Western Australia’s Kimberley region is one of the most magical places on earth. Millions of square kilometres of untouched wilderness, wildlife in complete abundance, and an ancient landscape that’s been home to the first humans for tens of thousands of years. Zebedee Springs in the El Questro Wilderness Park is one of the places you can experience some of this magic.
Are you wondering how to get to Zebedee Springs, what it’s like there, and if it’s even worth travelling such a long way for?
Read along to learn everything you need to know before embarking on your road trip to Zebedee Springs. Find out how long it takes to get there, how much it costs, when you should go, and all the incredible things you will see there.
1. It’s a tropical oasis amongst the red landscape of the Kimberley
Would you expect to find a lush, tree-covered oasis in the heart of the red Kimberley landscape? A place where the outside world doesn’t feel like it exists at all? You can expect exactly that at Zebedee Springs.
Prehistoric palm trees will shade you all the way from the carpark to the springs and you will feel like you’re in a Jurassic Park movie. The Livistona and Pandanus palms grow to nearly 20 metres in height and help to wrap the plants and ground below in a humid microclimate. The humid air below the palms is the perfect oasis for life to thrive – there are hundreds of animals and plants that make their home under the canopy.
You could be lucky to spot anything from a wallaby to an olive python, to a tiny crustacean during your visit at Zebedee Springs. Keep your eyes peeled and your senses sharp, you never know what wonders might await.
2. You can find your own personal thermal spring bath
Zebedee Springs is a plural for a reason – there at lots of little pools spilling down the creek from the top of the thermal spring. They sit like the tiers of a cake, cascading one by one downhill. Every single one of these pools is perfect for soaking in – choose a small pool near the top or one of the bigger ones closer to the bottom.
The higher you go, the warmer the water gets – so keep climbing if you really want to warm up. The water stays a balmy 28°C to 32°C all year and is heated deep in the earth’s crust by the hot rocks below.
If you want to get to the very top pools, you will need to do a little bit of rock hopping. The rocks are wet and can be very slippery. By midday the ground will be soaked from bathers coming in and out of the water. Take your time around the pools, what reason is there to rush anyway?
Word of Warning
The pools are warm and it’s a humid climate. If you’ve been soaking for a while, especially closer to the top, your blood pressure is prone to dropping and you may begin to overheat without realising. This could cause light-headedness and the potential for fainting.
A friend of mine recently visited and told me a story of an unfortunate traveller who was there at the same time – he was bathing right at the top of the spring in the hottest part. He stood up to get out but the second he stood up he was dizzy, he tried to move to safety but slipped on the rocks and badly injured his ankle. Eventually he made it to dry ground, shaken but ok. No sooner had he sat down, he was hit by an unexpected seizure. Luckily there was someone there at the time who had a satellite phone and was able to call for help. He had no medical history of seizures and had never felt dizzy bathing in hot springs or baths before. In the end he went all the way to Kununurra hospital and got the all-clear, but it was a terrifying incident for everyone involved.
This can happen to anyone, regardless of your fitness or age. To avoid a medical emergency, make sure you take breaks by popping out of the pools every 5 or 10 minutes, drink plenty of water and take a snack too.
3. Zebedee Springs is best experienced during the winter months
The Kimberley region is well known for its relentless wet season. For this reason, the entirety of El Questro is only open from April to October each year (during the dry season).
I visited El Questro in May and was treated to warm days and balmy nights – a far cry from Perth’s cold winters. Daytime temperatures during the winter months range from high 20’s to low 30’s… the perfect weather to take a nice warm bath.
4. It’s only a 750m walk to Zebedee Springs
Most of El Questro’s other attractions require a bit of a hike, but the walk to Zebedee Springs is an easy stroll through the lush tropical forest. The trail will take you across some boardwalks on a relatively flat gravel and dirt trail. The trail is just wide enough to pass people coming the other way.
- Distance: 1.5km return
- Time: 15 minutes (maximum) one way
- Difficulty: ‘Grade 2’ Easy
You could easily walk to Zebedee Springs in thongs, but just make sure that you keep a lookout for critters and snakes along the way. Take extra care on the rocks surrounding the springs (regardless of what shoes you wear), they are wet and very slippery. Of course, you will want to take your shoes off altogether before you get into the water.
5. You don’t need sunscreen: in fact they ask you to leave it behind
Zebedee Springs is a shaded, pristine ecosystem that is home to many life forms. The managers at El Questro ask that you do not apply sunscreen before getting in the water at Zebedee Springs. If you want to lather up make sure you do it after your swim, and don’t wash your hands in the water either.
