The day we got off Coral Discoverer we signed up for a flightseeing tour from Broome to Horizontal Falls, a unique feature caused by extreme tides.
The flight was along the coast to the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, then across the bay to the Buccaneer Archipelago and finally over Horizontal Falls, landing in Talbot Bay at their facility. Seaplane in hangar:
Overview of Cable Beach:
Our hotel is in the center right area of the pic, about 10 minute walk to the beach.
Coastline and estuaries north of Broome:
Tip of Dampier Peninsula:
The Buccaneer Archipelago:
The strong tidal flow was visible in some wide openings between islands.
Farther east these mountains gradually extend on to the mainland, and the extreme tides in combination with fluctuating sea levels between ice ages eroded the Horizontal Falls. The plane gave us close up views from below, in profile and from above.
Tidal range today was 8 meters but can be a maximum of 11 meters, second highest in the world behind Bay of Fundy and just ahead of Turnagain Arm in Alaska. The seaplane landed at the tour company’s floating facility which includes a few hotel rooms for guests to spend a night.
We went by boat through the upper falls several times. View through upper falls with narrow gap of lower falls at distance:
Inside upper falls:
View through upper falls from below:
Swirling whirlpools form here from the strong flow and deep water. The lower fall is 60 feet deep and reputedly peak water flow thoiugh it is 1million liters per second,which is about average for Iguazu Falls
We approached the top of the lower falls.
Boats no longer go through them or land in this area due to aboriginal objections about sacred land similar to Uluru and Kata Kjuda. The drop in water level of the lower falls is obvious, about 12 feet here and can be as much as 17 feet
We had a fresh barramundi lunch and then another boat ride into Cyclone Creek.
Cyclone Creek is a twisty inlet (lower right of Talbot Bay in map above) with red rock walls similar to Lake Powell except for having more lush vegetation.
The rocks and twisty path provide shelter from cyclones and the Horizontal Falls floating facility was moved in there during Ilsa, next to these houseboats where the employees stay.
The return flight was a shorter direct route and the landing was low over the Cable Beach area where we walked and swam in the mornings.
We were dropped off at Cable Beach just in time for a red not green sunset. The sunset reflected off the sand nearest the water for a few minutes afterwards.
The flight was along the coast to the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, then across the bay to the Buccaneer Archipelago and finally over Horizontal Falls, landing in Talbot Bay at their facility. Seaplane in hangar:
Overview of Cable Beach:
Our hotel is in the center right area of the pic, about 10 minute walk to the beach.
Coastline and estuaries north of Broome:
Tip of Dampier Peninsula:
The Buccaneer Archipelago:
The strong tidal flow was visible in some wide openings between islands.
Farther east these mountains gradually extend on to the mainland, and the extreme tides in combination with fluctuating sea levels between ice ages eroded the Horizontal Falls. The plane gave us close up views from below, in profile and from above.
Tidal range today was 8 meters but can be a maximum of 11 meters, second highest in the world behind Bay of Fundy and just ahead of Turnagain Arm in Alaska. The seaplane landed at the tour company’s floating facility which includes a few hotel rooms for guests to spend a night.
We went by boat through the upper falls several times. View through upper falls with narrow gap of lower falls at distance:
Inside upper falls:
View through upper falls from below:
Swirling whirlpools form here from the strong flow and deep water. The lower fall is 60 feet deep and reputedly peak water flow thoiugh it is 1million liters per second,which is about average for Iguazu Falls
We approached the top of the lower falls.
Boats no longer go through them or land in this area due to aboriginal objections about sacred land similar to Uluru and Kata Kjuda. The drop in water level of the lower falls is obvious, about 12 feet here and can be as much as 17 feet
We had a fresh barramundi lunch and then another boat ride into Cyclone Creek.
Cyclone Creek is a twisty inlet (lower right of Talbot Bay in map above) with red rock walls similar to Lake Powell except for having more lush vegetation.
The rocks and twisty path provide shelter from cyclones and the Horizontal Falls floating facility was moved in there during Ilsa, next to these houseboats where the employees stay.
The return flight was a shorter direct route and the landing was low over the Cable Beach area where we walked and swam in the mornings.
We were dropped off at Cable Beach just in time for a red not green sunset. The sunset reflected off the sand nearest the water for a few minutes afterwards.
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