Embedded Files
Days 6 to 10
Week 2, Day 2 (Cruise Day 6)
Prince Frederick Harbour and Porosus Creek
Xplorer: 8kms, Ship: 40km (O/night)
Two trips today, one being at Very-Early O'Clock. A sunrise cruise up into the Hunter River was followed by breakfast and a lecture on Phillip Parker King who mapped most of this area in four voyages between 1817 and 1822
(Top Lt) Where we were. The top right circle is where we went up Porosus Ck looking for crocs.
(Above) It might be difficult to see, but a rare-ish planetary alignment of (from the bottom) Venus, Jupiter and Mars. The latter two are just to the left of the moon.
(Lt) Our ship all lit up at sunrise.
It was just so peaceful sitting in the middle of the bay in the Xplorer watching the sun come up in a gorgeous range of pinks, oranges, purples and reds.
Upon our return from our sunrise trip, we found someone else was looking for breakfast, too!
Today was Sue's birthday, and she had made her feelings clear that she didn't want the whole Dining Room singing 'Happy Birthday', so I had a quiet word to the Purser and the next thing we knew, there was a lovely cold bottle of wine turned up in our cabin.
There must be worse views to wake up to, but we didn't mind this one.
This afternoon's trip was a low-tide cruise along the mangroves that line the creeks and inlets in this part of the coast.
(Above) Red Fiddler Crabs were waving their claws at each other on the mud beside the mangrove's breather tubes (pneumatophores).
(Below) A Sacred Kingfisher looking like it's had a swim.
(Above) Another reason not to go swimming around here!
(Below) Mangroves, deep inlets and impressive cliffs around the Hunter River and Pororus Creek.
(Lt) The end of a busy day with a birthday cocktail
A longish trip in the Xplorer today with a trip up the Prince Regent River to King Cascades. These are a set of waterfalls that aparently never run dry and is about the only source of reliable fresh water in the area
Top circle is this afternoon's trip, bottom right circle are the King Cascades. Phillip Parker King and his crew ROWED the 20 miles each way to get fresh water here.
A lovely Brahminy Kite we spotted on our way up the Prince Regent River.
Yet another reason not to go swimming around here.
King Cascades with the other Xplorer to give a bit of scale.
(Above Left) A video on our trip to King Cascades (Suggest using the 'Watch on YouTube link).
(Above Right) The rather weird shape of Mt Waterloo. It's next to Mt Trafalgar. The early explorers seemed to want to really upset the French and Spanish, didn't they?
(Below Left) We came across this strange fellow...
(Below Right) The remains of the champers served with the Barbecue on the Upper Deck at sunset.
As we progress further down the Kimberley coast, the attractions seem to be getting better by the day. Today is the amazing Montgomery Reef where, because of the huge tidal range on this part of the coast (up to 11m or 35'), the sea cannot get off the reef fast enough when the tide goes out and consequently you have a set of cascades seemingly in the middle of the ocean.
The reef covers an area of about 400sq kms (155-ish sq miles), is about 80kms/50miles in length and is the world's largest inshore reef. It attracts wading birds and is a breeding ground for sharks and dugongs.
(Above) We are where the circle is.
(Top) When we arrived, the tide was just starting to drop and we watched the reef start to become exposed.
(Above) As the tide dropped further, a cascade of sea water started to drain the exposed reef.
(Above) Great pickings for this Reef Egret.
(Below) One of the Xplorers with two Zodiacs.
(Above) To get a closer look, you could board one of the Zodiacs and get right up to the cascades.
(Left) As a surprise by the crew after the close-up views of the reef, we headed to a small sandbar that had recently been exposed by the falling tide for 'Sundowners'. In about six hours time this little sandbar would be under metres of water again.
(Above) No, it's not what it looks like. This was my first (and only) beer, and Sue's having a champers and orange juice. Our first one. Honest... I blame the photographer.
(Above) The end to another wonderful day, but note the first signs of clouds on the horizon coming in from the Indian Ocean.
One of the experiences we'd been waiting for and that is a highlight of this part of the coast is the Horizontal Falls. The falls form when seawater rushes through two short and narrow gorges which are about 300 metres (1,000 ft) apart from each other. They are located in the coastal McLarty Ranges situated within Talbot Bay (Ganbadba) within the Buccaneer Archipelago. The seaward gap is about 20 metres (70 ft) wide and the landward one is about 10 metres (30 ft).
