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TRAVEL WITH CHRIS BROWN
THE KIMBERLEY: BROOME & HORIZONTAL FALLS
This week, Chris travels to Western Australia … the only place in the world where water falls sideways! At Buccaneer Archipelago’s Horizontal Falls, you can experience an amazing display of nature at its most dramatic. The massive tidal movements and intense currents hurtle water through two narrow gorges, like a waterfall turned on its side. The legendary David Attenborough calls it "one of the greatest natural wonders in the world", and just like Chris, you can experience the falls for yourself by seaplane from Broome, then aboard a jet boat designed to face these mighty falls.
ABOUT THE KIMBERLEY
• Located on the northern-most part of Western Australia and covering some 421,451
square kilometres (approximately 261,000 miles), ‘The Kimberly’ is an area three times the size of England and three-fifths the size of Texas.
• It’s home to only 40,000 people, meaning that there are fewer people per kilometre than almost any other place on the planet.
• The Kimberley is remote and rugged, with wide horizons, ancient gorges, rock pools and pristine beaches.
• http://www.kimberley-australia.com/
ABOUT THE HORIZONTAL FALLS
Western Australia is the only place in the world where water falls sideways. The horizontal waterfalls of the Buccaneer archipelago are an amazing display of nature at its most dramatic. The massive tidal movements of the waters in Talbot bay cause intense currents to hurtle through two narrow gorges in the coastal McLarty ranges. As water banks up against one side of the narrow cliff passage, building up faster than it can flow through the gap, it appears like a waterfall turned on its side – something which David Attenborough called "one of the greatest natural wonders in the world".
You can see this mind-bending phenomenon is from the air, on a flight from either Derby or Broome. Travel by seaplane, landing on the calm waters of the bay, before a thrilling voyage through the falls themselves by boat to experience the awesome power of the gushing waters. Look out also for whales, turtles, crocodiles and the magnificent dugongs – marine mammals that grow up to three metres long.
http://www.theguardian.com/experience-western-australia/wonders-of-western-australia-the-kimberley The direction of the flow reverses with each change of tide and tides in the Kimberley region can reach up to 10 metres. These huge tides are influenced by the shape of the local coast. An ultimate tide gives rise to a significant difference in the sea level on either side of each gorge. Gigantic tidal activities create a waterfall effect. As water banks up against one side of the narrow cliff passage it is forced thought by the huge volumes of water behind it. This spectacular event is then repeated in the opposite direction when the tide turns.
The McLarty Range has two ridges running parallel; they are positioned roughly 300 meters apart. The two gaps are 20 meters and 10 meters wide respectively, the most astonishing display occurs at the smaller of the gaps where the Horizontal Waterfall is even more remarkable due to the volume of water being pushed through a smaller area.
It is possible to pass through the two gaps by boat to the bay beyond during periods of low flow, the period between low and high tide or vice versa. The phenomenon of the Horizontal Falls occurs around every six and a half hours.
http://www.kimberleydiscoverycruises.com.au/The-Horizontal-Falls-in-the-Kimberley-is-one-of-the-greatest-natural-wonders-of-the-world-bgp2344.html
King Tides
The highest tides occur with the coming of the full and new moons, and many believe these natural events coincide with a rise in madness, hence the term 'lunacy'. There are two areas in Australia that experience particularly large king tides - far north Queensland and north-west Western Australia.
The king of all Australian tides occurs near the town of Derby in King Sound, in north-west Australia, at the end of March and again at the end of April each year. Derby's tides can reach up to 11.8 m, and are the second biggest tides in the world (the largest, clocked at 15 m, occur in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia). At the other end of the scale, the tides of the Mediterranean — the smallest in the world — peak at a weeny 2 to 3cm.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2002/05/01/2683462.htm
Buccaneer Archipelago
The Buccaneer Archipelago is a beautiful area consisting of some 800 to 1,000 rocky islands with small embayments and secluded white sandy beaches. It is part of a ria or drowned coastline with islands of ancient massive sandstones of Pre-Cambrian age (2,500 - 1,800 million years ago). The islands are rugged and sparsely vegetated with patches of rain forest in moist areas and a fringing of mangroves where silt has accumulated. The area has huge tidal ranges up to 12 metres. The tides and whirlpools caused havoc with the pearling fleets late last century. Many sailors and divers lost their lives. On numerous islands there are isolated graves, a testimony to the dangerous conditions. The fauna of the islands is rich and diverse. On Koolan Island 11 species of snake were identified including the most deadly, the taipan. There were several species of gecko, skink, monitor and dragon lizards. 118 species of birds were identified. Mammals included rock rats, native quolls and bats. The estuarine crocodile is common in the waters and mangrove fringes. Sea snakes, sharks, swordfish and a great variety of tropical fish are found in the pristine waters and coral lagoons.
http://www.derbytourism.com.au/pages/buccaneer-archipelago/
FOR BOOKINGS & MORE INFORMATION:
HORIZONTAL FALLS SEAPLANE ADVENTURES
http://www.horizontalfallsadventures.com.au/
• Phone: +61 (08) 9192 1172 • E-mail: [email protected] • Facebook: www.facebook.com/HorizontalFallsSeaplaneAdventures • PO Box 5202 Cable Beach Broome, Western Australia 6726
• Daily flights direct from Broome and Derby on one of the turboprop Jet Seaplanes.
Experience a spectacular scenic flight over the Buccaneer Archipelago with a seaplane landing onto the calm waters of Talbot Bay.
• Experience the incredible tidal power of this natural phenomenon as you are taken through the falls. Relax as on a cruise through the surrounding bays and creeks of this pristine wilderness area. Enjoy cooked breakfast or BBQ Barramundi lunch. See friendly resident sharks if you take a swim in one of the huge shark cages.
ABOUT BROOME
An improbable combination of colours – red from the pindan (the rust-coloured dirt), the aquamarine of Roebuck Bay and the pearl white of Cable Beach’s sands – makes Broome’s landscape memorable. The dramatic contrasts of colour and weather, along with the town’s rich history and cultural complexity, give Broome an atmosphere and energy like no other place in WA. This vitality has enticed adventurers, entrepreneurs, artists and travellers to Broome, who have given the town a sense of the cosmopolitan – a vibrant culture, great cuisine, fine art and unique style that you won’t find elsewhere.
Initially established as a pearling centre by Japanese entrepreneurs in the 1880s, Broome quickly attracted Chinese and Malays who joined local Aboriginal divers in the dangerous side of the business. Pearl diving was in open water, and initially without breathing apparatus; many divers were taken by sharks or got the bends. Pearling peaked in the early 1900s, when the town’s 400 luggers supplied 80% of the world’s mother-of-pearl (mainly used for buttons). Today, pearl farms have replaced open-sea diving and a handful of successful family-run companies continue to provide the world with exquisite Broome pearls.
During the Dry, Broome buzzes; this is the best time to visit. During the Wet, prices drop, opening hours are shorter, and locals breathe a collective sigh of relief and get on with their lives. While some like visiting during this time, keep in mind many attractions shut and roads can close. – The Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/western-australia/broome#ixzz2WjciuZDm
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Broome Visitor Centre 1 Hamersley Street Ph: 08 9195 2200 Email:[email protected] Website: www.visitbroome.com.au
http://www.australiasnorthwest.com/
WEBLINKS www.kimberley-australia.com/ http://www.horizontalfallsadventures.com.au/
