Day 9 - Broome - 19 June

We were all up early as the crew wanted us to have all our bags packed and put onto the back deck by seven o’clock. We woke again to a brilliant sunrise. Whilst we had our continental breakfast we were watching out for whales. None were sighted as it is a bit too early in the season.
Prior to arriving at the wharf we all gathered again on the back and we presented a card and “tip” to the Matt, Mark, Amber and Betty to thank them for such a wonderful experience. Sue, Mum’s cabin mate, painted the a lovely card with a Kimberley Rose using her watercolour set.
We arrived at the wharf at nine thirty and the crew swung into gear tying up the boat and organising all the men to pass the luggage to the wharf. A taxi bus was organised to pick us up and transport us back to our various accommodations across Broome. As each left the taxi we bid our farewells. The passengers got on well with each other and there was a good mix of people.
We reached the Broome Beach Resort, Cable Beach at eleven o’clock and our room was ready.
We all agreed that we had a wonderful nine-day adventure in a unique area of Australia.

Day 8 - Talbot Bay to Broome - 18 June

We moored overnight beside the Horizontal Waterfalls, Talbot Bay which were named by David Attenborough. It wasn’t until morning that we could get our bearings having moored in the dark.
We had a continental breakfast at six o’clock and were on the special craft to take us to the nearby falls. The eldest passengers, Mum, Pauline and Keith sat at the back of the boat and Harry, Henk and I straddled the specialised seats which were very similar to riding a horse. Cathy decided not to go as it could have been too strenuous after her recent operation. Adrian, the boatie cum tour guide, was quite a cowboy in the boat and we had a thrilling ride through the first horizontal fall to the second. We didn’t go through the second fall as the tide was flowing very strongly.
The Horizontal Waterfalls are two narrow gaps in vertical sandstone rock and create two “waterfalls” when the tides reach peak flow in both rising and falling conditions. The first and wider gap is about 45m deep and the second is 70m deep. When we returned to the boat we were all feeling invigorated and Amber had banana pancakes waiting for us.
We set out for Crocodile Creek passing Cockatoo Island and Koolan Island. Crocodile Creek is named after the crocodile-shaped rocks near the entrance to the area.
We had a swim in the rock pool under a cascade followed by a picnic of Thai chicken sandwiches. As this was our last full day on the cruise Mum finally decided to get into the water and had an enjoyable refreshing swim. The water was turquoise and the cliffs a brilliant red as it was in the middle of the day. At the side of the pool was a tree with a range of boating memorabilia hung on it. It seems to be the custom that each passing boat that calls into the creek leaves something with the boat’s and crew members’ name on it.
At three o’clock the crew anchored and prepared the boat for the journey back to Broome and possibly rougher water due to going further out to sea. The little tinnie was hoisted up to the top of the roof and tied down.
We all had a pleasant afternoon taking in the last of the scenery and taking a lot of photos before our trip was over.
After dinner we had our final after-dinner briefing from Matt and the crew. We thanked the crew for a wonderful trip. They had compiled a DVD of photos taken during our cruise. It was a lovely gesture and brought back many fond memories of the trip. We each received a copy of the DVD to take away with us.

