Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Horizontal Waterfall - Gotta tell ya straight away - Awesome!!!


As you no doubt gather - we are back in civilisation.

BUT Hey!! - forget updating the last few months for a little while - We just had an awesome couple of days here in Derby.

Get a load of this.

I've read about The Horizontal Waterfalls at Talbot Bay (North of Derby) 12-15 yrs ago - and have wanted to visit them ever since.

This is a unique phenomena cause by the tide rushing in and out through small gaps in a mountain range. The tides here are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere - 9,10,11+ mtrs - incredible.

So you end up with a waterfall effect -something like 1 million ltrs per second coming through the gaps.

A difference in height between one side and the other of 1.5 to 3mtrs.

Here was our itinerary.

Mon afternoon - Flight to Talbot bay (14 seat Cessna Float Plane) and land on Talbot Bay.

Board 60ft Sailing Ketch for afternoon sail - Lovely

Hop on a 3or4 Gallizion H.P. Speed boat (9 guests on Board)

Go THROUGH the inner falls and view the outer (more treacherous) falls - whirlpools and 'boil-overs' everywhere.
Board a 70ft Sailing Catamaran for fresh BBQ Red-Emperor etc etc meals.

Sleep in Double (ensuited) Cabins

Tues

Cooked breakfast on yacht

Board Sea-plane again and fly over and circle 'The Falls' again.

Then fly back to Derby by 9am-ish via flight over the 'Buccaneer Archipelago'.

IT WAS AWESOME - our ONE BIG SPLASH for the trip ! ! !



In the words of Steve Irwin - wooooooooo - WHAT A BEEEEUUUUUWWWWTTEEEEEE!!!!


Our Transport



There are some CRAZY mud-flats up here - all caused by the HUGE tides.



Same -same










View from the air - of one of the Horizontal Waterfalls.







This is the sailing yacht. - Accommodation behind.



Aaaaahhh -I wonder what the POOR are doing ?? - I know !!!! - They're out on yachts - Living off the Home Loan ! ! !




NOW - I know this is 'Corny'. We all hate 'The Titanic'. BUT don't pretend for ONE MINUTE that YOU wouldn't have done the SAME thing ! ! !


Aaaahhh.. Here's where we sleep.


In the powerboat - and off to see the falls.

Approaching the wider - and less severe falls.


Here's just part of the effect.


NO rivers here - Just TIDAL movement !!!




Guess who's mum's got a whirlpool ???


Dinner Time - Fresh caught Red-emperor.




Fish scraps to the sharks.


Just after breaky Tues 5/8/8.


Horizontal Waterfall in background.



What a shame - they came to pick us up - boo-hoo. It was so lovely here.





Outer and Inner falls from the air.



Outer Falls from the air - Very powerful stuff.


Home safely - and goodbye to our fiends for a couple of days.



3 comments:

Carl said...

wow amazing reverse water fall. seems such a remote area. if you were a white water kyaker it would be an incredible place to be.

longies said...

Yeah Carl.
Photos don't do it justice.
They've lost quite a few boats over the years.
Some have been simply 'Flipped' upsidedown by the whirlpool if the Captain didn't have the throttle on enough.

Glennybee said...

Thought you might like to see what one of our friends in the Uk replied after seeing your posting about this trip.
"Just a post script from Bill, he said you have encouraged us "no end" it is wonderful to think brothers are putting themselves out so much to spread "good news"
Elspeth"
Now this gets close to the real meaning of pioneering!