Rock the top end

Derby

 

Just a quick stop in Derby, luckily for me as the sand flys and bities mauled me in 15min when we were out at the jetty at sunset.  Also went back the next day watching the tide going out and how quick it changes.

Camera is still not happy and I can’t see to line photos up, hence a wonky shot...

Talbot Bay—Horizontal Water Falls

 

Jumped on a float plane in Derby for a trip out to the Horizontal Water falls in Talbot bay, landing on the sea and then boat rides through the falls and nearby creek and finally spending the night out on the bay onboard a 22m catamaran finished off with a return flight the next morning.  What can a say but sensational.  The flight out was good, a few thousand feet up for a smooth flight, once there was time for a drink and look around before getting onboard a small launch for a tour of a nearby creek.  Then back to the main vessels and nearing sunset boarded the fast boat for the run through the falls, the light was great and the water really flowing, we did numerous passes through the wider fall and a run through the narrower fall, just as there was a bit drop.  Once back onboard the main boats it was time to watch the last of the sunset with a cold drink and then feet up while a dinner of barra was prepared. There were in all 14 people staying the night and we had a great time on the top deck of a houseboat.  Loads of fish were around the boats and 4 lemon sharks were constantly there, attached by free feeds they get.  The sharks were swimming into the current right next to one of the pontoons, of which I was able to lay down on and pat the sharks a few times, even shaking a sharks fin a few times.  Others then copied and one bloke who’d had a few  seemed to be trying to lose part of his hand.  Also had a near full moon rise over the bay.

Woke to watch sunrise and have a cooked breakfast and the time passed too quickly before we were getting ready for our 7.30am return ride.

The return flight taking just over 45min was a low level scenic flight, down to ~150 feet over some exposed reefs with the low tide, seeing turtles and sharks as we were flying over.  The scenery was sensational and I had a front seat ride with much of the return flight around 300 feet.

Highly recommend this trip, we’d done just a scenic flight over the last time we were up this way, but this is the only way to go.

Camera update—Used some doubled sided tape to stick the wayward mirror back inside, it worked for about 25 photos and broke again.  So still blindly taking photos and manually setting the exposure.

Cape Leveque

 

Spent a few nights out at the cape, brilliant weather the first day then the next couple the wind picked up.  With the wind we were shore bound, doing a few walks around the cape etc, amazing how few people walked away from the main viewing area.

The colours in the cliffs at sunset were super.  Heading on the road back to Broome we called into Middle Lagoon and spent the afternoon, whilst still windy this location was protected and a place we’ll definitely revisit.

Broome

 

Arrrh Broome, staying with family with the luxury of a beautiful house.  Cable beach and the wonderful sunsets, being peak season the beaches are crawling with cars all taking in the setting.

Took a whale watching cruise from Broome and soon came across the whales migrating up the coast.  Saw numerous whales whilst we were out and at one stage having 4 whales around and under the boat, there was so much happening all at once.  Later on we got close to another couple of whales which were slapping the water with fins and tails, unfortunately no breaches that were close.

Went up to Willie Creek (pearling) and did the tour which was interesting, following the tour took advantage of a nice day and jumped into a chopper for a 15min flight up the coat, hoping to see some whales but no luck.  The colours of the ocean and beaches from above were great, a very enjoyable 15min.

Managed to get some fishing squeezed in, spending a few hours out on the wharf, though not with much luck and definitely not worth more than a mention, it was very pleasant though.

I then took back to the air in a trike, microlight plane where you literally sit in a trike with a motor and propeller hanging underneath a wing and go flying.  Great stuff, spent an hour in the air flying up the coast from Broome at sunset, making a couple of landings on the beach also. Lucky for me I managed to spot some whales and we then few out over the whales (less than 1km offshore) and did a number of passes over them as they swam along.