Zebedee Springs & El Questro Gorge

Zebedee Springs is a must do in El Questro. It’s a popular natural thermal spa that has formed as a series of cascading rock pools each one the size of a spa bath or sometimes a smaller bathtub. What’s more, it’s totally free.

The sign says, if the car park’s full, then the springs are full. We are early starters so not too many people about this morning. However, Zebedee Springs closes to the public at 12 noon by which time the tour folk staying in residence and the homestead get the afternoon.

It’s a 600m walk crossing the residual of the springs as they flow to ground level. We literally can’t wait to get our clothes off (well not all of them) and hit the warm 30+ degree thermal hot pools.

It’s bliss. We find a perfect pool at the top of the hillside where a thermal hot spring is venting at the source.

Group shot time. I set up my camera for the usual time lapse 3 shots but on attempting to get back to the guys after pressing the shoot button on the camera, I fell into the rock pool causing a commotion. All good fun.

After a few hours of relaxation and deep cleansing therapy, we started to look a bit prunish so we vacated our hot springs pool.

It’s still mid morning and we tend to peak before lunch time, then head out in the afternoons. Today is no exception as we drive a few kilometres to the El Questro Crossing and access to El Questro Gorge.

The water crossing is deep here, slightly above bottom door line and it goes for about 150 metres with grassy verges on either side.

Common sense prevails and me and Jen decide to leave our hire 4WD at this end and get a lift with Andrew and Anne in their 4WD. Our car would do it fine but if anything went wrong, we would lose our bond plus the cost of car repair and recovery. Not worth it and not keen to test our submarine capabilities.

Andrew does it easy and we reach a carpark on the other side.

El Questro Gorge is 2km one way but if you feel up for it, you can climb a boulder in the gorge and continue further to a waterfall. We settle at the Gorge, a fairly deep pristine plunge pool surrounded by ferns. The water is a lot cooler than Zebedee and quite refreshing. The walk through the gorge is stunning.

Returning to camp, we decide to have the rest of the afternoon chilling and enjoying the afternoon shade. A new collection of firewood is underway and we light up early as I need glowing coals for my pot belly lamb casserole.

Anne prepares potatoes and carrots whilst I cut onions, garlic and mushrooms.

After sizzling the onions and garlic with rosemary, I throw in lamb shoulder pieces and stir fry for a few minutes, then add the potatoes and carrots. Next went in a 6 hour slow cook lamb casserole sauce and a tin of crushed Roma tomatoes. I finish off with small cherry tomatoes and a good lashing of balsamic vinegar, pop the lid on and let it cook on the coals for a couple of hours. It’s not a six hour slow cook, the guys would have eaten me alive by then but it was tender, juicy and tasty.

In the middle of the night, I wake and climb down from the roof top tent to go for a pee. Torch light in hand, I hear a rustle close by and point my beam of light to find a huge bull with big horns crouched down within 5 metres of the tent. It’s obviously settled in for the night so I leave him in peace and catch him again early in the morning.Læs mere