The natural phenomenon is caused by the changing local sea level due to tides of up to 10 metres (33 ft). The water builds up on one side or the other of the gaps faster than it can flow through them, creating a waterfall up to 4 metres (13 ft) high. With each change of the tide, the direction of the falls reverses from inflow to outflow and back again.
The Horizontal Falls have been described by naturalist David Attenborough as "one of the greatest wonders of the natural world".[Wikipedia]
We were a little concerned that we might not be able to ride though the falls as the previous day there had been an accident with one of the tour boats that are based here, causing the whole operation to be shut down, and a large rescue operation involving the Royal Flying Doctor Service to evacuate a number of people who had been injured when a boat hit the rocks while traversing the falls.
However, because we had experienced crews and were not relying on the local operator we were allowed to proceed. We only went through the 'lower' or seaward gorge as the upper one if only half as wide and considered too dangerous.
(Above) The Horizontal Falls are the larger of the two circles; Cyclone Creek the smaller.
(Above) At slack tide, there's nothing to see except a narrow channel through the cliffs.
Because the tide was going to be favourable in the afternoon, we had a short ride in the Xplorer up Cyclone Creek. This creek has its mouth adjacent to the Horizontal Falls, and it's where the Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventure company tows all its pontoons and equipment during the cyclone season to keep it safe.
(Above) The entrance to Cyclone Creek.
(Above) Looking back at the towering cliffs enclosing the entrance to Cyclone Creek.
(Above) Your brave (foolhardy?) scribe in the bow of the Zodiac. (Photo © J-Lo)
(Left) The 'Coral Adventurer' departs the Horizontal Falls through the narrow channel next to the romantically named 'Slug Island'
Our last adventure for the trip was the Lacepede Islands. These islands are a very important breeding colony for Green Turtles, Roseate Terns and Brown Boobies. There are estimated to be 18,000 breeding pairs of Boobies and 20,000 breeding pairs of terns. Other birds included masked boobies, Australian pelicans, lesser frigatebirds, eastern reef egrets, silver gulls, crested, bridled and lesser crested terns, common noddies, and pied and sooty oystercatchers.
As it's such an important site, we weren't going to land, but we could get quite 'up close and personal' as the birds didn't seem to have much problem with our being there.
(Above) Someone in her element.
(Below) The big ball of white fluff is a newly hatched Brown Booble chick.
(Above) A Brown Booby in flight. The aqua colouring under the wings is a reflection of the colour of the shallow water in the lagoon.
(Below) A Frigatebird who gets its food by pinching it in midair from other birds as they return to the island.
(Above) Brown Boobies taking flight above a field of Roseate Terns.
(Below) A quick video with lots of birds and some spine-jarring waves.
(Above) A pair of Brown Boobies.
(Below) They're not particularly perturbed by humans in a Zodiac.
We moored off Cable Beach, Broome overnight, then docked at the very long Broome Jetty to disembark. The way they got everyone's bags off was quite intriguing (to those of a somewhat nerdish bent) - there's a video below.
After we were dropped off in Broome, we did a wander through the streets of this old pearling town where Sue talked to a few of the locals. They were less than communicative (see below). The weather we'd seen moving in from the Indian Ocean had finally arrived and Broome locals were 'shivering' with the temperature at about 25C, and the odd shower. We thought it a lovely change from 30+ and humidity for the last 10 days.
We then had a rather bumpy flight to Perth, picked up a hire car and drove to our hotel.
(Top Left) Cable Beach (circle) and Broome Jetty (Arrow)
(Above) How to get luggage ashore without a huge effort!
(Left) Sunrise over Cable Beach (no camels, though)
(Below) Broome Port Jetty juts out 800m into Roebuck Bay. This is to cope with the extreme tidal range on this part of the coast.
(Above Left & Right) Sue talking to the locals
(Right) A reflection on the old hard-hat divers from the pearling industry who were mostly Japanese. When asked about his past, his comments were too muffled to make out.
(Below) A new Aboriginal sculpture - so new it didn't have any explanatory plaque to go with it.
(Right) One hopes that our flight to Perth may have more modern equipment.
(Above) Another view of the Indian Ocean, this time from our hotel room on one of Perth's beaches. A bit more stable than our last 'Room-with-a-view'.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse