Kununurra WA. June 28-29 2018

After leaving Fitzroy Crossing, we overnighted at Purnululu Camp Ground before making it the extra 250km into Kununurra the next day. We met Muriel and Paul for a chat and to make arrangements for dinner, which Muriel had organised already back at her van, cooking away in the crockpot. We spend a very enjoyable evening starting with Happy Hour and finishing with dinner, all washed down with some rather nice wine. We're not biased; we had red, white and bubbles...

On Thursday we went out on Lake Kununurra for a 6 hour cruise that runs right up the full 56km length of the lake, right up the the Argyle Lake dam wall, and back. On the way we stopped to look at birds, creeks, gorges and crocodiles. We even squeezed in some afternoon tea along the way.

Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Snowflake Lily
Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Rock Wallaby
Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Folded sandstone strata
Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

2x baby Jacana, 2x Green Pygmy Geese
Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Lake Argyle is right behind that rock wall on the right
Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Sunset out one side of the boat...

Moon rise out the other! How good is that?
Lake Kununurra, Ord River, Kununurra WA

Today we took it easy, going out before lunch time to see some of the more off-beat sights, such as the diversion dam, Molly Springs and Ivanhoe Crossing.

There is a little boat ramp just down from the dam, where we went first looking for interesting things to snap. This bloke, from NSW, decided it would be a good idea to wade in up past his knees and do some fishing. I asked him if he was concerned about the Saltwater Crocodiles that live in the river. He said, 'Oh no, they would be in the lake (other side of dam) if they were up this far.' Followed by this classic, 'There was a big one hanging around Ivanhoe Crossing this morning...' Ivanhoe Crossing is about 3km from this very spot. And does he know that they pull 2 or 3 Salties out of the lake every year? Boofhead.

Ord River diversion dam in the back -lunatic fisho in the front.
Ord River, Kununurra WA

Molly Springs is one of those secrets the locals would rather keep secret. It is a permanent rock pool some 30km out of town and the water was perfect and clear and full of small fish. The locals are not so happy that 'they' have decided to put up a  Tourist sign and spread the word; tour companies are now bringing busloads of people in and it will just destroy it. Such is progress.

Molly Springs. Near Kununurra WA

Yes, that really is water. Check out the fish. Let's hope it stays this way for years to come
Molly Springs. Near Kununurra WA

Judy roaring down yet another dirt / rock road
Molly Springs. Near Kununurra WA

Just down the end of our caravan park road is Ivanhoe Crossing, which used to be the only crossing until they built the diversion dam in he 1970s. Heaps of people have fun with the risky diversion of driving across it - never mind the swift flowing water and the resident saltwater crocodiles!

Ivanhoe Crossing. Ord River. Kununurra WA

Ivanhoe Crossing. Ord River. Kununurra WA

One way to wash the wheels.
Ivanhoe Crossing. Ord River. Kununurra WA

Fitzroy Crossing WA June 25 2018

A long tedious drive today from Broome to Fitzroy Crossing, battling the buffeting winds and negotiating the big stretches of roadwork in progress trying to fix the damage from last wet seasons flooding.

The Fitzroy River Lodge is like an oasis though. I don't know where they get the water from but the sprinklers are on most of the time. The place is almost lush. This year they are allocating sites, not a find your own system like they had last time. Apart from the IGA , there is not a whole lot to see or do here in the town itself. All the action is 20km up stream where they do the tours of Geike Gorge, which we are giving a miss this time. We retired to the van and I went for a 2.5 km walk around the perimeter of the park. One side of the park is on the Fitzroy river, which must be spectacular in flood but a bare trickle at this time of the year. The erosion done to the bank here is quite evident, they may have even lost one of their glamping tents to the flood waters.

Upstream. Fitzroy River, WA

Downstream. Fitzroy River, WA

Broome WA. June 20 -24 2018

Hard to imagine but we needed a break after the big cruise. We had always planned 5 nights in Broome, but that is as far as the plan went. It's the sort of place where it's easy to do nothing, but we managed a few things just the same.

We visited the Bird Park, which is 20km out of town and 35km down a dirt road. It sits on the edge of Roebuck Bay and various people told us it was just the place to go and see as many of the migratory birds as we could manage.

