Horizontal Falls

We have just returned from an overnight tour to the Horizontal Falls ....... what can I say, other than AWESOME.  This was one trip on my bucket list and it's been ticked off .... wow!!

We had decided to make the trip from Derby and chose to stay on the luxury houseboat overnight to make the most of the tour. As the Kimberley coast is very remote it has to be accessed by plane or boat, so for us to fly in and then stay on the house boat was a great way to go.

We flew direct from Derby to the Horizontal Falls and landed on Talbot Bay.  We were greeted by the crew and quickly ushered to our cabins before a quick safety brief and on board the Jet Stream fast boat to experience the exhilarating ride through the Horizontal falls.

Boarding at Derby airport, come on Hels it will be ok.

Derby

Kimberley by air as we approach the Horizontal Falls

Horizontal Falls with incoming tide, Talbot Bay is at the top.

Some how we flew down between the Gorge and landed in Talbot Bay

The pilot said "the flight won't scare you but the sharks circling the plane when we land will'' we thought he was joking!.

Once we had unloaded, they took another group back to Derby and left us there for the night.

On board the fast boat - 600hp and off to the falls.

The narrower falls gap

You can see the difference in water level, about a metre

Apparently when they first started taking tours they lived on this pontoon.  In the background is the creek opening into a sheltered bay where they leave the houseboats during the wet season.

Called "spaghetti" rock 

This is the bay where the boats are left during the wet season.

From the fast boats to the shark cage for fish feeding.  Then settled back for nibbles and drinks to watch the Kimberley sun set before BBQ Barramundi for dinner on the top deck.

In for a dip to feed the sharks

You get an opportunity to pat the more placid sharks

Then it's happy hour, to watch the sunset

As the sunset over the pontoon

 

 

we watch and we drink

Dinner is served, BBQ barra on the top deck

 

Woke up as the sun came up (5.45am) over Talbot Bay and reflections of the sunrise on the Kimberley coast.

After breakfast we had time to go through the falls again before the sea plane arrived to take us back to Derby via the Buccaneer Archipelago.

What a great trip ...... back at Derby by 8.30am and coffee before a quick nanna nap to catch up on a few zzzzzzzzzzz.

The morning sun on the Kimberley coast with some sea mist in the distance

We had the opportunity to go out again in the morning as the tide was going out

The morning sun on the rocks

Hels was very attentive listening to the guide.

From Derby we flew direct to the Horizontal Falls then on return via Buccaneer Archipelago, as shown in blue flight path.

View of the islands along the coast

 

Derby jetty, built out into the deep water to allow for the 8 metre plus tides