'My friend staged an Outback intervention. And I needed it.'

When I was offered a trip to the Kimberly, of course I asked my fiance first. I mean, you have to, don’t you?

But I was secretly pleased when he said he couldn’t get time off work.

I jumped on the phone to my bestie, Jeanine Bribosia, “So have you heard of a place called El Questro Wilderness Park in Western Australia?”

“God yes, I’ve always wanted to go there but Chris [her hubby] was never interested,” she wailed.

“Wanna come with me instead?”

“Hell yes! I’m booking the flight now!”

This was going to be a girls trip with a difference. Two city girls, going outback. Travelling with your best friend is… the best!

There's something different about travelling with your best friend. Everything seems more equal than when you travel with your partner. There are no niggling fights over who did all the bookings. You are on the same page when it comes to doing an hour of exercise to justify the wine each night. You can talk for hours at a time and still have more to say. There's no farting in bed (well I might have - but I swear she was asleep.)

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Jeanine and I both work really long hours (70-80 hour weeks are our norm). She owns a successful PR company and I'm a freelance journalist. We both find it hard to switch off. So there was an extra challenge with this trip: no mobile phone reception!

These city girls is are used to city comforts... like wifi.

It's a bit of a hell trip to get to El Questro. We flew Sydney-Darwin-Kunnanurra then it's an hour drive to Emma's Gorge. It's a 13-hour travel day thanks to an 8-hour stopover in Darwin. I managed to drain my phone battery twice as it was my last chance to work online (and catch up with social media) for a week. Ditto Jeanine.

Micko, a ranger for El Questro, picked us up at the airport and gave us a five minute warning that we were about to lose mobile phone coverage. We both frantically sent text messages to our partners. Even we knew we were being ridiculous, but it felt like smoking that last cigarette before you quit.

Then radio silence.

There's a certain type of person who works as a ranger. They are knowledgeable about wild animals - and they can also deal with two city girls who were out of their comfort zone.  He kept us chatting until we acclimatised to being offline.

By the time we arrived at Emma Gorge it was 9.30pm Sydney time. The food was delicious but we we're too tired to chew. We spent the night "glamping" (well, it's more a demountable on stilts with a tent-like roof. Very cute.).

When I'm stressed I only get about five hours sleep a night. I figured I'd sleep through sheer exhaustion.

Wrong.

My brain had been so stimulated by that damn phone all day.  My mind whirled.  I got about four hours sleep that night.

The next morning, charged by coffee, Jeanine and I decided to do the Emma Gorge hike. On the signs they said to allow two hours for the round trip. We scoffed at that - we had Gym Gear. We had High Performance Sneakers. Maybe two hours for the weaker, feeble hikers - but two A-type city girls would smash it in 20 minutes.

Wrong.

It's a hectic hike. We took it at a cracking pace, neither of us admitting how high our heart rates were. I nearly dropped my iPhone, - I wasn't searching for reception I SWEAR. Thanks to my phone, I no longer own a camera (and let's face it, it's my crack and I didn't want to be parted from it.)

We got there fast, but not fast enough to see the fresh water crocodile who has taken residency in the waterhole under the waterfall.

Next stop was the Zeebeedee thermal springs. It was like walking into a movie set, or at least a spa for the Real Housewives of Kununurra. By this stage Jeanine and I were having those comfortable silences that only true friends have as we soaked for an hour in the mineral waters, staring up at perfect palms framing a cobalt blue sky.

We took a relaxing river cruise along Chamberlain Gorge. Then we arrived at The Station. It's full of grey nomads and families living the camper van dream. The cabins were basic, but Jeanine and I didn't mind and happily turned in for an early night.

Well that was the plan. I was still tossing and turning (luckily Jeanine sleeps like the dead) and managed five hours sleep that night.

We got up early for a horseback ride. Jeanine grew up in jodhpurs and pony camp and couldn't contain her glee. I have ridden twice in my life and couldn't contain my fear. It was fun to get out of my comfort zone but I was exhausted.

We got back to the room and Jeanine staged an intervention. "You're on holidays. You're released from the phone. But you're still not sleeping. This is not healthy. Right, you've got two hours and I want you to write out a plan to make some changes in your life. Starting now."

When your best friend dishes out tough love, you don't argue. So I spent two hours writing down everything I needed to do. From getting my health back on track, to making work changes and what I have to finish off for my up-coming wedding. It wasn't fun. It was hard.

But she gently pushed me and encouraged me and wouldn't let me slack off. The result was the to-do-list to end all to-do-lists.

That night I slept for NINE hours.

I woke up refreshed and happy and focused. It's amazing what the power of sleep can do.

It was time for the final part of our trip, moving into the uber-luxurious El Questro homestead. The room and views were breathtaking.

With my new life plan and without the mobile phone I was finally starting to feel present. It felt like a reward.

We did a helicopter ride, a bush culture tour and another big hike. I felt like I was drinking them in with a new appreciation.

Jeanine and I spent some time brainstorming ideas for her business. It was inspiring and fun.

Each night at The Homestead dinner is served 'dinner party style' with the other guests. There were four other couples who were all fascinating and provided stimulating and entertaining conversation.

On our final day we were lying by the pool and a new TV show/business concept struck me out of the blue. It honestly felt like I'd said goodbye to worry and fear and hello to creativity and fresh ideas.

Big thanks to my bestie and her tough love. I've come home feeling like the real me. I'm no longer walking around with my head buried in the phone, I'm now looking upwards and the view's as inspiring as the outback night sky.

The writer and her bestie were guests of El Questro Wilderness Park.  For more information about having your own outback experience go to their website.

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