Kimberley Coast Cruise Part 2

Today we are visiting 2 places.  First up is Freshwater Cove followed by Montgomery Reef.  We are here in the morning.  We will be greeted by the Damibmangari traditional owners who will welcome us with a ceremony and then we will walk 1/2 a mile each way to see some rock art. Jeff and I were surprised to learn that they have a store so this might be a level of civilization - will let you know.  As the name implies freshwater is available year-round here.  This is the mainland with the reef nearby.  The reef is 154 square miles.  

us on top of the cave

Wiggingarra Butt Butt/Freshwater Cove

This landing was a wet one as we disembark the zodiacs in a foot of water with encouragement to quickly go ashore as a croc had been spotted in the area.   We are greeted by two traditional caretakers of country who conduct a welcoming ceremony and anointing us with ochre on our cheeks.   We are told that when we leave we must walk through the smoke of a fire to cleanse us from any spirits that may attach to us while visiting the site.  The term "country" has a very broad. definition.  It isn't just land, but also the culture and more.  

While the walk has a nice breeze, it is quite warm up where the cave is with the rock art so by the time we make it back to the ship we are soaked with sweat!  But on to the fun stuff.  The rock art here is maintained by a family - the elder comes out every few years and touches part of it up which disappoints some people on the ship.  I am fine with it - they aren't changing the picture just touching it up.  We see a whale, a stingray with a dragonfly on it, a little boy who comes with a story to tell the little kids to listen and be patient and most importantly the cyclone.  It is so impressive Seabourn uses it in its advertising.  

stingray with dragonfly

whale

the little boy and a turtle

The cyclone was painted on the roof of the cave.  I am impressed by its completeness - how did they know the whole circle and eye - did they see it?  I am also impressed that it seems all of the Aboriginal tribes had rules to keep interfamily marriages from happening.  The walk was a little challenging as was the wet landing, which was much wetter this time, but I really liked the art.  Oh yes there was a little store and Neil the local guide says a group of them do stay there during the dry season and then return to the sort of nearby town of Darby.

the cyclone 

this is the cave with the art

termite mound

Montgomery Reef

Our afternoon site is an interesting place.  The reef is coral, but a different type that kind of looks like rock and the coral has formed a canyon which is where our boats will be traversing.  The water is wonderfully clear and a variety of depths.  We first ogle the reefs and the water coming over them and forming waterfalls.  During high tide all of the reefs are underwater and during low tide (close to when we were out) you get waterfalls, see some birds and can see fish etc. trying to get back in the water or hunting for food.  The reef waterfalls are quite pretty, and the reef tends to glisten with the water on it.

water rushing off reef

Additionally, the water is also full of sea turtles.  At first, we are just seeing the turtles pop their heads up for air and then going back under.  Then when we were all but at the end of the reef, we catch one at the right time and watch it for a while as it swims underwater and then comes up for air.  We would see a couple of others as we were slowly heading back to the ship.  We are able to see several types of fish in the water too.  

popping up for air

underwater as seen from our zodiac

Click here to watch this graceful Sea Turtle underwater

As we were leaving, I spotted something long and thin in the water near the reef in the distance, but I knew it was not just water moving.  Someone else saw it too so our guide headed over there.  At the time, we could tell it was a predator with a good-sized fish it had caught.  Jeff was able to get some good photos, and it turned out to be a croc with a tuna in its mouth. We are underway pretty quickly but not for too long we are heading for Talbot Bay and need to enter this winding bay while the tides are in our favor.

Croc looking for its next meal

Tuna taken by croc above only moments later

Talbot Bay

We get in around 11 at night.  We pass some lights on land and Jeff gets a cell signal first time since leaving Darwin. We are passing the iron ore mine they told us about.  It is quite big and only has a year or 2 of life left in it.  There are no roads to the mine, so all ore is exported on ships.  As we continue, we see some lights on in the distance on the water.  We will learn in the morning there are some speed boat operators and a helicopter tour that has their guides moored here all season.  Jeff and I stay on our balcony for a while and see a shooting star.

Cyclone Creek

loved the watercolor against the Mangrove

The reason we are exploring the creek is the rock formations.  There are a lot of rock fissures which causes the rocks to be at angles, one area the rock lines are kind of rounding like mounds and then there is an area where the rocks are "flaky".  We also check out the site of the horizontal water falls which we will explore in the afternoon.  

High stress in the rock created the "bones" look in the rock

The shifting of the landmass created these flaky waves

the rocks look like waves

Of course we are on the lookout for wildlife too.  We see rock wallabies - they are cute and several predatory birds; one of which might as well have been a model he would move his head from side to side and then his shoulder.  It is an interesting morning, and we head back for lunch and a break before the afternoon zodiac ride.  Oh, the reason it is called cyclone creek is that when cyclones hit, boats in this area are safe.  Our guide also pointed out some plants to us:  the white apple mangrove tree in blossom and with fruit and the Kimberley Rose.  Seems as is true with so many things in Australia it can be dangerous, and it can be useful.  If you try to smell the flower there are lots and lots of hairs in the middle that if you inhale them, they will drive you crazy.  But the locals know how to get to the berry and do all sorts of things with it like drying it and using it for a coffeelike drink.