Anyhow, when we got there, it is totally underwhelming. There are 3 things to go and see: the shade house, the hide and the viewing platform. All are within 100m of the office. We strolled over to the shade house, which appears to be the campgrounds camp kitchen but with one side in flywire and a small shallow bird bath on the ground just outside. We just went straight in as we would normally do. Well, it was like walking into someone else house. There were two women sitting at either end of the long table, facing out over the pond. One was cramming a bird text book and the other was busily making notes with a lead pencil, of what I know not. She hid her work the moment we came in and both gave us the big-chill treatment. So, we stood directly in front of her and looked out the window, at the tiny bird bath, the dirt, the tree branches, the rocks. Basically at everything except birds. Judy may have seen a finch, but it may have been a butterfly.  We went outside and tried to get a better view, but then gave up and walked over to the hide. Outside the hide window was a .... bird bat, rocks, dirt, trees etc but naturally no birds.

The viewing platform sounded interesting and it was a bit further around, across the Crab Creek dirt road we had come down, and out over Roebuck Bay. Naturally we had turned up at exactly the lowest part of the lowest tide. There were some white dots 1/2 a kilometre away on the edge of the water. They may have been wading birds or they might have been seagulls. who knows. Took some snaps of the bay and beach just for posterity.

Blasting down Crab Creek Dirt Track. Roebuck Bay WA

Broome Bird Watching HQ. Roebuck Bay WA

Best part of the Bird place. Roebuck Bay WA

Whats left at low tide. Roebuck Bay WA

Oh well, not everything can be fabulous. We headed back to ward town but took the turn toward Cape Levique instead. About 20km up the road / dirt track we turned left toward Willie Creek, which is 15km further down more dirt road and then across the dry mudflats. Why? Because Willie Creek is home to the Willie Creek pearl farm and factory. It's a bit of a surprise when you get there, the building looks so out of place way out here on a sandy mound next to the creek itself.

We had a delightful 'paddle' of salmon and prawns for lunch and a strong coffee for me, before we entered into the showroom. Someone came out VERY happy with herself and her new earrings.

End of the dirt road. Now for the mud flat. Willie Creek WA

High-speed mud flat. Willie Creek WA

Its a huge area that gets flooded in Spring tides. Willie Creek WA

Willie Creek Pearl Farm. WA

Willie Creek WA

Gantheaume Point down at the southern end of Cable beach is always worth a look, pretty spectacular rocks and a great view back up the beach. It was named on 24 July 1801 for Honore Joseph Antoine Gantheaume by Nicolas Baudin while he was cruising around New Holland trying to decide if the French could be bothered to claim some for themselves.

View of Cable Beach from Gantheaume Point. Broome WA

Gantheaume Point. Broome WA

Gantheaume Point. Broome WA

I wandered off to the museum for a look. Sadly it is pretty dismal. Actually, there's nothing to add really, except it is housed in an original 1880's shop turned Customs House turned abandoned building.

Museum in the old Customs House. Broome WA

The hub of Broome is basically three streets and half a dozen shops. I took some snaps to show you what happens here on Saturday Afternoons after the shops close.

Cnr Dampier and Short Street. Broome WA

Cnr Dampier and Short Street. Broome WA

Cnr Dampier and Short Street. Broome WA

Ok, so I'm 1 street back from the shops, but it felt weird all the same.

Back at the van park, we came across this little guy standing on the side of the road

Frill Necked lizard. Palm Grove CP. Broome WA

Our last hurrah was to go out on a Snubfin Dolphin watch cruise on Roebuck Bay. Snubfin Dolphins were only recognised as a species in 2005, they used to be called Irrawaddy Dolphins, but they have been found to be different. They are slow moving as opposed to bottle noses, and have no interest in coming up to the boat and playing in the wake. Here's a snap I managed

Snubfin Dolphin. Roebuck Bay Broome WA

The tender to Ballena. Broome WA

Of interest to me was this totally unique dinghy that they use to get to the boat. it has a separate motor that drives the wheels and raises them up and down. On land it kneels down just like a camel, but then drive it out into the water and raise the legs, it's a boat! An clever invention from those cunning Kiwis

Anyhow, that's it from Broome, we are off tomorrow, heading toward Fitzroy Crossing.

Kimberley Cruising June 9 - 20, 2018

Kimberly Cruise - Discovery One

Day 1 - Saturday, June 9, 2018

Up at 6am this morning to finish preparing for the big adventure. Had breakfast, cleared out anything perishable and then moved the van and car to our designated parking spot for the next two weeks. Earlier than we had to be, we were up at the reception by 8am and waiting for  the bus to take us to the wharf for the transfer to the Discovery One, our cruise ship. Soon we were joined by other couples and by the time the bus arrived we were 12 of the total of 16 passengers. The other 2 couples had come by the bus from Broome, having left at 6am. We all bundled onto the bus for the short trip to the wharf, the boat ramp next to the wharf actually, where we waited a short while for the tender to come in. It took all the bags out to the boat, then came back for the two load of people. Finally we were on board and all are pleasantly surprised at the size and roominess of the boat.

