Breathtaking: The world’s most amazing natural phenomena from the sky

Horizontal Falls is one of the jewels of the vast Kimberley Region, where one of the defining features is enormous tidal changes – the 12,000-kilometre coastline of the 423,517-square-kilometre top-end region can experience as much as 14 metres’ change in some places. At Talbot Bay, 10-12 metres is not uncommon and that means vast amounts of water squeezing through two narrow gorges, causing the sea surface’s appearance to seem like waterfalls. Hence, the gorge site, and its natural activity is known as Horizontal Falls. (To the local Dambeemangarddee traditional owners, it is Garaangaddim.)

Fortuitously, it isn’t far from Broome or Derby as the crow – or seaplane – flies, 75 minutes from Broome, 40 from Derby. And that means Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures can give their guests a spectacular Kimberley coastal experience without them having to commit the time and dollars it might cost to undertake a Kimberley cruise.

Our itinerary begins in Broome, where bright and early, we weigh in for our first seaplane flight. Weights falling where they do, I get to sit up front with the pilot, watching through the front windshield and over the propeller as we travel northeast across the Dampier Peninsula to Talbot Bay, and how the unique blue and orange of the land and seascape below glows preternaturally.

After an exhilarating water landing at Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures’ pontoon that acts as homebase for the company’s planes and boats as well as the dining spot for its day tripper guests, we are transferred to Jetwave Pearl in Cyclone Creek to check into our overnight accommodation.

Mine is the aft of 10 bedrooms on the top deck where there’s also a guest lounge. It’s all done in a lovely coastal chic decor and at a self-serve water and drinks station in the lounge, I notice a very enticing Jura coffee machine.

But there’s no time to make myself a long black – we’re whisked downstairs again, past the lower deck kitchen, dining room and staff accommodation and on to an outdoor lounge. It’s adjacent to a pontoon that has docking facilities for boats and a helipad where there’s now an open-sided helicopter waiting for our thrilling 15-minute turns at an aerial tour of Talbot Bay and Horizontal Falls.

Personally, I find seeing the falls from the air to be mesmerising and magical and hence, more satisfying than the boat ride through them in which we will soon participate. You can see two-directional flow and the swirls and patterns it makes, as if in slow motion, and perhaps understand the Dreamtime story of the falls, the local people believing the water to be Woongudd (creator snake) itself. It’s quite simply breathtaking.

As soon as we’ve all returned from that activity, we board a boat back to the main pontoon, where tawny nurse sharks are lured with raw fish into a pool while we snorkel in a pool divided from them by a viewing screen.

It’s my least favourite part of the experience – I’m not really into the idea of feeding wild animals, though all care is taken here and the wide-mouthed, fang-toothed, spotty creatures are adorable. My fellow travellers are thrilled.

Next, it’s the exhilarating boat ride through Horizontal Falls. Unlike my previous go at this, as part of a long Kimberley cruise, we have the luxury of going back and forth several times. Our skipper is also very careful to assess conditions before venturing into the narrow part of the gorge.

We return for a three-course gourmet lunch and after, as the sun begins to sink, we go out again, this time for a spot of fishing, then our croc spotting – or rather, being spotted by a croc.

We head back to Jetwave Pearl, shower and change, then enjoy charcuterie platters and drinks (alcohol is BYO) on the back balcony under the stars before another delectable meal.

And then, it’s off to our king beds to sleep in the serene, velvety darkness of a watery wilderness, before the opportunity to watch the sun rise over the same extraordinary location.

After a hearty breakfast, there’s another cruise of the area, and around 24 hours after we set off from Broome, we’re on our seaplane again and heading back.

A 2022 accident during a boat ride through the falls has resulted in charges being laid against Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures and an employee (as of May 2023). It’s been reported that the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and the traditional owners were considering banning tour boats tackling the falls in the future for safety and cultural reasons.

Even if the boat ride through the falls does become a thing of the past, the experience of being out there for 24 hours, of seeing the phenomenon from the air and touring its surrounds at water’s level, of having the opportunity to sleep on the water in the Kimberley, to feel the hum of the ancient land’s energy and to be awed by the wilderness – maybe even getting more downtime to enjoy that gorgeous Jetwave Pearl – that would still be one amazing day.

THE DETAILS

Tour

The 24-hour Ultimate Horizontal Falls Luxury Tour ex Broome costs from $1700 a person. The 18-hour Soar Cruise and Overnight Stay ex Derby costs from $1215 a person. See horizontalfallsadventures.com.au

The writer travelled as a guest of Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures.