro experiences and recommendations.

What went wrong: I’m vegetarian and the homestead staff didn’t seem to understand what that meant, though I advised I was lacto-ovo vegetarian months prior to arriving and again in the lead up to our arrival. This was incredibly disappointing and I was made to feel like my dietary requirements were a difficulty. This place certainly needs to do some work on ensuring all needs are met, especially for over $4k per night. Our departure day, we had booked an 8am transfer to Kununurra via private vehicle for an additional $1600. No vehicle waiting to collect us. Waited in the lobby for 90 minutes for our transfer to finally arrive. Thankfully we did not miss our flight as we are travelling next via hire car. However, another disappointment due to poor communication of our requirements from management. And we have unfortunately missed out on visiting a waterfall near Kununurra due to time constraints, something my partner and I were very much looking forward to.

Ultimately, the homestead is a lovely experience, but the service level is nowhere close to the expectation given the price of staying there. The staff did a great job. Management needs to...

Before booking a stay at the Homestead, I contacted the Reservations office to check if it would be possible to arrange transfers between Kununurra and El Questro as I thought I might have to hire a 4WD. (The dirt access road that includes a few river crossings can be challenging). I was told that scheduled transfers from Kununurra hotels take place in the morning. So I arranged a transfer the day following my afternoon flight from Perth. A few months before my stay I was sent information about the transfer that was described as "unscheduled" and asked to pay another 500 AUD. ||When I arrived at Kununurra airport, I was surprised to see an El Questro representative who was meeting some guests off the same flight. The incorrect transfer information resulted in me missing the only opportunity during my stay to make a guided visit to Emma Gorge. Following my experience, I suggest anyone staying at El Questro hires a 4WD so that you are not dependent on staff availability to drive you to various places of interest.||The rest of my Homestead experience was 10/10. All the staff I met were friendly and tried to make the stay as enjoyable as possible. The food was of high quality without being pretentious. The scenery, sunsets and clear night skies are stunning. I had a river gorge room that probably has the best view anyone can have while...