Day 7 - Red Cone to Talbot Bay - 17 June

Once again we were all up on the fresco deck for our continental breakfast at seven o’clock. We set out in “Odyssey” for the Sale River at seven forty-five. As the tide was coming in we were able to go quite a way up the river before having to anchor. Amber obviously realised we had a trip ahead of us and served her delicious vanilla custard slice before we boarded “Homer”. The trip on “Homer” took us to the far end of the gorge and the river where a fresh water creek flows over a cascade near a sandy beach. The gorge was spectacular and for many of us this has been the highlight of the trip so far.
The tide was flowing quickly on the rise when we boarded “Homer” and Mark had to pick his way through the wide river because of considerable floating debris. The further we made it up the river the narrower the river became and the higher the gorge walls were. The vegetation noticeably changed with palm trees, different grasses and cabbage palms amongst the high walls.
When we reached the small cascade we left “Homer” and walked across the stony beach and turned left and walked up a narrow gorge where there was a thick rain forest, an oasis amongst the desert. If we had known what we were getting ourselves into Mum and Cathy would have stayed behind as we had to climb over many rocks, ford a few streams and step over many rainforest root systems. Mum and Cathy did brilliantly and reached the destination of the far rock pool. A number of us got into the pool and it was very pleasantly warm compared to the previous swims. Mum and Cathy were concerned going back along the track but once again they did very well. Henk helped Cathy and I steadied Mum along the way. I think they were both chuffed that they had done it.
On our way back in “Homer” we spotted a number of birds including a sea eagle swooping low around us. We also were shown some Aboriginal rock art.
When we got back to the boat at one thirty we were all very hungry and Amber had prepared salad, hamburgers, chips and satay chicken. Just the thing for happy adventurers! Our family had a rose wine to celebrate the completion of the walk by Mum and Cathy.
Soon after lunch we set out for Talbot Bay and the Horizontal Waterfalls finishing at nine o’clock. Mum and Cathy had a deserved afternoon rest after our big morning.
Tonight was a special three course dinner of brushetta, steak and rosti, and sticky date pudding. More lovely food. The tables were set up with tablecloths and candles and unlike other meals we were served at the tables on the fresco deck rather than lining up at the buffet.
The moon tonight was a sight to see. It rose above the hills and was a huge, blood orange. Many photos were taken.
Tomorrow is our last full day on Odyssey before returning to Broome on Sunday morning. It’s an early start tomorrow to take a ride through the Horizontal Waterfalls.

Day 6 - Doubtful Bay to Red Cone - 16 June

Today was listed on the daily bulletin board as “Rock Art and Mud Crabs”. We woke in Doubtful Bay near Raft Point and saw the sun rise. As it was dark when we arrived last night it was the first opportunity to see where we had moored. It was our roughest night with the boat bumping all night.
Doubtful Bay was named by John Wickham in 1838 who was uncertain as to whether it was the entrance to Grey’s Glenelg River. We had an early start at six o’clock with a continental breakfast. At six thirty the majority of our party set out in “Homer” to motor around the bluff at Raft Point to a rocky and muddy beach. From here we walked across the mud and rocks and passed large boab trees to get to a steep rocky path which we climbed to get to the Wandjina art works These were very impressive and in good order with crocodiles, fish and spirit men. The Wandjinas were the cloud spirits believed to be strongly linked to the weather. The heads on the rock art had no mouths and it is said that it won’t rain all the time - if they had mouths the water would run free incessantly.
Whilst Henk and I were looking at the art work Cathy, Harry and Mum stayed on “Homer” and did a spot of fishing. They didn’t catch any and returned to “Odyssey” after inspecting the “Orion” a 110 five star passenger liner also moored in Doubtful Harbour. Their passengers were being ferried by zodiacs to the beach when we were returning to “Homer”. Watching the “Orion’s” passengers perched on the side of the zodiacs and then having to jump off the side into the water to get to the beach confirmed we had made the right decision in choosing “Odyssey”. “Homer” is very easy to get on and off “Odyssey” and when we are at a gorge or on a beach the steps at the front of the tender also makes it very easy.
When we were climbing to the rock art we met a group of about eight on their way down. They were in a much smaller vessel which was privately owned. The men on the boat said that they had left four crab pots overnight and when they retrieved them only one pot was left with the rest being taken by crocodiles. Our crew, Matt and Mark suggest that the crab pots should only be left in the water for approximately fifteen to thirty minutes to protect them against the crocs.
We returned from “Homer” to “Odyssey” at about eight forty-five and a cooked breakfast was waiting for us. We then left Raft Point and motored east to the mouth of tidally-affected Red Cone Creek. From here we all boarded “Homer” and made our way at a fast pace down the creek for approximately fifteen minutes passing extensive mangroves along the way until we reached a rocky ledge with high walls. Behind this ledge was a deep and wide freshwater pool fed by a waterfall called Ruby‘s Waterfall. Henk was one of the first to go into the cool pool and swim over to the waterfall. The excitement was to walk under the waterfall. Most of us went into the water and were pleased that we did.
After returning to “Odyssey” and having lunch we saw an eagle swoop down into the water and catch a large fish. He flew quite a distance with his prey before landing in far-off mangroves.
Henk and I and about eight others went on “Homer” to do some crabbing. Matt and Mark set about eight crab pots amongst the nearby mangroves before we arrived using the “Odyssey’s” tinny. The tinny took eight at a time and Henk went on the first reccy to see if there were any crabs in the pots. They came back with five mud crabs. Then it was my turn. By this time the tide was going out very quickly and the pots were almost irretrievable as the tinny had trouble with the low tide. Some of the pots were left behind and when we picked up the others they were mostly too small and were thrown back into the water. After we returned to “Odyssey” Matt and Mark went to other nearby mangroves and set some more crab pots and caught some more. They were cooked by our chef, Amber, and we had drinks and freshly cooked crab on the bow whilst the sun set and the near-full moon came up over the mangroves. It was a magical evening. A two and a half metre crocodile kept close company with us for about an hour. Mum was in her element having crab claw and a beer. A delicious baked pork dinner followed.
There is now only two full days to go before we return to Broome on Sunday morning. We are having such a lovely time. Each day is filled with wonderful things to see and do.