The gathering of the voyagers, Derby WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Discovery One Kimberley Cruise - the ship itself

We are given a brief intro to the basics of the boat and life onboard and are then shown to our cabin, which is not huge but adequate, with a double bed facing the windows, so you get a magnificent view straight out to sea or the coast or islands as they glide by.

OK, so it took me a few more days and a few more wines to relax into it, but Cheers!
 Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We are then assembled in the lounge where we were introduced to the crew: captain, engineer, deckhand, two hostesses and the cook. Morning tea of fresh backed muffins is served and we all start to relax with each other. We travel at a steady pace for a few hours watching the muddy waters of King Sound go by, before a lunch of a cold meat and salad is served. At some time in the afternoon we make it out of King Sound into clear water and start heading across to the next bay. There are hundreds of island in the archipelago, the whole area being a river valley system that was drowned when the last ice-age started to end and country sized chunks of ice melted. At about 430pm we drop anchor at Strickland Bay, our campsite for the night. A few snaps taken at sunset, everyone is trying to capture the never-ending beauty and fascination of the sunset up here in the north overlooking the Indian ocean. Dinner is on at 6pm and is a beef curry hop-pot, rice, Chinese pork belly and sweet potato mash. 

The captain comes out to tell us about the next days activities and it looks like we have another early start; at 8am we are going off in the tenders to explore the nearby island. He finished the announcements with the following disclaimer which was to become his inevitable tag-line: 

'All subject to change. End of transmission for this part of the program'. 

A bit more sitting around chatting, a glass of wine and some star gazing, which is fantastic give the zero light pollution out here in the ocean and then we retire to the cabin, even though it’s only 8pm. 

Day 2 - Sunday, June 10 2018

Early? I’m sure 530am is actually before ‘early’, but there we were, wide awake and looking out onto waters of Strickland Bay as the sun rose in the east. Ah, what a life. Sometime after six we went for showers and to get ready for breakfast, which they start serving at seven. Pretty soon we are all assembled astern and waiting to climb aboard the two tenders, which whisked us the few hundred metres to Edeline Island.


The first thing we are delighted to see is an Ospreys nest perched on top of  a craggy rock formation; however, mother Osprey was not at all happy to see us: she flew up and circled about, squawking and carrying on the entire time we were there. Not once in the 45 minutes or so did she land again, right up until the moment the last person stepped onto the last tender, and then she dropped straight into the nest and started fussing over the chick.

Edeline Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Edeline Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Edeline Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

The rocks are siltstone, which is quite soft and are all fantastically carved from the action of wind and waves. A few paces in from the beach is a grave, the headstone a piece of siltstone engraved with a cross and the simple inscription ‘1891’, ’Frito’ and ‘Diver’. You are wondering just what this is all about and rightly conjecturing that Frito must have been a pearl diver, possibly Japanese or Malay, when you find another grave, and another. These ones are quite overgrown and who knows how many there are in total.

Here lies Frito - diver. Buried  in 1891 Edeline Island WA.  KimberleyCast cruise

Once back on board we cruised to another island not far away where there was a pure white silicon beach, maybe a hundred metres long. Everyone into swimmers and back onto the tenders for a transfer to the beach. Despite this being crocodile country, the water is so clear that they considered it safe enough for us to paddle and lay about in the water up to about a half a metre deep. Simply fabulous, the water is clear and warm and refreshing. The little wave rolling in with enough force to push you right into the beach. On the beach we all had a look around: Judy and I went looking for the source of a bird call at one end but only found the most perfect little mammal prints in the pristine sand. The sand in parts is like snow, it has a slight crust on top and you readily sink up to your ankles. The place, even though remote and obviously only accessible by boat, was still apparently popular judging by the number of fresh footprints. 

Silicon Beach WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Silicon Beach WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Silicon Beach WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Silicon Beach WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Our idyll is over soon enough and we are back on board and having afternoon tea before setting off   for our evening destination of Yampi Sound. In Yampi sound is Cockatoo Island, one of a number that has been extensively mined for Iron Ore over many year. The mine is currently in caretaker mode. Alan Bond even built a resort on the other side of the island, but that only lasted a few short years. As we cruised past, our skipper announced that we would not be staying here in Yampi Sound, and so we kept cruising. 

