Afloat on the prince of tides - nice :)
By Jenny Stevens
July 24, 2005
THE
water had an oily sheen as it waited, sullen and still. Only the occasional movement, like a giant bubble rising to the top, betrayed the forces that were building underneath as the pull and push of the changing tide fought for dominance.
See image: [ View Image]
Star trip ... tourists aboard Zodiacs travel out to see the
Horizontal Waterfall at
Talbot Bay on the
Kimberley coast Picture: Jenny Stevens
At first the sea oozed through the underwater canyon that divided Montgomery Reef, then it gathered speed until it came on in a rush, whirlpools sucking at the surface, white
water splashing the waiting boats as engines fought the tide to remain on station.
Nature's great sideshow was about to begin.
We were witnessing one of the
Kimberley's natural wonders – the dramatic tidal change on Western Australia's north coast that at up to 12m is among the highest in the world.
At ebb tide Montgomery Reef rises out of the
water before your eyes in a Moses-like feat while a torrent of trapped
water cascades off the sides; within an hour or so, a 400sqkm reef appears where there had previously been flat sea.
But there would be no lingering on the reef, for it was late and night was about to fall with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Instead, we watched the sky turn from
orange to black and sea snakes, turtles and other reef creatures emerge from their tidal hibernation.
It was day seven of Orion Expedition Cruise's 11-day voyage along the
Kimberley coast, a journey that would take us from
Darwin to
Broome and back, stopping at waterfalls and ancient Aboriginal art sites, pearling farms and stunning geological formations.
Australia's newest cruise company's stated aim of seeking "a path less travelled" on its expeditions is an understatement in these waters. Apart from our visit to an isolated Paspaley pearl farm at Kuri Bay, during 11 days cruising the coast we saw no signs of human habitation except
Broome.
The occasional yacht passed, crewed by carefree, barefoot vagabonds; seaplanes flew overhead on their way to spectacular waterfalls that tumble from the plateaus; two small coastal vessels nudged into bays as we left them. And that was it for civilisation.
If your idea of cruising is a port a day, with shopping trips ashore, lunch in a little cantina and visits to popular sites with thousands of other tourists – go elsewhere.
The
Kimberley coast may be one of the world's most spectacular coastlines, with its
red cliffs glowing a burnished gold at dawn and a fiery red at sunset, but it is remote, isolated and dangerous.
Boats threading their way through the many reefs and islands require accurate charts and up-to-the-minute navigational equipment; a mini cruise ship like Orion – 102m long, 4000 tonnes and only two years old – carries all that plus an experienced
Kimberley pilot, Captain Craig Brent-White.
He knows the dangers intimately, having fished and run pearling operations up and down the coast.
Together with Orion's captain, Peter Skog, he nudged Orion into estuaries with only 10m to spare; once he threaded the ship through narrows in the middle of the night to exit during the three-minute window at the turn of the tide; and in the rivers infested with crocodiles and sharks, he took the lead boat to guide the eight Zodiacs full of passengers around sand banks and rocks.
Passengers could elect to take the free shore excursions led by the crew and visiting lecturers, or pay for flights in flying boats, floatplanes or helicopters which flew in to meet the ship.
Some highlights, such as
Mitchell Falls, were only available to flightseers, but most were inclusive, like the Horizontal Waterfalls at
Talbot Bay.
We motored close to the point where the
water spills rapidly into the bay from an inland waterway; at high tide only the occasional white
water betrayed the gathering forces.
Two hours later, as the tide dropped faster than the
water could exit the small gap, we returned to boiling white
water and whirlpools.
While black tidal lines along the coastal cliffs marked the fall of the
water at a glance, for passengers, the most dramatic example of the tidal drop came at the dock at
Broome.
We walked down the gangplank from deck four for a day's sightseeing; when we returned a few hours later, the gangway had been moved up to deck seven – the top.
Orion, which had sailed majestically into harbour, lording it over all the hardy little pearling boats, was holding her head above the dock – but only just.
Not all of the 98 passengers were prepared for the starkness of the
Kimberley. As one remarked: "The
Kimberley dwarfs Orion." And it's true. We were living in luxury on a ship with most of the comforts of an ocean liner, but "out there" it was an alien land.
Each day we visited another river, another impressive waterfall, and fulfilled the exploration aspect of the voyage by getting feet wet wading ashore.
At Careening Bay we made a beach landing, just as Lieutenant Phillip Parker King and the crew of the Mermaid did in 1820. Behind the dunes is an ancient boab tree where King's crew had carved their ship's name. In 1820 the tree's girth had measured less than nine metres; in 1992 it was 13 metres.
It wasn't all smooth sailing: our visit to Vansittart Bay, site of the ancient Gwion Gwion or Bradshaw rock art, was cancelled when the ship was late leaving
Darwin due to port refuelling problems; on the return journey, we turned back from visiting
King George Falls due to rising seas. Neither was Orion Cruises' fault, but it was disappointing, just the same.
Other problems with shore visits need to be addressed. Some passengers lamented the lack of commentary in the Zodiac boats not carrying a guest lecturer or local expert; others found the length of time in the sun on some expeditions too trying. I'm told Orion is addressing these concerns.
But there were compensations: a wonderful, four-course ala carte menu each evening designed by Serge Dansereau of
Sydney's Bathers Pavilion restaurant; a wine list that we hadn't a hope of exploring fully in 11 days; helpful crew; cocktail hours most evenings; 24-hour room service; alfresco dining on deck; fishing excursions for monster catch; and even a depths-of-night trip to the bridge to watch the ship navigate a cove's narrows.
When we did retreat to the cabin, there was every creature comfort, from flat-screen TV and a DVD to a sitting area with
views (some have windows, a few had sliding glass doors and a small French balcony).
The marble art deco bathrooms ranged in size from tiny to extravagant, depending on category. We decided ours was for honeymooners, as it had a deep tub for two – with a view.
We didn't need entertainment, and struggled to make it to the cool jazz and moody blues sessions in the bar each evening. We talked, made up tables with different couples, dawdled over lunch on deck, and passed the Zodiac trips in companionable silence or conversation.
The path less travelled, as poet Robert Frost noted, made all the difference.
# The writer was a guest of Orion Expedition Cruises.
FACT FILE
# Cruises: Depending on season, Orion cruises to the Kimberleys, the Top End and East Timor, the islands of Torres Strait, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania and Antarctica.
# Stay: Orion can sleep 106 passengers in staterooms and suites in eight categories with a choice of twin or queen bed configurations. All have ocean
views, TV, DVD, CD players, Internet connection, fridge.
# Packages: Second person in a stateroom or suite sails for half fare on selected expeditions to East
Kimberley and East Timor.
Expeditions are 10 nights, depart
Darwin August 31 and September 21. Ports of call include Dili, Baucau,
Wyndham (gateway to the East
Kimberley), King George River and falls, the Tiwi Islands, Port Essington and the Paspaley pearling base at Port Bremer.
Cruise-only fares from $6500 for the first person, $3250 the second. Available only for first 10 bookings on each expedition.
# Details: Travel agents, or Orion Expedition Cruises, (02) 9033 8777, www.orioncruises.com.au
The Sunday Telegraph