Day 5 - Sampson Inlet to Doubtful Bay - 15 June

The crew titled this day as “Butterflies and Reefs” on the daily notice board. Today was washing day and each cabin was given two washing bags - one for whites and the other for coloured. Betty, the host, was thoroughly organised with our washing.
After our continental breakfast we made our way on “Homer” to Butterfly Gorge for a swim and an exploration. We spotted a two metre crocodile in some mangroves on the way up the gorge and Mark swung “Homer” around so we could have a better look. “Homer” stopped high into the gorge in front of rocks and we all poured out and walked across large sandstone rocks beside the gorge stream before reaching the large rock pool. We did spot a few butterflies as we walked along. About fourteen of us were brave enough to have a swim in the beautiful rock pool with high sandstone cliffs either side. Mum and Cathy watched from a shady cover as Harry, Henk and I braved the chilly, clear water. Mum and Cathy are coping well the expeditions we are taking from “Homer”. After our swim Mark then took us further up into another part of the gorge and the water was a stunning turquoise which made the burnt sienna cliffs stand out brightly overhead.
When we returned to the boat we all had our beds remade with clean sheets and our washing was dry.
Lunch was another range of delicious cold salads, quiche and one of the large fish which was caught yesterday afternoon. We then had a few hours to fill in before reaching Montgomery Reef. Henk spotted a two metre sea snake swimming past the boat and we saw a number of flying fish The sea was very calm and we could see for miles.
Montgomery Reef which is more than 400km2 in size is the beginning of the Buccaneer Archipelago which has hundreds of islands and extends down to Cape Leveque. The reef emerges four metres out of the water at low tide. We boarded “Homer” to have a closer look at this unique phenomenon. There were waterfalls over much of the reef as the tide went out and the height of the reef grew. We saw quite a number of turtles come to the surface to take a gulp of air before diving below to feed in the water flowing from the reef.
After coming back on board the “Odyessy” was taken to Raft Point which is on the southern side of Doubtful Bay. It was dark when we arrived so we won’t see our surroundings until tomorrow morning.
Dinner was a scrumptious meal of fish caught by us on yesterday’s fishing expedition.
It was an early night for all of us as the fit members of the group including Henk and I will be leaving at six thirty to do a hard walk to see Aboriginal rock art.

