Horizontal Falls WA

Today was our tour, booked 10 days ago, to the famous Horizontal Falls. Due to availability, or lack of, we decided to do the half day tour from Derby, at $1,111pp.

The Horizontal Falls, located in Talbot Bay in Western Australia's Kimberley region. They are a natural phenomenon created by massive tidal currents squeezing through narrow gorges in the McLarty Range that can create a "waterfall" effect, where the water appears to flow horizontally, especially during large tidal movements that can get up to 10.8m. 

We drove just over an hour/70km from Old Langi Crossing to the Derby airport. 

One of the one landed bridges over the Fitzroy River

Derby Airport

Arriving in time to have some breakfast before our 8:15 am start.

The our included:

A round-trip Seaplane flight from Derby. We flew out at 8:45am, taking in the views of Derby’s tidal flats and the ranges, landing on the calm waters of Talbot Bay half an hour later.

 

After our arrival on the floating pontoon, we were taken by boat through the gap at low tide.

We were given some morning tea and then went on a cruise up into Cyclone Creek. As the name suggests it is used as a place of safe mooring during bad weather.

This was followed by a show and swim with local Tawny Nurse Sharks and a few other fish, in their marine viewing platform. Couldn’t see much underwater due to the amount of sediment which in fact is responsible for the waters’ gorgeous aqua blue shade.

Next we enjoyed lunch of locally sourced Barramundi with salads.

Then it was time for the highlight of the tour, an exhilarating cruise through the Horizontal Falls on a power boat. We were taken through the gap several times to really appreciate the force of the water making its way through here. 

The smaller gap that you are not allowed to go through now.

All too soon it was 1:30pm and we had to board the seaplane back to Derby. This time we went a different route and at a much lower altitude!  We did a scenic trip around the bay and took in the sight of the falls from up high.

Then across King Sound and Cone Bay and of course over Derby.  Eventually finishing our tour, landing at 2:20pm.

On our drive into Derby we stopped to have a look at the Boab Prison tree. There were a few interesting information boards explaining its sad history.

In Derby we did a shop, used the dump point and went out to the jetty. 

Then topped up with fuel before driving out again, this time to turn onto the start of the Gibb River Road. It’s bitumen for about the first 120km to Lennard River Crossing. 

As it’s getting late we pick a camp that’s a bit closer at May River Crossing, 65km away. It’s 3km off the main road so we hope at this late hour, it’s not too busy. We are in luck, with only 2 others here. We plan to stay a couple of nights.