Kimberley Expedition: Day 9

Following breakfast at 7:30a, we departed for a scenic cruise on the Xplorer … heading to the upper waterways of Talbot Bay … with a short detour first to Horizontal Falls to see it as the tide was coming in.

Making our way up Cyclone Creek — aka Talbot Creek — we saw some interesting rock formations. Clearly evident was the bending and folding of the rocks from the collision of the ancient Kimberley block with the Australian mainland. We also saw rock wallabies from a distance … further away than the one we saw hopping on the rocks at lightning speed; and a bird that we were told is rarely seen … the white-quilled rock pigeon. There were a number of them flying around, but one was near a bit of spinifex and posed for us. I’m wondering if it might have been sitting on a nest that was not visible from our vantage point. We wrapped up the outing with some mangrove cruising.

After lunch, we had some time to relax before it was time to hop into the zodiacs for ride through Horizontal Falls.

Katie had whispered that around 4:00p would be the best time to go, so that’s what we had signed up for. We set off a bit after the appointed time. The “falls” were more like rapids one might encounter on river rafting. There were lots of whirlpools and eddies that our zodiac driver expertly negotiated. It was interesting and fun, but not the “thrill ride” we were told to expect. Though not an option on our cruise, perhaps seeing Horizontal Falls from the air might afford a more exciting experience.

Frankly, this wasn’t a “favorite” day for me. Perhaps, introvert that I am, I just need some downtime from being around people all the time.Read more