Day 4 - Prince Regent River to Sampson Inlet - 14 June

We woke again to a wonderful, sunny morning. We had a busy morning and a restful afternoon. Most were up for the continental breakfast at seven o’clock followed by a cooked breakfast of Eggs Benedict at seven thirty. We left on “Homer” and motored quite a distance along the Prince Regent River and turned into Camp Creek. PP King and his crew rowed up Camp Creek looking for water in 1822. We motored up Camp Creek for a considerable way from the river mouth with the navigable section ending at rocks and low cascades. It’s a very pretty area to visit with its high rocky walls and beautiful flowing stream. We were the first of the Odyssey passengers to visit this area since the wet season as the water level has been too high so we were lucky to have seen it. We climbed over the rocks for approximately three hundred metres and reached a sandy beach near a cascading, wide stream. It was here Henk joined the majority of the party and walked through water and across rocks for approximately one and a half kilometres to a large rock pool with a waterfall. They couldn’t swim in the rock pool as it is known to have a two and a half metre crocodile residing there. Cathy, Harry, Mum and I stayed at the sandy beach taking in the wonderful scenery of a gently flowing rocky stream alongside paperbarks and the red cliffs hovering each side of the creek. I ventured into a rock pool with a small cascade flowing into it. It was very cool to start with but I got used to it and stayed in for sometime. It was very refreshing.
We returned to “Odyssey” for a delicious lunch of Caesar salad, prawn salad and crumbed fish. More delicious food!
It took four hours for the “Odyssey” to pass leave Prince Regent River through St George’s Basin passing Mt Trafalgar and Mt Waterloo on our way to High Bluff to do some fishing. During the afternoon most passengers took the opportunity to catch up on some reading, napping or taking in the wonderful scenery.
As soon as we anchored off the appropriately named High Bluff we were quickly in “Homer” and made our way closer to the coastline. The fish were biting as soon as the lines went into the water and some very large Fingerprint fish were caught. There was much excitement as the fish came in one after the other. Henk caught one of the largest and it would have weighed at least seven kilograms. Harry also caught quite a large fish. Mum caught a metre shark and was assisted by Mark, one of the crew, to bring it in and remove the hook and return it to the water. Sometime later I caught Mark’s glove which came off whilst he was wrestling with the shark! There was also a crocodile hovering about two hundred metres from us whilst we fished. We returned to the boat as the sun was setting behind High Bluff. All the fish were brought back and Amber filleted the fish ready for one of our meals.
Dinner tonight was corned beef and vegetables. We all want to take Amber home with us as she is an excellent chef. She completed her four year chef apprenticeship at Geraldton and has worked in many countries around the world before taking the job on the “Odyssey” for the past three years.
The “Odyssey” sailed from High Bluff to Sampson Inlet and we anchored at nine pm.

Day 3 - Rothsay Waters to Prince Regent River – 13 June

The day started early when Matt, the Skipper, started the boat at six o’clock to take it from Rothsay Waters through St George’s Basin to Prince Regent River. The first two hours of the ride was quite a bumpy one with all of us struggling to remain upright whilst we walked around the decks. Breakfast was a continental one at seven o’clock followed mid-morning with pumpkin scones and jam and cream. We are all going to be putting on weight!
The Prince Regent River is the eroded remains of the longest single straight lineament in Australia. It runs 240kms SW into the King Leopold sandstone plateau. On the way to Prince Regent River we passed Mt Waterloo and Mt Trafalgar in St George’s Basin with their unusually flat tops which are made of hard remnant sandstone. The boat motored quite a way into the river before we reached King’s Cascade which is a very beautiful waterfall. The “Odyssey” slowly manoeuvred its way between mangroves to come alongside the fifty metre waterfall and we all moved to the front of the boat. The brave ones stood under the falling water. It was quite cold with quite a force so none of us could stay under it for long. However, we stayed long enough to have our photos taken to prove we had stood under a waterfall!
After “Odyssey” moved back into the river we all hopped aboard the tender, “Homer”, and motored for a further half hour down the river to reach the Cathedral Waterfall. It was a very pretty one tucked away in a side creek amongst dense mangroves. On our way back we came close to a very large three metre crocodile which was basking in the sun. It didn’t move but kept a watchful eye on us. Matt also pulled alongside a cliff which he climbed and retrieved a flower called the “Kimberley Rose” which is a pretty clump of reddish flowers that grows on a rather sparse, dead looking tree.
After a wonderful salad lunch about fifteen, including Henk, went back onto the Homer and went rock climbing in search of Aboriginal art known as Bradshaw artwork. This is named after the grazier who discovered the artwork in the 1890’s. The artwork belongs to the Gwion Gwion people.
Once the party returned to the “Odyssey” it was decided that we had enough time for about a half hour of fishing. Those interested jumped aboard Homer and we soon had our lines in the water only a short distance from the “Odyssey”. Harry almost caught a very large fish but the line broke. It was very exciting while he and Mark, one of the crew, tried to bring it in. Only two fish were caught and these were added to the two previous day’s catch and we had these for dinner with mushroom risotto. It was a delicious meal.
It was another excellent day in Paradise!

