Horizontal Falls

The Horizontal Falls is the name given to a natural phenomenon on the coast of the Kimberley region. David Attenborough described them as "one of the greatest wonders of the natural world". They are formed from a break in-between the McLarty Ranges reaching up to 25m in width. The falls run horizontally rather than vertically. The effect is created as seawater builds up faster on one side of the gaps than the other, creating a waterfall up to 5m high on a high tide. Within each change of the tide the direction of the falls reverses, creating vast tidal whirlpools.

For more than a dozen years, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures has been running trips by seaplane to see and experience this phenomenon. We had made our booking last October so were very much looking forward to it as we were bussed to Broome airport in a party of 12 to board the seaplane that flew north up the coast to Cape Leveque then east low across the Buccaneer Archipelago, with its multitude of small and mostly deserted islands, before landing smoothly on the sea in Talbot Bay and mooring at a highly well-equipped pontoon.

The hi-speed boat ride through the first falls was exhilarating but the second falls was deemed too dangerous by the skipper because of eddies that can swallow a boat of that size. So we went back to the pontoon for a barramundi and salad lunch and then a close up look at a group of tawny nurse being fed from behind a cage. On a subsequent boat trip later it was possible to get through the second falls which is significantly narrower than the first so even more exciting.

The one hour flight back to Broome was straight as the crow flies and overall, we all agreed it was a wonderful experience, expensive but well worth it.

Three days in Broome

From the moment we stepped off the Virgin Australia plane from Perth, felt the tropical temperature and then were met by our Aussie friends Gene & Julian at the arrivals door, Broome has been a joy. Aid & Ed were already there having arrived a few minutes earlier on a Qantas flight. Qantas stands for Queensland and Northern Territories Airline Services, in case you're interested.

Broome is the winter retreat of thousands of Aussies from the south and it’s easy to see why, as the laid back (even by Oz standards) attitude becomes apparent, the variety of accommodation, inc up-market resort hotels (we’re staying at Bali Hai), as well as the constant warmth, the beaches and sea. 

Cable Beach is probably the best known feature, stretching for 22km along the Indian Ocean 

and where the perfect sunsets are viewed by most people, some taking advantage of the three camel trains available to rent a ride @ $90 a place!

   

First evening we spent at the Sunset Bar & Grill, with superb view of the sunset (at 5.30), washed down with beer and bubbly (spot the new moon):

 

Our first night coincided with Wales in the Euros semi-final in France, kick off 3am (WA time), which we didn’t want to miss, so alarm was set and we were able to witness the disappointment of their defeat to Portugal on our room tv, then back to bed at 5am.

 

Second evening we took our SUV onto the beach with Gene & Julian’s for drinks and nibbles on the sand – very atmospheric and another beautiful sunset:

 

 

Broome is famous for pearl diving, which was the reason the town was founded, so there are many shops selling the jewellery at prices ranging from about $20 to $100k. Mary prefers the pink Argyle diamonds mined from the region of that name. Unfortunately, the ones she liked the best were $46k.

Our third evening consisted of an Indian meal (sitting outside, of course) and a visit to watch Nice Guys, with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, in the 100 year old open air Sun Cinema (sitting on a deck chair):

The flight path into Broome airport goes low over the town, so any incoming planes can cause you miss a few moments of dialogue!

 

Tomorrow we have one of the anticipated highlights of our trip, a sea plane visit to the Horizontal Falls - more in the next post.

 

A couple of days in and around Perth

Our brief stay in the Perth area is over this morning, as we fly to Broome and temperatures in the 30s, but we’ve made the most of it with Aid & Ed, our friends who flew over from Sydney.
 
There has been significant development in the WA capital since we were here in Feb 15, most notably the Elizabeth Quay, which has extended the Swan River closer to the city and provided a fantastic resource for all the family, including state of the art children’s playground. Here are some views - the birds are cormorants, local name shags(!):

It’s been quite different experiencing Perth in the winter, where the temperatures have been mid-teens during the day, albeit with lots of sunshine, rather than 40 on our previous visit. It has meant walking around has been far more comfortable including the must do visit to Kings Park for its view of the Swan River and the city skyline, along with its amazing botanical gardens:

This is a 750 year old boab tree transported to the park from the Northern Territories 8 years ago:

On Monday night we had one of the best meals ever at Matilda Bay restaurant in a bay along the Swan River of the same name. It’s rare when all four diners reckon every item of a 3 course meal and coffee is exceptional, but this was the case. I can’t say the same for the lunch in Freemantle today!

We visited one of our favourite places in Oz on the way to this port city, Cottesloe Beach (where we are staying later in the trip for our last 2 nights). Previously we have witnessed it in the summer with hordes of people enjoying the sun, beach and sea. This time, it was very quiet but still beautiful under a bright blue sky:

I always look out for Aussie straightforward language, such as “Wrong Way” rather than “no entry”. At Cottesloe Beach, I spotted a dispenser with the sign “Doggie Dumping Disposal unit” – I am sure you can work out what that is for.

Last night we visited another popular and lively area of Perth, Northbridge, for a bottle of Aussie Sauvignon, a Thai meal and a san churro desert with coffee. Looking around the chocolatier cafe, you would have struggled to guess which country we were in, with all sorts of nationalities – those who advocate an Australian points system for immigration would be surprised to see the result!!

Arrived in Perth

We’re in Perth and shocked to find temperature around 6 degrees last night, although with a clear sky and clean air.

Had our first night back at Miss Maud’s Swedish Hotel, much more conservative than it sounds (and she has 16 up-market Pastry Houses). Now about to go for our first of her amazing breakfast buffets!

Last night, we walked through the entire city centre after 9pm and only found one Irish bar open but kitchen had already finished, so it was left to McDonalds for our first Aussie meal of the trip!!

We also arrived a day after the Australian general election with an undecided result and expected days of uncertainty, with confusion in the country (sound familiar?). The Aussies are electing their 5^th premier in 3 years, makes the UK look ridiculously stable!

Overview of the trip

Hello again to our blog fans, we're off to Oz for another adventure. First stop Perth, arriving on 3rd July and meeting our dear friends Aid & Ed the following day, whilst staying at Miss Maud's - yes it is a hotel but with the best breakfast buffet in the whole country!

Next stop is a flight to Broome with Aid & Ed, where we meet our McLaren Vale friends Gene & Julian, who spend most of their Aussie winters in the tropics, as do many of their compatriots. We're staying 5 days in Broome before saying goodbye to our friends and heading off to even more remote places in Western Australia.

The route takes us to Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Cape Leveque, Port Hedland, Karijini, Tom Price, Karratha, Dampier, as well as many other interesting places in-between, before flying back to Perth for a couple of nights at Cottesloe Beach, the ideal final stop before home and to celebrate Mary's birthday!

 

We will try to describe our escapades in an entertaining way and we welcome your comments!