This is because there are hundreds of tiny fish, crustaceans, plants and land-dwelling animals that thrive in this tight-knit ecosystem. It can be easily upset by foreign chemicals like sunscreen, even the tiniest amount. Scientists recently discovered a tiny white crustacean that makes its home in the waters of Zebedee Springs, and it lives nowhere else on earth. Do your bit to protect the stunning environment you came to enjoy and admire.
Beware – there are also leeches at Zebedee Springs. The leeches prefer the slightly cooler waters down lower, so if you want to avoid these misunderstood creatures head to the warmer, upper springs.
Extra Tip – Nature Mats!
The surface below the water is covered in delightful soft mosses and tree roots which are perfect for gently lounging on. Be gentle if you are laying on them though, they are fragile and support hundreds of life forms. Try not to grab or hold onto these natural mats when you’re moving around and getting in and out of the pools.
6. Forget your drone, you won’t need it
Besides the fact that El Questro have a strict no-drone policy across their entire property, you won’t need a drone to see the beauty of Zebedee Springs. In fact, you’ll see more from the ground because the pools are so beautifully shaded by the lush forest.
7. You can spend the entire morning soaking up the thermal springs
If you just can’t pull yourself away from the relaxing waters of the thermal springs, don’t worry, they’re open all morning.
Zebedee Springs is open daily from 7am to 12pm. They close after midday to the general public, at which point they’re opened up to guests of the El Questro Homestead for exclusive use. If you want to enjoy the springs at sunset, you can check out the experiences on offer at El Questro Homestead here.
My best tip for enjoying Zebedee Springs at a quiet time is to arrive bang-on 7am! Lots of other people will also have the same idea, but at least you’ll miss the hectic mid-morning rush.
8. The rocks, landscape, and plants are ancient
Everything that you’ll find at Zebedee Springs have ancient origins. The rocks that form the springs are descendants of 1.8 billion year old sandstone of the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges (formerly the King Leopold Sandstone). The rocks you see at Zebedee Springs are conglomerate, formed after thousands of years of erosion of the sandstone cliffs that tower behind the springs.
The Livistona palms that envelope the springs are living fossils. They form a biological link between the planet’s continents – when Australia was joined with India and Antarctica as Gondwana. You might also spot a Bloodwood or a Wild Mango tree while you wander through the forest.
All the plants and animals at El Questro are environmentally significant and are protected. Make sure that you obey the signs you see, do not wander off tracks, and don’t pick leaves or flowers off plants. If everyone were to wander their own path at this popular location, it wouldn’t take long to decimate the landscape.
9. You’ll need a 4WD to get to Zebedee Springs
The incredible thing about visiting the Kimberley region is that it’s remote and untouched – the landscapes and remoteness will blow your mind. It’s for this reason that getting to El Questro and Zebedee Springs will require a 4WD.
The road to Zebedee Springs is an often-corrugated gravel road that has multiple water crossings. You might be lucky to visit in a dry time and could potentially get away with a less capable vehicle, however I would not recommend visiting Zebedee Springs unless you are in a four wheel drive.
If you’re not experienced with driving a 4WD, or don’t have one of your own, there are still lots of options for getting to Zebedee Springs. El Questro offers guided tours, road transfers and even sky transfers for those not visiting with their own vehicle. Check out transfer options and rates on the El Questro website.
Extra Tip – Entry Cost
A visitor permit is required to visit anywhere in the El Questro Wilderness Park. Permits cost $23 per adult, and $11.50 for children aged 5-15 years. Visitor permits are valid for 7 days. If you’re staying anywhere at El Questro your visitor fee will be added to your accommodation booking.
Extra Tip – Phone Reception
As to be expected in a remote area, and much like most of El Questro’s natural attractions, there is no phone reception, not even with Telstra! If you’re lucky, you might be able to get a weak Telstra signal at the Zebedee Springs carpark.
Why Zebedee Springs is an Incredible Place to Visit
Zebedee Springs may be a very busy and popular destination for those visiting El Questro – but it’s for a good reason. Zebedee Springs has an abundance of wildlife, lush forest, ancient plants and rocks, and best of all a natural thermal spring that you can bathe in for hours.
It’s the most easily accessible of all of El Questro’s natural attractions and is the perfect way to spend a morning in this magnificent part of the world. If you’re visiting El Questro or Kununurra, Zebedee Springs is well and truly worth a visit.
Do you have any of your own stories about Zebedee Springs?
If you have your own stories, or if you still have questions about what to expect at Zebedee Springs, leave them in the Comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts.