AUSTRALIA
unusual ability to ‘spit’ water out of their mouths to reach surprising heights in the air and fell passing insects. Observing these creatures is just one of the natural highlights of a gentle late-afternoon champagne cruise through the steep-sided gorge, watching the setting sun turn the rust-red sandstone – which is a mind-bending 1.8 billion years old, too ancient even to have fossils imLi``i` in iÌÃ l>ÞiÀÃ q inÌo > wiÀÞ Ll>âi ov LÕÀnÌ oÀ>n}i°
‘It’s your country’ Amid such prehistoric landscapes, El Questro’s modern heritage – established as a cattle station in 1903, before turning to tourism in 1991 – could easily be overshadowed. But this outback retreat is setting the agenda for a more sustainable future for community tourism in Australia. In November 2022, half of El Questro was returned
from owners the G’day Group to the Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation, the traditional owners of the land, which then granted a 99-year lease back to the company to allow it to continue operating as a tourism enterprise. The Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) has been celebrated as a model for reconciliation and a way to ensure Indigenous communities can shape the future of their homelands, not only providing employment and training in tourism but also offering a better experience for visitors keen to learn. Arnold Sahanna, director of the Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation, says: “The ILUA is designed to bring people back home. It’s not set up for my generation – it’s for the next one and the one after that. “My grandfather was from the stolen generation – he said he would never come back here. This is what drives me. I just hope one day my grandkids will do what I’m doing. I’d remind them, ‘It’s your country, don’t forget it’. Country is important, we have got to look after it.”
BOOK IT: Audley Travel offers a nine-night tailor-made trip with three nights each at the InterContinental Perth City Centre (B&B), El Questro Homestead (full-board) and Smiths Beach Resort in Margaret River (B&B) from £7,650 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes international flights with Singapore Airlines, domestic flights, transfers, a day trip to Rottnest Island, a Bungle Bungle heli-tour and a Voyager estate tour including a seven-course lunch.
AUDLEYTRAVEL.COM
El Questro HOMESTEAD
This 10-suite, adult-only lodge occupies a prime spot in the sprawling wilderness park high above the Chamberlain River, where guests might spot
the resident crocodile creeping up onto the banks if they’re lucky. Thankfully, there’s safe swimming in the modest pool and no end of impossibly scenic spots to sit and soak up the view.
The Chamberlain Suite and Cliffside Retreats have the best vistas to wake up to, but even the lead-in
Gorgeview and Homestead Rooms come with spacious accommodation, private verandas, a self-serve bar and amenities from Aussie brand Aesop. Five new clifftop villas are under construction too, increasing capacity by 50%. Don’t expect a key at check-in – in
this comfortable enclave, where staff don hiking boots and greet each guest by name, there’s no need.
The main lodge has ski chalet vibes – centred
CTQWPF C EQU[ ƂTGRNCEG YKVJ OCRU VGNGUEQRGU CPF C well-stocked open bar – but most of the time, guests can be found enjoying each other’s company at
the communal dining tables on the deck. Exquisite three-course lunches and dinners – think scallops, lobster, barramundi and perfectly seared steak – are matched with sommelier-led pairings, but the true joy is in sharing stories of the day’s excursions and getting recommendations for what to try tomorrow.
Cliffside Retreat veranda
aspiretravelclub.co.uk
MARCH 2025 ASPIRE
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CREDIT: Tourism Australia/G’day Group
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