Seaplane to Amazing Horizontal Falls

Today is the most exciting and anticipated event on our highlights trip of the Kimberley.

We are venturing to Horizontal Falls by seaplane for a remote and isolated overnight stay on a floating pontoon and an adrenalin pumping jetboat ride through the falls.

Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures runs out of Broome and Derby. The overnight tour runs exclusively from Derby so with our 4WD packed up and stored, we are picked up from Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park at 2.15pm for bus transfer to Derby Airport.

There are three seaplanes, each carrying up to 11 passengers out to Horizontal Falls. We are the last group to go as we wait for our seaplane to return from a trip and refuel.

As we prepare to board, the pilot singles me out as an obviously experienced and well groomed co-pilot and gets me to sit next to him in the cockpit. Awesome. I take it all on board and act professional and even resist pushing buttons and turning the numerous dials around me, especially the ones coloured RED.

Jenny has a prime seat behind the pilot in cattle class. Clearance is given and the seaplane shoots down the runway for a smooth take off, slowly climbing to 5,500ft above sea level. I ask the pilot how come it’s a slow and shallow trajectory up to 5,500ft and his response is, “we’re very heavy mate, too much beer loaded onboard”. That’s right, it’s BYO on the pontoon so everyone has brought a weight load of grog. Blimey, ditch the Sheila at the back, she weighs way too much...

The flight is 30 minutes out to Horizontal Falls briefly crossing King Sound and then intricate patterns of salt beds and mud flats followed by King Leopold Sansdstone landscape. The view is stunning. Soon we reach our destination and fly over a series of beautiful bays and remote islands surrounded by turquoise water to capture our first view of the pontoon and landing area below.

We do a fly over then bank to turn 360 degrees and fly towards and over the spectacular Horizontal Falls. We can see a jetboat riding the tides up to the falls. There are two falls that flow during two tidal events each day with high tide being over 11 metres.

After flying over the Horizontal Falls, it’s time to land the seaplane... well, in the sea of course...

It’s our first seaplane landing but it’s a smooth, calm glide into the Timor sea as the sun filters through, lighting up the sea ahead like a crystal. We land adjacent to the pontoon and disembark. Well done Captain I say, it’s every co-pilot’s duty!

The Pontoon which is actual a series of pontoons connected via platforms is a lot bigger than expected and we are shown to our Montgomery Reef room, our accommodation for the night.

After an introduction to the pontoon and our itinerary for the day, we swiftly board a high speed jetboat and make our way to the Horizontal Falls which is literally 500m away.

The afternoon tide is going out so the first run through the lower falls is going to be quite a ride.

See my next footprint/post for video and photos of the jetboat ride.Read more