Go Go Kerrs in Oz: 17th August - The Horizontal Waterfalls

We have enjoyed some amazing experiences during this journey but few if any would surpass our journey to the Talbot Bay. This was something that we have desired to do since well before we left home and we were not to be disappointed.

North of Broome is some of the most amazing wilderness coastline in the world. Time and funds limited us from seeing all of this but many small cruisers are available to take tourists in and out of the many bays and gulfs that make up the coast line from Broome to Wyndham.

In particular Talbot Bay (just north of King Sound in which Derby is situated) was one of the bays that have been highlighted in documentaries filmed by the late Malcolm Douglas and also David Attenborough and I am sure many others. The tides in this area are reported to be the second highest in the world behind an area in Nova Scotia. In Talbot Bay they can reach 13 metres but average out at ten metres so an enormous amount of water moves in and out of this bay twice per day. The mountainous terrain that borders these bays act like fingers of a hand reaching out and separating the water into narrow coves. In two of these fingers are situated narrow but very deep breaks or openings. The larger of the two is 23 metres wide and 45 metres deep. The other is narrower at 7 metres wide. As the tides rise and fall the water rushes into and then out of these gaps to fill the small coves between the fingers. In the larger of these gaps the water movement at its peak reaches over one million litres per second. That is the equivalent of one thousand tonnes per second. The narrowness of these gaps restricts the natural flow so the water builds up on one side of the gap producing a difference in water height which can reach 5 metres. Hence David Attenborough gave these phenomena the name “The Horizontal Waterfalls”.

Our journey commenced with an early morning (5:30am) pick up from our accommodation and a one hour flight by float plane from Broome across the Dampier Peninsula and King Sound to Talbot Bay. It was just after sunrise as we flew across these areas so while the views from the plane were spectacular the photos we took were quite dark.

Our float plane for the trip.

Our early morning view.

Then as we approached the bay the pilot began to circle the bay and we were treated to an aerial view of the spectacle we had come to see. Our excitement grew as we viewed this rush of water and looked forward in anticipation for the closer view to come.

As we saw it first.

The plane landed on the bay, (another novelty for us) and then taxied to a pontoon anchored adjacent to the falls. Here a young crew were waiting to greet us and load us aboard a fast rigid inflatable boat to get that view we had come to see. And man was it a fast boat. For those interested in boats this 10 seat boat was powered by 2 x 300 HP outboard motors. There was no time to lose according to our hosts as we had to see the water flowing at its peak.

600HP boat we rode.

Onboard we sat astride cushioned seats each with its own handle bar and within an instant we were at full speed. The first gap we came to was the wider of the two and the boat nosed right up to the fall and then just sat there as if it was all a bit too hard. Whirlpools were forming and moving around on both sides of us. Then the skipper backed off and gave us a briefing on this amazing spectacle. Then we heard the command “Hold on!!” and away we went headed for the first fall and bounced through the gap at amazing speed into the next bay. Across this bay we went heading for the second gap. Again we nosed up to this formidable rush of water. The boat was bouncing from side to side and any photos we were taking were with one hand only. We do admit to being a little concerned but the adrenalin rush was overcoming this somewhat. Then again the skipper backed off and pulled away to the side. He explained that crossing this gap at this point was a very risky act and there had been an average of 12 incidents a year where people had to be rescued. At 7 metres wide and the boat over 2 metres wide it was a wise move to back off. Later on at low tide we would have the chance to traverse the area and into the final pool.

Thrill seeking Kimberley style.

Whichever way you look at it there is a lot of water.

Back to the pontoon for breakfast and a chance to share our excitement with all around. After breakfast we had a chance to swim in a shark proof cage moored to the pontoon. A cool breeze persuaded most of us to pass on this. But to add spice the crew began to feed the fish and sharks that came up to the boat. I must admit that I have forgotten the breed of shark that made up the bulk of the fish but they were not man eaters apart from one Bull Shark which did not make its appearance on the day we were there. There was also a Queensland Groper that hid away below the pontoon until enticed out with a tasty morsel.

The Pontoon.

Scratching the nose of the sharks

After breakfast we boarded the boat again and revisited the second gap. This time we rode right through – still bouncing around but not as rough as would have been before. Then we explored the rest of Talbot Bay. The boat crew actually spend eight months of the year living in the bay. They have purchased an old pontoon from a pearling company and have set it up in Cyclone Creek, a sheltered area named because it is used as a shelter from cyclones. Here they have trained some various varieties of fish to come for food. We visited this pontoon not to see the dwelling as much as to see these “pets”. Here they have trained one species to allow themselves to be picked up and to eat from a human hand. They actually appear quite comfortable to be picked up. They definitely love the food.

Revisiting the gap. Note the high tide mark on the rock walls.

The crew's shack. They live here for eight months each year.

Hand feeding the pets.

Moving on to explore more of the bay we passed a large salty that calls this space his home also. Then back to the main pontoon for the flight home.

More a neighbour than a pet.

All the scenery is good.

The flight back to Broome took us over the beautiful Buccaneer Archipelago (over 1000 islands in this group), across Cape Leveque at the top of the Dampier Peninsula, over Willie Creek pearl farm and down the coast to Broome. We came back into land over Cable Beach so we gained another view from a different aspect.