That's why there could be so many helicopters flying
over James Price Point so frequently.
There are lots of them available.
Fuel and water at Roebuck Plains Roadhouse again.
Then
towards Derby.
The Kimberley Meat Company abattoir was opened in 2016 after a few years
without an abattoir in the area - Derby and Broome meatworks had closed.
This is near the junction for Mt Jowlaenga Station.
Local station owner decided he needed his own meatworks.
We camped by the road.
Surprised by a dawn chorus and
birds we couldn't identify.
We have to cross the Fitzroy River.
Looks like there's a
flood plain.
We see our first Boab Tree.
Not imported from Southern
Africa where similar grow.
The Fitzroy River.
Probably tidal. Quite a change from
the Pilbara, this has water in it.
main street in Derby.
we can follow it all the way to the wharf,
to see if the
tide is in or out - it has a wide range.
about 2:15pm we set off for the horizontal falls.
Truck
is left in a fenced compound, at the hotel/pub.
a 30 minute flight, initially over mudflats and patterns
made by the tide.
someone reckoned "fractals",
I think "dendrites".
we reach 5,500 ft, at about 130 knots,
despite having
metricated everything else.
with a glimpse of fish farming
a quick check that the pilot knows where we are going
more of the view towards the Buccaneer Archipelago
we wave to people on one of the small cruise boats that
operate along the Kimberley coast.
The floats on the seaplane are needed when we reach Talbot
Bay.
To land next to the houseboats.
We spend the night here
(in air conditioned comfort).
Have a look at the nurse sharks being fed. .
They are fed
barramundi offcuts. The sharks that is, not the people separated in the
playpen.
Up to 3m.
Unlike most sharks, which are pelagic (have to
keep swimming) these sharks can pump water through their gills, which allows
them to lie stationery on the see floor sensing vibrations.
We board a boat.
Looks fast, with 4 big outboards on the
back.
there are other "toys" waiting for us after breakfast.
a look towards the entrance of Talbot Bay,
checking we
are here?
The seaplanes do a quick turnround,
taking this morning's
party home to either Broome or Derby.
we wondered for a short while why someone was sat on top of the wing of
the plane.
nothing sinister ..... refuelling, not posing.
this is a bit like the boat we will ride in.
the itinerary varies as the tides go round,
we set off
into Cyclone Bay (Creek).
Very sheltered.
Also the home of the "several day houseboat".
the tide is by no means at its lowest,
but we gain an
impression of how large the tidal range is,
at the greatest its around 11m between low and high.
Pentecost sandstone.
suitably contorted bedding planes in places
tilted down towards the coast.
one of the afternoon helicopter trips returning
a gentle ride back from Cyclone Creek,
a strange approach
to our houseboats (two tied end to end)
we pass them by and head towards the Horizontal Falls.
This is the "big gap".
Around 25m.
we aren't alone,
so we wait a while
then sail through the gap
to be carefully positioned for
maximum photo opportunity
we play zooming through the gap a couple of times
then advance to the "little gap"
to play with the other boat again,
its being kept
stationery on the waterfall
the fall is because the water can't flow through the gaps
fast enough to keep up with the tide as it falls (or rises).
a pass across the high side of the gap.
about 1.5m fall
faster than I can swim
after a couple of times through the gap we get the hang of
taking photos and uttering "aahh" simultaneously,
in this case looking
through the big gap at the little gap,
about to climb up the fall.
noting, the fall at the little gap as we balance on the
edge
Dinner (what else but barramundi) timed so the sunset is
about right.
following morning we get another look.
The tide is in a
different state, the falls are higher.
we inspect the little gap,
but at more than a couple of
meters fall its considered unsafe for the boat.
slowly illuminated more as the sun rises
and a last close up,
definitely a bigger fall than last
night!
and just to remind us that the water is moving quite
rapidly