Cockatoo Island WA. Mined for Iron Ore
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We passed another group of islands that have also been mined, one just being restarted, and then set course for the Kingfisher Islands, where we drop anchor at 430pm.

Day 3 - Monday June 11, 2018

The Captain told us that we would start cruising at 7am and head to our first destination, Raft Point. Does that mean you sleep in? No, it does not, as preparing the ship starts at 6am with hatches being clanged open, chains rattling, and the crew moving about, not to mention the full-on sunrise coming straight at you through the cabin windows. We could have of course closed the curtains, but that view...

Right on 7am the engines start. The port one is directly under our cabin so you might as well go and have a shower and go and have some breakfast.


We are anchored outside the Raft Point at 9am and it’s all aboard the tenders for a tour of the nearby islands. The first is called Steep Island, and given that the sheer cliff face is 100m tall, you can see why. The rock is mostly sandstone and has weathered into some extraordinary shapes. The feature are tall columns, and spindly shafts holding up a zillion tons of rock, and a ‘Smugglers Cave’ and a small beach. Quite extraordinary.

Steep Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Steep Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

The next little island I will call ‘Bird island’ as it is just a rocky outcrop and home to a few birds, among which are Dusky Herons, Caspian Terns and a version of pied oyster catcher.

'Bird Island WA' Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

'Bird Island WA' Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Back on board we are served morning tea, and our cook has come up with yet another delicious cake slice thing.


There is no rest for the lucky few: we're off on the tenders again and cruising up Red Cone creek, which isn’t really a creek as such, just part of the coastline, until you get right to the end where there is a small gorge and a nice little waterfall called Ruby Falls, and two boat loads of fisher persons parked right in front of the whole thing, fishing, and they had no intention of leaving. So it was OK for them to have paid heaps of money to come all this way and demand the right to fish exactly where they want, but not ours to expect at least a common courtesy of moving side while we took a few snaps.  It’s not as if another boat was going to come along anytime soon, or that we wanted to park our boats and go walking up to the top of the falls and have a swim in the pools. We all thought it rather rude of them and if one had the interweb out here we would send them nasty-grams.

Ruby Falls WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Ruby Falls WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Croc near Ruby Falls WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

After lunch we motored to Montgomery reef, which is basically a flat lump of rock 400 square kilometres in size that sticks out of the water quite a few metres at low tide. The attraction is that it takes hours for the water to run of the surface and as the tide goes down, this causes heaps of little waterfalls. In the shallows around the reef are big fish chasing little fish, and turtles zooming about, not that I saw a turtle up close, they seemed quite skittish when the boats came near, but you’d see a head pop up like a periscope and then dive down again. Sadly, the tide wasn't perfect to get the idyllic shot, such as the ones in all the glossy brochures, but you got the general idea.

Montgomery Reef, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Montgomery Reef, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Leaving the reef behind, we motor further up the coast to our overnight stay, mooring at the delightfully named Mud Flats.

Day 4 - Tuesday June 12 2018

The crack of dawn found us awoken with a pre-sunrise show of brilliant reds and yellows streaming through the window affording a photo opportunity not to be missed and before the sun was actually up (603am), we were steaming away for our next adventure. 

Sunrise, Kimberley style. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We came into Sampson Inlet, moored and boarded the tenders for a 20 minute ride up a mangrove lined side creek. The crew were calling out for ‘Old Swampy’, their pet crocodile, to come out and play, but he was having none of it! It’s possibly just as well as a tiny tender from another smaller vessel came in as well, and it looked seriously overloaded, mere centimetres above the water. We took snaps of them, just in case...


Sampson Inlet is named after an aborigine, Sampson, who went bush from the first mission here. He and his mate took jobs on a pearling lugger but were treated like slaves. They were on some island following their masters, when they turned back, took the dinghy, rowed back to the lugger and took off. They abandoned the lugger and went bush. He turned up from time to time at the mission for some female company and on one occasion accepted a payment of liquor to ‘take care of someone’.He was eventually caught and shipped to Fremantle for trial. He was found Not Guilty as nobody had actually seen him do the deed. He came to grief when he and his latest girlfriend were crossing to Montgomery Reef and they both drowned.


We stopped at the end of the creek, took some snaps and then sailed out again, stopping to snap birds and trees and flowers.  