rock wallaby

This Osprey kept posing for us like a model

Bottom Right Apple Mango, top right heather, 

Horizontal Waterfalls

I am looking forward to seeing this - it is one of the things that caught my eye about this area.  It is partially caused by the huge tidal changes.  I am hopeful that unlike Bay of Fundy in Canada, I won't be disappointed.  In our talk last night, they told us we would not be traversing the falls.  The government has been phasing out the permits for that because of a couple of bad wrecks and because the local people did not like the boat rides.  I should back up.  The horizontal falls are caused by a break that is between 2 arms of the bay.  The waterfall effect is created by the rapid tidal fall on the ocean side of the gap.  Water on the inland side of the gap cannot escape fast enough causing the "horizontal waterfall"   the height of the water on either side of the gap can vary by several meters.

overhead view of the horizontal falls to help explain the effect

So, we enjoyed the waterfalls.  It is kind of like an exhilarating ride at an amusement park.  The driver struggles to keep us straight.  We did it twice.  The first time I was at the front of the zodiac but moved to the back for others to see the second time.  I swear we went further in the second time!  As you approach the water in the area it is swirling and moving quickly.  There are a couple of little canyon areas you can go into to get out of the mainstream.  Our zodiacs took turns going up to the falls, with the leader telling each boat when they could go in.  Jeff liked the reef yesterday better only because we got to be there longer.  Dancing under the stars tonight and one last place to explore tomorrow.

All is calm when the water levels are the same

But when the tide goes out, there is a powerful flow of water exiting

Click here and turn up your volume to experience

the power of the Horizontal Falls

Hidden Island

This was not where the itinerary said we would be today, but mother nature had other ideas.  There are strong winds where we should be, so we are visiting a new island for Seabourn.  Some of the expedition crew has been here so they have an idea of the place.

Dawn as we thread our way between numerous rocky islands

We carefully get in our zodiacs for one last trip and head off to go around the island some.  The tide is on the higher side so we can get into some mangroves and look for wildlife.  We find an osprey nest complete with chicks.  We also have a pair of white bellied sea eagles in the area. 

Osprey upon it's nest

reef heron

white bellied sea eagle

 Our guide says we are heading back but going to overshoot the ship because of the wind.  He's lying.  The crew knew of a very unique beach, and we are headed there and will get off the boats and explore some.  The beach is a silica beach.  I think someone said it is part of quartz or somehow related.  It is whiter than our white sand beaches at home and not grainy at all more fluffy like.  One person said it was like walking in the snow.  It also made a different sound when walked on.  We had refreshments on the beach and explored for a while until it was time to head back to the ship one last time.

crowd lining up for a morning cocktail or a bit of bubbly

The beach looked and sounded like we were walking on snow except for the flowers

intrepid explores pretending to be the first to discover this oasis

Of course, on the last night there is a sendoff party, and we had dinner with a group of people we had made friends with.  Oh while dancing under the stars, the ship left some lights on at water level and said oh we may attract some sharks.  We all had to have our bags outside our doors before 11pm.  I mention that because when we got to Broome it was cool and windy so most of us were not dressed for the weather!  Happily Broome is like Sacramento, California and it quickly warmed up once the sun was up.

The shown lights into the water that attracted fish, which attracted tons of sharks

Click here to watch the swarm of sharks at the ships stern

Broome

We spent 2 days in Broome staying at the McAlpine House.  It's now a B&B but was built in 1910 for a Pearling Master in the heyday of the pearl shell business.  (Mother of Pearl used for buttons and other decoration.)  It got its name from a later owner, Lord McAlpine who greatly enlarged it.  Today its owned by one of the members of the Paspaley family who owned the Pearl Farm we visited.   

the wall hanging with shells is the cages they place pearl oysters in to grow

Welcome to the lobby where we checked in

They had four pet parrots who lived in 3 large, connected spaces

We rode the city bus around town that had a running commentary, so we learned a few things.  We wandered around downtown and visited the pearl shop that was related to the pearl farm we went to earlier in the trip.  No purchases were made.  Each evening, we did an iconic Broome activity.  The first night we rode the red sun camels at sunset on Cable Beach.  Camels were brought to Australia because of the desert climate, and they have done quite well in the wilderness.  Cable Beach refers to where the telegraph cable came to.  Then Jeff and I went to Matso's a popular brewpub for dinner.

Carol upon Bo at sunset

The second night we met a couple (friends) from the ship and went to the world's oldest outdoor theater.  It is on one of the main roads and looks like another store front from the street.  You walk in and about 15 feet in the ceiling is gone and there are rows of wooden park benches and sling style outdoor chairs with a large building that holds a movie screen in front of you.  Our hotel manager had told us that right before the movie starts a big jet is landing at the airport and goes right over the theater so low you feel like you could touch it.  He was right.  We watched a very good documentary on the ocean by David Attenborough.  Then the 4 of us went to a nearby brewpub for dinner.  

They had a collection of projectors from three time periods

A little about Broome.  Yes, it has a seaport since we came in that way!  Yes, it has an international airport (we left that way), but that airport is only 6 gates and was not much bigger than the one we used in Kruger National Park last year.  Broome's population is almost half of all of the Kimberly Region of Australia - sounds big, right?  Wrong 20,000.  So, when the 4 of us met at 5pm before the movie we were realizing that shops were closing as were many restaurants.  The town was closing except for the movies and the brewpub who was hosting trivia night.  There are some similarities to Gulf Shores in small town and lots of tourists, but I think Gulf Shores is a little livelier

Carol & Jeff