Day 2 - Hunter River, Prince Frederick Harbour to Rothsay Water - 12 June

Most of the twenty passengers were up about seven having a cuppa on the fresco deck at the back of the boat. The day was sunny and we could see for miles. The mooring of the boat at Hunter River was a good one as it was calm for our first overnight stay. The crew started motoring at seven thirty and took the boat out of Prince Frederick Harbour out into the sea before darting back into Careening Bay which is in the southern part of Nelson Bay. The sea was quite choppy but all the passengers are doing well and there is no sea-sickness. Many are on ginger tablets. I have taken maximum precautions against seasickness with Avomine tablets, ginger tablets and a bandaid over my navel! Given the motoring out of Prince Frederick Harbour was a bit rough and I didn’t feel sick then one of or all three of my seasickness precautions are working!
After passing many islands we arrived at Careening Bay which is in the southern part of Nelson Bay. We got into the tender and made the short walk up the beach to the very large boab tree with “HMC Mermaid 1820” carved into it. This tree which is estimated to be between five and six hundred years old was marked by Australian-born Phillip Parker King when his cutter was careened for sixteen days. The hull needed repair as did much of the ship’s external workings where iron nails had rusted out.
The cabin we are in on our boat is called “Mermaid”.
When we returned to Odyssey, Amber, the chef, had lunch ready and most of us ate on the fresco deck to take in the views as we motored along. Once again we had stunning views of the red-faced cliffs and the turquoise sea.
In the late afternoon we anchored at Rothsay Waters which is a sheltered spot. We all climbed into the tender and spent a couple of hours fishing in deep water under the cliff’s edges. As soon as we put our lines into the water the fish started biting. It was a lot of fun. Henk caught five fish, Harry two, Mum two and me one. A wide range of fish were caught especially a fish called Fingerprint. Amber will serve the fish for tomorrow night‘s dinner.

Day 1 - Broome to Hunter River - 11 June

It has been quite a day for the start of our nine day Kimberley cruise with a combination of light plane, helicopter and tender to get to our boat “Odyssey” which was moored at Prince Frederick Harbour to commence our cruise from Mitchell Plateau to Broome.
We were picked up by a taxi from our accommodation, “Broome Beach Resort”, at nine o’clock and taken to the airport to catch the light plane to Mitchell Plateau. The Odyssey company were very well organised with the transportation of its twenty passengers. Some left by light plane at eight thirty, we left at ten o’clock and another group left at eleven o;clock. The flight from Broome took two hours and we had excellent views over the Kimberley coast and inland areas.
Two helicopters picked us up at the very remote Mitchell Plateau and took us on a twenty-five minute flight landing at a beach in Prince Frederick Harbour. During our helicopter flight we flew low over Mitchell Falls which were flowing well after recent rains.
It was very exciting to see the “Odyssey” waiting for us in the sheltered harbour. It took no time for the crew to pick us up from the beach in their tender, “Homer” and transport us to the “Odyssey”. Each couple was given a personal induction to life on board the boat. Henk and I are in lower deck and Mum, Cathy and Harry are on the top deck. Mum is sharing her cabin with a very pleasant woman called Sue.
We motored further south for a short while taking in the stunning sandstone cliffs with their reds, oranges, pinks and yellows amongst black cyanbacterial staining. The water was turquoise and this was a wonderful contrast to the warm coloured cliffs.
After having lunch of fresh fish which was caught by the previous boat passengers we set off for approximately one hour and anchored close to a beach. The crew took us ashore where we spent a very pleasant hour and a half watching the sun set over the water whilst enjoying drinks and nibbles. A short distance from the beach was a low hanging rock which had outstanding Aboriginal artwork.
When we returned to the boat we continued to meet the other occupants of the cruise. The average age is between sixty and seventy.
Dinner was a casual affair of tasty curry with some passengers eating inside and we joined others outside on the fresco deck at the back of the boat.
The crew decided the water was getting a bit choppy so they moved the boat into Hunter River as a calmer harbour for the night.
It was an excellent start to our adventure.