Sampson Inlet, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Sampson Inlet, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Sampson Inlet, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Sampson Inlet, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We were soon steaming along again, still heading along the coast from Derby toward Wyndham, this time searching for Camden Harbour. Camden Harbour was the site of one of many  misguided and ill-fated attempts at settlement on this rugged, barren land. The had been lured here by the glossy brochures produced by the WA Government, and a fast talking real-estate agent in Melbourne. In short, a large group of well meaning, hardworking people put their life savings into shares in a company floated for the purpose of settlement in the North. They were taken in in by the promise of land grants of 20,000 acres per share of the '...best grazing country yet seen on the continent'. After passing the striking Pinnacle Rock, they turned into the harbour and ran in on the tide. What they found was mangrove swamps and rocky dry ground and no water supply. So much for the glossies and smooth talk. The first man died on the second day, followed soon after by others, but they fared better than the sheep which were dying in their hundred every day from heat, thirst and starvation.On Sheep Island a single, lonely, marked grave and a boab tree with the names of those interred below it’s spreading branches carved into it’s bark, stand as a sad remembrance of this part of the history of the Kimberly.

Sheep Island, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Sheep Island, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Sheep Island, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Sheep Island, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Here lies Mary Pascoe, June 1865. Sheep Island, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We cruised for a short time and parked at Hanover River for the night.

Day 5 - Wednesday June 13 2018

First stop this morning is Whirlpool Point in Rothsay Waters. From our deep anchorage we took a half-hour ride in the tender up various backwaters, through mangroves and suddenly pulled up at a rocky ledge sticking out into the water. A bit of a scramble up the rocks and we were looking at our first Aboriginal Rock art. This was obviously a well used camp-site with heaps of shells and shell fish debris and blackening from cooking fire smoke. The rocks that made obvious seating areas were smooth and shiny, possibly from 65000 years of accomodating bare bums!

Rothsay Waters WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Rothsay Waters WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Rothsay Waters WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Rothsay Waters WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Our second foray today was to inspect a second aboriginal painting, accessible only by water, on a rocky shelf on a point near the Prince Regent River which empties into St George Basin.


After lunch we took our last boat ride for the day further down one arm of the basin, where we pulled up at the site of Bradshaw’s first station, managed by a relative of his, Aeneas Gunn, who later managed Elsey Station near Mataranka. From the water you can only see mangroves. Somehow they landed and started a sheep farm. Bradshaw himself left immediately and the enterprise only lasted 3 years. The most striking fseatures are Mt Trafalgar and Mt Waterloo which overlook the bay. From there we explored the mangrove creeks looking for crocodiles, which we finally found swimming along in front of us. One was medium, maybe 2 metre, the other a baby, but still big enough to take you leg off in one bite.

Bradshaw's landing place. St George Basin WA.
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Trafalgar Rock, St George Basin WA
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

A baby croc comes to play. St George Basin WA
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Tonight we are moored at Python Cliffs: No reptiles of the same name were seen.

Day 6 - Thursday June 14 2018

The captain had advised us the previous evening that sunrise would be at 603am the next morning and we might like to be up early to get some snaps, followed by a hot breakfast at 715. We were duly up on deck taking snaps as the sky grew light and reddened as the sun rose behind the mountains. It is always interesting how different each sunrise and sunset can be. Yesterday the sky flooded blood-red, today more of a pink sheen. And of course the orb itself only lasts at most a single minute to go from hidden to totally ‘up’.

Sunrise, Python Cliffs WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

After our breakfast feast, the boat started motoring into St George Basin, running in with the tide and fighting its way through huge whirlpools, whipped up when the incoming and outgoing tides meet.We motored on and on, for about 3 hours or so, passing into the mouth of the Prince Regent River along the way. We saw other cruise boats: Kimberly Quest, on her way out and Odyssey, moored. The Odyssey was moored opposite an opening in the mangroves through which we passed and inside which we came face to face with the magnificent Kings Cascade. Not huge in height but beautiful in size, shape and colour. The Odyssey group were tied up to the bank at one side and the passengers had started a steep climb to the top where one assumes there are crocodile-free pools of crystal clear cool water.

Kings Cascade WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Kings Cascade WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Kings Cascade WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Our intent was much more light hearted than that: we had come prepared to get a good dunking under the falls. Three and four at a time, we sat at the front of our rubber duckie as our skipper drove the nose, and us, into and under the falling water. Ha, great fun and certainly refreshing.

