Under Pressure (Talbot Bay, Horizontal Falls)

Another post card morning, although this time as we woke up, we were moving towards Talbot Bay and had yet to move through the narrow channel. I'm sure it has a special name, but I can't recall, as Ronald Reagan said so often.

The view at breakfast

It was breakfast at 7am so we could see the journey through the islands and particularly the tight navigation through what is known as "the narrows". We scored a breakfast table outside and enjoyed the relative peace of the early morning while the staff fussed over us. Another day roughing it on an expedition voyage.

Post breakfast we went up to the Observation Deck on Pont 6 to enjoy sailing through the narrows. It was a beautiful morning, turquoise seas, sunshine and then wind in your face on the observation deck. Actually wind doesn't quite sum it up. I fought to open the door, removed my lanyard and glasses, placed both in my pocket and bravely pushed forward to a place at the rail. I'm not sure how they measure wind speed up here dear reader, but it was strong enough to blow a dog off a chain.

The second set of narrows

After having every wrinkle from my face smoothed out and my receding hairline moved another few centimetres up my head it was time to seek the relative safety of the cabin.

Random observation: it is difficult to not to observe other people's knees when seated on the pumped-up sides of a zodiac. Aside from hearing aides, the other go-to accessory appears to be vertical scars from the top of the shin to above knee. Neither Jayne nor I have this accessory or the other - and that is good.

From our initial observations, Talbot Bay is as busy as Pitt Street, Sydney at this time of the year.  There are a number of vessels, some private, some commercial, as well as a seasonal boat/pontoon complete with live-in staff and a helipad to receive the constant influx of visitors who fly in by sea plane or helicopter from, most probably, Broome.  The big draw card you ask?  The Horizontal Waterfalls to which we are headed both this morning and again this afternoon.  

The seaplane/helipad/fast boat pontoon and Le Lapérouse

This phenomenon that David Attenborough described as "one of the greatest wonders of the natural world" is a pair of breaks in a mountain range that has narrow entry and exit points through which the massive tidal flows of the Kimberley try to squeeze.  These create a huge back up of water on alternate sides of the gap which results in a tidal difference of almost 11 metres.  This massive movement of tidal water between the sides of the gap is a "horizontal waterfall" of up to 4 metres.

The trip out this morning was very wet, courtesy of the wind and the swell it whipped it up. I was saturated before we'd gone more than 100 metres. I shifted my back pack further down the zodiac to Jayne's care to protect the camera.

Note the water level

We observed the falls at a distance but were restricted in how close we could go. We could have certainly passed through the falls but the 70 horsepower of the zodiac outboard motor is not sufficient to come back against the tidal flow, such is its power and speed.  Had we gone through, we would not have been coming back any time soon.  At least until the change of tide. Therefore, we observed from a distance the powerful (1200 horsepower) fast jet boats that take tourists backwards and forwards through the gap and then we headed out to explore Cyclone Creek and its amazing rocky cliffs, bird life and river whirlpools.

An hour later - look at the water level

After the falls, we zodiaced (is that a word?) around the waterway into Cyclone Creek and a few other quiet waterways. We saw abundant birdlife in one of the backwaters, Brahminy Eagle, Whistling Kite, Friar bird, Rainbow Bee Eater, Honey Eaters, the list goes on.

The geology and geography is fascinating and far too complicated for this simple mind my dear reader. Perhaps photographs might display some of the curiosity of the area. The geology also provides today's title, that classic collaboration between David Bowie and Queen, Under Pressure. It was pressure that has created the twisted and tortured rock formations of the Kimberley.

Rocks ... under pressure

Back home it was time to reapply sunscreen and attend to lunch and the magical Rizal who appears at Jayne's shoulder with a bottle of French Rosé as soon as she is seated. Then back to the computer to work on the blog before this afternoon's trip through the falls on the fast boat.

The fast boat trip was, well, fast. As one might expect. It did have 4 x 300 horse power outboard motors to ensure passage against a  very strong current. In the time we had been back on board the tide had turned completely and was now running in the opposite direction. The driver told us that, at the change of tide, the falls are actually still for less than one minute before they resume their passage through the gap. We crossed back and forth through the gap a few times, but were unable to get through the second narrower set of falls.  The driver informed us that they will not pass through these unless the tidal difference is less than a metre. As with everything in this area, the tides rule and if they aren't right then you alter your plans.

It looks calm enough

Until you get closer

The tide is on the way out

The second falls- a no go zone today

The fast boat was a great experience and we didn't even get wet, something that is becoming increasingly unusual on our excursions. Back to a warm shower and a quick G&T and the daily recap. The G&T was quite pleasant, replacing the variable quality of the Piña Colada and confirming that I make a bad G&T - I have never mastered them at home.

Dinner was the usual 5 course affair on Deck 4.

Tomorrow we are up early again for a trip to Montgomery Reef. We board our Zodiac at 6:30am and we have been warned that, due to the predicted wind and swell, we will get wet.

Until next time ... internet connection willing.