Derby - Broome - Cape Leveque

Fitzroy Crossing to Derby is another drive with interesting scenery unlike anything in the east.  Once at Derby it really makes you think how harsh the land is to the east as this was once the export hub for the cattle industry in the west Kimberleys.  There is a large ‘common’ where herds were driven to and watered awaiting a ship.  Derby is inside a sound (inlet) and has some of the largest tides in the world (2^nd or 4^th largest according to different sources).  Either way they are large at up to 12m.  We had lunch down near the wharf and watched the tide turn and come in passed the boat ramp.  A couple of tinnies were launched and the speed they drifted on the tide was frightening and needed quite a few HP and revs to motor against it.  While we were stopped another couple came along and they started talking about Mackay and I recognised him as the Zebra Rock polisher who had given us a few extra pieces to polish up when we visited the workshop at Kununurra.  A good chat and lunch later we motored on to Broome arriving mid-afternoon; late for us but we wanted to get set up ready for a full days viewing of Bathurst next day.  With daylight saving and time difference the telecast started at 5.30am!!

Debry export wharf just before low tide

One hour later and the 8.5m tide is rushing in

Prison Boab tree - hollow with one door. The tree is alive and the trunk is a skin only 250mm thick.

Broome is another remote WA town that is rapidly developing into a modern city thanks to tourism and the mines with FIFO.  The airport is international and although there are only 11,500 people (rapidly approaching 20,000) there is a Maccas, a Bunnings, and both Woolies and Coles shopping centres.  It is a very nice town and the beaches and west coast sunsets are pretty special.  We are in a van park a block back from Cable Beach which has a surf club and takeaway and restaurants on the sand dunes taking advantage of the sunsets.  There are plenty of flash resorts and scooters everywhere.  The park we are in has about 500 sites and there are 4 more van parks in Broome. In the peak season if you do not book ahead the vans apparently line up in the street outside the parks waiting to see if someone leaves.  The owners must love it.  By now however, it has quietened down and we had a choice of several dozen large shady sites. 

The main reason we hurried the last few days into Broome was to catch the last trip of the season to the Horizontal Falls by seaplane and boat.  We rang a couple of weeks earlier and were surprised to find the season was ending.  The trip starts from Broome airport on a 12 seater turbo prop sea plane – there were only 9 on board so we had plenty of room.  The flight up was fantastic as we followed the coast up to Cape Leveque, across the Bucaneer Archipeligo (100’s of islands) and across the top of the peninsular past the Horizontal Falls and into a spectacular tight landing through the hills onto Cyclone Creek.   On the way we circled whales twice, one a single humpback and the second time a mother and calf surfacing. 

White sandy inlet north of Broome

Breaching humpback

Cape Leveque from the air - West Beach on left, East Beach top right, our cabin behind lighthouse

More white sandy inlets

Tidal run through islands in King Sound (east of Derby)

Horizontal Falls as we approached

The inland (top) water is contained by land with the 7.5m gap the only way in or out.

Once landed on the creek, the plane ties up to two large pontoons tied to a couple of large (20 room) house boats.  After dumping our gear we hopped aboard the ‘Fastboat’ for a ride around the bays to the Horizontal Falls and through them several times.  The falls are formed where the tide rushes through a gap cut in the long pointy mountain range.  There are two ranges extending from the land for several kilometres into the sea.  The outside falls are a 21 metre wide gap and the water also flows around the western end of the range.  The inside falls are 7.5m wide and it is the only way for the tide to go in and out and inside the bay is kilometres long and hundreds of metres wide.  The tide comes in through the 7.5m wide gap which is 40 metres deep and the surface of the water boils for more than 100m inside the falls.  The tidal flow at Derby is nothing compared to this.  We experienced heaps of runs through the falls because it was the last trip of the season and the boss had come out in a helicopter and was filming the boat going through the falls from very close quarters at times.  It was all very exciting.  The boat we were on was an inflatable carrying 12 passengers and was powered by twin 300HP outboards.  It was a fast boat but was still thrown around by the turbulent water in the falls.  

Water boiling and eddying well through the falls

It is a rough ride and exciting - a must do

Carol keeping a close eye on the wall and hanging on tight

Crazy (good) chopper pilot chasing the boat closely

Once all the excitement at the falls was over and we raced the helicopter back to the house boat we went for a swim.  The pontoons have a swimming enclosure with a glass wall where you can swim and watch the sharks being fed by hand by one of the deckies.  There were bull sharks, blacktipped reef sharks, some large batfish and one other variety of shark that I don’t remember the name of.  It was great to see them so close and Carol was particularly brave to swim right against the mesh wall and window with such big bities just centimetres away.  Garry, of course, had to get some raw fish strips and hand feed the sharks as well.  They come up out of the water and then flick their head sideways really fast to take the food.  It was frightening but a great experience.  

Carol & Garry in the water near the big critters

Crazy man playing with them

a big fish - no hook used here but, just a fish on a rope

Yep, that is Carol standing on the edge of the pontoon with sharks swimming beneath her 

 The fun was over when the cook called us for lunch and we enjoyed a beautiful fresh grilled barrimundi meal and then went for a boat cruise along Cyclone Creek to look at the amazing geology and scenery.  During the meal another of the locals paid a visit. A 3m female salt water croc appeared on the surface of the water and swam lazily around the pontoons waiting for someone to fall in. Cyclone Creek is so named because the 19^th century pearling luggers used it as a safe anchorage during cyclones.  It is deep water and  has high hills surrounding it so is very protected from winds.  After an end of season drink with the crew we loaded up for an exciting takeoff from the creek.  It was fun when about half way through the takeoff the plane is still on the water and heading straight towards a rocky mountain.  I never realised that seaplanes could make such tight turns around bends in the creek until we had enough speed up to lift off.  All of the passengers were very interested in what was out the front windscreen but the pilot was relaxed and gave a good ride home through the sunset. 

heading home to Broome all a bit puffed after a great day

After such a beautiful day we took a couple of days to relax and Carol caught up on some sewing that was starting to build up.  Garry spent a couple of hours out on the wharf chasing fish with lures but was assured by the locals that the only way to catch them is with bait.  Still the queenies were interested and followed the lures several times right to the surface but never took them once.  They were over a metre long so I think some gear would have been lost or broken if they did swallow it.

Next on the agenda was a drive north along the peninsula to Cape Leveque lighthouse.  This is a 200km trek and the middle third is dirt (sand) and quite rough but the journey is worth it. About half way up the peninsula and a few km’s off the road is the aboriginal community of Beagle Bay.  It is a very religious community and they have built a beautiful white church.  These aboriginals and all those along the cape are descendants of the Bardi people who are a sea borne race whose diet is still mostly fish and turtles.  When Europeans first visited they saw the aboriginals wearing large pearl shell lap covers instead of the usual animal hide ones and hence the interest and commencement of the pearling industry.  The Beagle Bay people have used pearl shell throughout the church and the altar covered in large pearl shell is quite magnificent. 

Altar with inlaid pearl shell in the altar, walls, and floor

Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community Church

The whole Dampier peninsula area at Cape Leveque is owned by a couple of aboriginal communities and they run a resort at the lighthouse point.  The accommodation includes campsites and cabins.  The cabins consist of a log hut with concrete floor and push out shutters on all walls and the luxury items are a fridge, a gas BBQ and 2 ceiling fans.  It was just perfect as the huts are situated 100m from the east beach which is great for swimming and snorkelling and the white sand and seashells are beautiful.  We found a heap of shells that I have not seen on the east coast since I was a kid; yes, 50+ years ago.  The water is a beautiful green colour and is so clean.  The white sandy beaches make it so fresh and bright.  Across on the west side of the cape the beach there also has the pure white sand but has deep red cliffs at the back of the beach and patches of rich red sand flowing out onto the white sand.  It makes an amazing contrast of colours and is very popular for the sunsets.  The west beach is good for fishing but the currents are strong and dangerous for swimming.  Surprisingly there are no sharks or crocs in the area which is one of the few places in NT or WA that we have been to where they aren’t.  The rustic accommodation is balanced by a small verandah restaurant at the back of the office/shop which has sunset views and serves beautiful high quality meals – no fish & chips here.  We had prawns, calamari, duck and barra for dinner and enjoyed every bit of it.  It was nice to eat out again.  Such a short stay!  We could easily settle here for a little while if only I could learn how to catch fish!!

West Beach

more white sand, red cliffs, clear water and islands

just soaking up the beauty

Red sand dunes flowing over white sandy beach

All the colours at sunset

We were there - that is the crowd behind us !!

Now solar powered and unmanned and visible 14km out to sea

Our log cabin below the lighthouse looking out to East Beach

I guess we won't be using this photo in the For Sale ad...

part of East Beach and no one in sight

The morning was spent wandering the beaches and just sitting and soaking up the views.  They will stay with us for a long time.  Dragging ourselves away we drove over to One Arm Point and had lunch under a tree on another beautiful white sand beach.  There is a trocus shell hatchery but the tours were not available. The views of the surrounding islands and blue clear waters were great.  This aboriginal community is based around the bay and each family has a shelter on the beach front which they are happy to share with tourists.  As we passed the boat ramp we watched a man and several boys unload a huge turtle from their tinnie and whack it over the head ready for dinner.  We drove on.  

Swimming Beach at One Arm Point (one of them!!)

Islands and tide run through at entrance to King Sound (Derby to the right 50 odd km's)

Before we headed for Broome we took one more detour into the Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm which is the oldest Pearl Farm in Australia.  They had a good video on the history of the farm and also had a showroom full of fantastic jewellery all featuring pearls, of course.  We loved a couple of sets of earrings and some of the large strings of large pearls were stunning.  We settled for a cold drink and a shared piece of cheesecake and hit the road for Broome. 

Cygnet Bay

In case I haven’t mentioned it already, the trip reminded to say that the road to Broome has 120km of great tar and 90km of shocking dirt road.  The track is very busy and in parts the sand has been packed hard.  It is corrugated but also has some wicked humps and bulldust holes in it.  I have a feeling the locals like it that way to limit the number of tourists and I can’t blame them.  There is something special about swimming on a 5km long beach with 3 other people.

Carols sewing has been going really well lately thanks to a lot of marketing effort put in by Kirsty and good ol’ Facebook.  We have been posting stuff to all over and on Saturday and Sunday we are manning a stall at the Broome Courthouse Markets.  This is the last full weekend of the season for the markets and the last weekend of the school holidays so, hopefully it will continue to be good.