Early showers for all. Kings Cascade WA.
 Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

From there went deeper up the river and where it starts to narrow, the huge mangrove trees were full of bats, shrieking and flapping about. This was odd, but even more so in that it was only on one side of the now fairly narrow river. Right at the end you come out into the middle of a semicircle of high cliffs and another great waterfall, the aptly named Cathedral Falls.

Cathedral Falls WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Cathedral Falls WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

As we turned to leave, the lead boat was being shadowed by a large crocodile. The croc then went under the boat and up the bank under the trees the bats were in. As we followed along, at a crocodile’s pace, we could see the trees being shaken from side to side, almost as if the croc was trying to knock down a free feed.


Another long cruise of 4 hours or so and we are moored at Round Bluff. Unfortunately we are way too late for a walk along the beach and maybe another splash in the ocean.

Day 7 - Friday June 15 2018

Leisurely start to the day - breakfast at 630 - then across to the beach for a stroll and a swim. Oddly though, our captain was talking to another cruise boat, the Odyssey, and for some reason allowed them to come into the beach and go ashore before us, no idea why. Anyway, we got onto the beach and wandered up and down, took some snaps, looked at the turtles nest that had been raided by dingoes, they must have been fresh as her tracks were still there, and then had our swim in the ocean. Not really a swim, just a quiet sit and float in the water - don't want to attract any attention to ourselves. 

Round Bluff Beach WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Dingoes raided this turtle nest. Round Bluff Beach WA.
 Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Round Bluff Beach WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Next stop was Hiro Bay on Augustus Island where we explored around the ample evidence left after a 1960s pearl farm had been abandoned. 

Hiro Bay pearl farm WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Hiro Bay pearl farm WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Hiro Bay pearl farm WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Later in the day we stopped again and boarded the tenders for a ‘scenic’ of Wailgwin and Bumpus Islands, both rocky outcrops but with the most startling rock formations caused as the sandstone weathering. It’s amazing just how slender some of the support columns are and obviously, plenty of these house-sized blocks have come crashing down in the past. As we came back to the boat, another boat, the Kimberley Express came by; she was on a private charter by the local traditional owners who were checking up on their land and monitoring things like the local quoll population.

Bumpus Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Bumpus Island WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We sailed a bit more and are now moored in Deception Bay for the evening.

Day 8 - Saturday June 16 2018

Our 45th wedding anniversary, how fortuitous that it should be right in the middle of this fabulous cruise through the waters of the Kimberley coast.


There seems to be some unwritten rule that no two boast go to the same place and so we had a late start this morning as we waited for another cruise ship to leave ‘our’ beach. Finally we cruised in and took to the tenders, going first for a scenic around the rocky headland of Hall Point, which to be perfectly honest is stunning to look, but a lot like all the other rocky bits we’ve viewed since the first day. At last we hit the beach, to be surprised that it was mostly shell and coral, and that the back was quite steep as the tide was in. We all trooped along the beach to one end, where there appears to be a dry inlet and another beach fronted by mangroves running back behind the main beach. We followed the others for a bit but it was pretty heavy going in the steeply sloping soft sand, so we went back to the tenders and had our swim.

Beach at Hall Point WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Back on board, we cruised over to the other side of Deception Bay where we went croc hunting before going up a gorge. This time we kept going right to the end of the gorge, and despite being greeted by the resident crocodile, we clambered out onto a rock shelf and walked a few hundred metres along the gorge. The climbing and scrambling and anxious moments were rewarded with the most magnificent rock pool at the end, where we all went swimming. It must have been 4 metre deep in places, about 50 metres long and the water was fresh, and crystal clear. We could all have stayed there for hours but our Captain was keeping an eye on the tide and so we reluctantly had to return, this time taking the easier path down the other side of he gorge. 

Deception Bay WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Deception Bay WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Deception Bay WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Deception Bay WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Croc-in-residence, Butterfly pools, Deception Bay WA.
 Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Croc swims here. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We swim here. Butterfly pools Deception Bay WA.
 Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

This idyllic outing was then followed by a very long afternoon and evening motoring back down the coast. We had planned to stop at Kingfisher Island but Skipper decided to motor on, right through to Talbot Bay, which is closer to the World Famous Horizontal Falls. The only way to see them is by VFB, very fast boat, and our allotted time is 8am.

Day 9 - Sunday June 17 2018

Up at 6, mostly because the sun is shining and you’re awake anyway. Breakfast over by 7am and a short motor from our overnight mooring to the activity centre outside the horizontal falls. This is a big business, at least 5 cruise boats already, and its just coming up to 9 o’clock. Not to mention the fly-ins from Derby in their sea-planes and the people who stay here overnight in the floating accomodation.

We were picked up from our boat by one of those big speed boats, seats 43 and has 800 horse power. You enter what looks like a little amphitheatre been carved out of the rocks, purpose build so boats could come in and circle around, steadying themselves and lining up the 20 metre wide gap, before powering their way through.

The first gap is about 20 metres across and the difference in water level is minimal, maybe 300mm at the time we went through. We zoomed in and out a few times and then went further in and up to examine the second gap, which is much smaller at 12 metres wide. Here the water level may have been a metre higher on the up-side and our skipper declared it as ‘way too dangerous,’ as opposed to the normally ‘a bit dangerous.’ So we took some snaps and circled about and took more snaps and eventually went back over to the first opening and made our way back to the boat. Personally I thought it was all a bit tame, but others thought it was the thrill of a life-time.

Little gap. Horizontal Falls, WA.
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Little gap. Horizontal Falls, WA.
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Big gap. Horizontal Falls, WA.
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Little gap. Horizontal Falls, WA.
 Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Little gap. Horizontal Falls, WA.
Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We transferred to our own tenders and went for a ‘scenic’ up the nearby Cyclone Creek, which is where they hide all the boats and toys when a cyclone comes along. The creek has the most amazing rock formations, you could easily see how this huge bit of the land has been pushed up against the rest of the continent (that’s what it says in the little book) as the strata are not nice and even and level, they are like rolling hills or sloping steeply into the gorge. I prefer to think that the aboriginal dreamtime story of a great serpent slithering along making the rivers and valleys and leaving the wavy rock lines behind is just as plausible.

Cyclone Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Cyclone Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Cyclone Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Cyclone Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Cyclone Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Cyclone Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We moved the ship further back up the bay and anchored behind Snug Island, where we took to the tenders for another scenic to look at a rock shaped like a head, and then went chasing turtles. The water here is not clear at all as it is shallow and the tide is pouring in making turtle spotting tricky. The water depth when we went is was 6 metres, in 20 minutes it had dropped to 2 metres and it was time to leave.

We moved again, this time into Dugong Bay where we boarded the tenders and spent half an hour roaring into the bay when a dent in the distant cliff face turns out to be a waterfall. Turtle Falls as it is known is a dribble at this time of year but it may be that our Skipper was on a personal mission to find more point of interest for his future tourists as he scampered up and over the rocks to inspect the pool at the bottom of the falls, declaring it as ‘not good’. 

From there we spend another twenty minutes going clear across the other side of the bay where we slithered up through the mangroves to another possible site. This was ledge maybe 3 metres up over which some water was flowing. A few people scrambled up to have a look, the deckie even jumped in and came out half frozen. 


Back on board we then motored south for the rest of the day, through a bit of a swell, our first, until we anchored at Myrigi Bay in Yampi Sound at 530pm.

Day 10 - Monday June 18, 2018

Hot breakfast treat again this morning at 730am o’clock. We were heading out again, this time to Nares Point, a 45 minute run across last night’s open water. The Skipper even gave an announcement that now might be the time to wash that eggs and bacon breakfast down with some seasick medications.

We were scheduled to take to the tenders for a ‘scenic’ of Nares Point, to look at the rocks, however, the tide and the seas weren’t to Skipper Len’s liking, so we just cruised by in the mother ship instead, which seemed a very reasonable option. The distortion in the rocks is quite extraordinary, the strata are almost completely folded over. After we had stopped in a sheltered cove, we took to the tenders again and headed for Crocodile Creek, where we were to go... swimming! 

Up along the creek you come to a small waterfall with a stainless steel ladder next to it, up which you climb to the first level. At the first level is the most inviting pool backed by another waterfall. But this is currently off-limits as the high tide can come up over this ledge and so the crocodiles can swim right in and take up residence. They swimming pool is up at the next level and the theory is that crocs can't climb, so around the bottom pool we go (mind you, they could leap out and snatch anyone from the edge of the pool faster than you could blink) and then clamber up the rocky face of the natural dam. The top pool is another fantastic place to get cooled off. It's about 30 metres long and up to 4 metres deep in places. The bottom is smooth rocks and the water is quite fresh and crystal clear being fed year round by a permanent spring. We had quite a long swim and were naturally reluctant to leave.

Crocodile Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Crocodile Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Crocodile Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Crocodile Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Crocodile Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

After lunch we did another ‘scenic’ in the tenders, this time up Silver Gull Creek. On the way one of the eagle eyed crew spotted some rock wallabies which we stopped to get snaps of. 

Baby Rock Wallaby. Silver Gull Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Rock Wallaby. Crocodile Creek WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Farther on, on a rocky point with a commanding view of the creek is a house! Apparently a couple used to come here every year until they decided that they may as well stay, so they built a house and gardens and all the fittings, moved in and stayed 19 years. They also had a permanent spring and the place was a favourite for all kinds of boat people to come in and get fresh water. The couple  also made a point of inviting everyone in for a bbq lunch and the like. Sadly, the lady died and the man couldn’t bring himself to come back, so he put caretakers in to look after it. The local aboriginal tribe have since reclaimed the area and it is now strictly off limits to everybody.

'Squatters Arms', Silver Gull Creek. WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

'Squatters Arms', Silver Gull Creek. WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

From there, as it was high tide, we explored up the creek and some of it’s little arms. Apparently there are 17 waterfalls on the creek during the wet, we had a look at one called Cleopatra’s Pool, although no one could see why it was so named. The crew seemed content floating around in the tenders, so I took yet a few more snaps of the stunning rock formations.

'The Kimberley', WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

The Kimberley', WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

The Kimberley', WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

We are now underway, cruising to our overnight mooring at Denver Island, although, as the skipper keeps saying: ‘All subject to change’. And so we ended up at Mundurrul Bay instead.

Day 11 - Tuesday June 19, 2018

We had been warned that today was a big day of cruising to get us back to Derby by nightfall. Undaunted we were all up again at 6am or so for an early start. The highlight of the day happened early: a twopointsomething metre crocodile sidled up alongside and posed for photos. It transpires that some cruise boats feed this croc, one of the wildest of animals in Australia, for the amusement of paying guests, and at least one is here every night. Our mob threw a bucket of ice-cubes over the side, just to get the croc to do something, which it didn’t, they’re not that dumb.

Pet Croc. Mundurrul Bay, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

Pet Croc. Mundurrul Bay, WA. Discovery One Kimberley Cruise

And so we set off for our day's run. Most people spent time reading books and doing crosswords. The next round of excitement was when all the mobiles started to beep and chirp and carry on as we came back into range of the cell phone network and the beloved interweb. Even I had 76 emails, of which 2 were of useful content, which just goes to show how much dross is clogging up the airwaves. Finally we came up into Derby Port proper, and after waiting for a big boat to move and suitable clearance from the Harbour Master, we tied up at the wharf. But, did we get off and go on our way? No, sir. We loaded onboard a whole pile of heavy duty looking welders and generators and stuff they needed to ‘fix’ the boat on the next low tide, and much to my dismay, all the electronic amplifiers and stuff for Loopy Lucy or whatever the ukulele plunking hack that we had seen at the cafe before we left was called. After loading, we moved back out a few hundred metres form the wharf and moored for the evening.

And so, inevitably at 6pm, her and two mates hopped on board and we all sat around smiling and giving polite applause for an hour. The crew seemed to know these people and were delighted that they were there. In fairness, one fellow, who seemed to be the lead singer and guitar strummer, was probably quite good, but by himself. She plunked and mis-twanged and sang off key and out of tune most of the words that she hadn’t forgotten. And blamed her ukulele! ‘I dropped it yesterday and it hasn’t played right since’. 

We then had our dinner, followed by a birthday cake for one of the Crew and one of the Guests and then speeches. OMG. They were handing around the tissue box as the tears flowed at the very thought of us all having to disembark and leave their lives forever on the morning tide. 

Day 12 - Wednesday June 20, 2018.

Up really early today, 530am and washed and dressed for 6am breakfast, Our bags packed and placed in the designated position, we waited the short time before being called to the tenders one last time and our last ride to the boat ramp where the water-works started again as hugs and kisses and fond farewells were exchanged. It left me wondering if I was an emotional deficient. These people do this every week for 7 months, probably 20 or more cruises, 400 or more people, and they have been doing it for years and years, and yet they still swell up at the end of every cruise. Oh well, good job we aren’t all the same, eh?

A short bus ride to the van park, collect our keys and condiments and back to the van. Everything looked in order so hooked up and after saying goodbye to the other van-picker-uppers from our voyage, hit the road.

Let’s kick this pig! As they say.