Saturday, 2 April – Day 17
We awoke from a peaceful night’s sleep in the beautiful Porosus Creek. The creek derives its name from the (many) crocodiles that are found here. The Latin name for the saltwater crocodile is Crocodylus Porosus. After a small breakfast (we are finally learning a little restraint) we were treated to a tour of the engine room of Odyssey. Being a catamaran she has two identical engine rooms, one in each hull. The engines, generators and desalination units make us self-sufficient in this remote part of the world. One single desalination unit produces 500litres of fresh water per hour – something many of the female passengers tried to compete with during their lengthy showers!
After the tour four of us headed out in the dinghies to explore Porosus Creek and the nearby Hunter River. Steve was again in the aluminium dinghy with Matt and Hugh whilst Glenn was in the blue dinghy with Sean and Roy. The day started well with Steve landing a large Queensland Grouper that was estimated to be more than 5kg. As these are protected in Western Australia it was released to swim free. Steve landed another smaller Queensland Grouper and some small cod after which things went quiet.
We explored a few of the tidal creeks hunting for Barramundi but only found crocs lurking around every corner. It was a highlight to see a number of freshly hatched babies among them. They are cute when small, but that changes quickly! As nothing was happening in Porosus Creek Matt decided to move into the Hunter River with no more luck other than Hugh catching a small reef shark. The boats headed up the Hunter to where the fresh water meets the salt. There was a lot of water flowing into the salt!
With no more luck fishing wise both dinghies stopped at a small waterfall that we noticed on the way upstream for a very refreshing dunk under the cool water. Given the humidity this was a highlight!
While Steve was off in the dinghy, Paula and many of the other passengers went out in Homer to see if they could show the rest of us how it was done. They in fact did just that, catching a good number of nice fish. Paula landed some nice fingermark snapper definitely doing better than Steve!
We all made it back to Odyssey for lunch and a clean-up. After lunch the crew set some drop nets for mud crabs and the passengers took turns going out in the dinghies to pull the nets. Our team had no luck, however the others did well and we ended up with about 16 nice brown mudcrabs.
At about 4pm Odyssey set sail again for Donga Island. The wind had picked up a little and the journey was a bit choppier than usual, but still nothing to worry about. On arrival we boarded Homer and transferred to the beach. Everyone pitched in and collected driftwood for a fire and help set up for the evening. Mark took us up the beach and showed us a magnificent example of a Wandjina painted under a low lying rock ledge.
On our return to the beach we were treated to a magnificent sunset accompanied by some scrumptious nibbles, drinks and a wonderful campfire. It was a wonderful evening.
Eventually it was time to return to Odyssey for dinner, a few more drinks and eventually bed.
Sunday, 3 April – Day 18
As the wind had picked during the night, we ended up anchoring in a slightly more protected position. We enjoyed a light breakfast and then scrambled into Homer to explore the Roe River. There were lots of crocs again and a beautiful waterfall aptly named Roe River Falls! Homer ferried us upstream a fresh water tributary and a lovely swimming hole again aptly named Roe River Swimming Hole! It was very pretty with heaps of fresh water cascading over the rocks. We climbed up (you have to keep clear of the crocs!) for a very refreshing cool swim. We decided that this was the best water hole for swimming so far with plenty of cool, fresh water. You had to be aware of the strong current though!
After the swim we made our way back to the main creek and continued further upstream croc watching and trying some fishing. Glenn and Roy had taken the opportunity to head out in the dinghy again and Homer manoeuvred near some snags not far from where they were casting. A few of the passengers took the opportunity to cast some lures about and Hugh hooked a nice barramundi to everyone’s delight. He ended up landing a nice 72cm specimen!
We eventually made our way back to Odyssey and upped anchor to steam towards Careening Bay. Careening Bay is famous for the Mermaid Boab tree and is named after the HMC Mermaid skippered by Phillip Parker King which was careened on the beach for repairs on 30 September 1820.
Phillip Parker King surveyed much of the Kimberley between 1877 and 1822. He was instructed to discover whether there was any river 'likely to lead to an interior navigation into this great continent'. Among his crew were John Septimus Roe and an Aborigine named Bungaree who was supposed to help communicate with the local indigenous people. The problem was that Bungaree was from New South Wales and had absolutely no understanding of the dialects used in the Kimberley!
Whilst the Mermaid was being repaired King directed that a nearby boab tree be carved with the name of the ship and a metal plaque be attached. When he returned a year later the plaque was gone, but the carving exists till this day.
After exploring the tree and the beach we made our way back to odyssey and steamed towards the Prince Regent River. We took the opportunity to sit at the bow (our favourite place) enjoying the breeze and the scenery.
That evening, whilst still steaming, we were treated to mudcrabs and sparkling wine as an entrée to our main meal. It was wonderful enjoying the sunset with a feed of crabs and some nice wine. Steve and Glenn thought that the crabs were a little undercooked, but it didn’t stop them having their share. It was also nice to be able to just throw the shells overboard. As more of a treat for Steve, we were treated to a beautifully cooked steak for dinner!
We eventually anchored in the Prince Regent River in the dark and Steve took the opportunity to use his satellite phone to call Mark and David to check in briefly. At least we know it works now! We were in bed by 9pm as the early starts and late nights were catching up on us.
Monday, 4 April – Day 19
We had a slightly later start today and were hoping for a sleep in. Not to be! There was action in the galley above our heads and we heard every pan drop and every footstep! Instead we decided to sit on the rear deck whilst we were steaming towards King’s Cascade on the Prince Regent River. Steve took the opportunity to catch up on his journal.
King’s Cascade is a glorious fall flowing over multiple rock ledges and amongst hardy plants that seem to somehow survive the constant pounding from the water. We took many photos and Steve is going to have trouble choosing which ones to use. We had another lovely dunk under the falls on the bow of Odyssey (perhaps our last for the trip). The water was lovely and cold but again surprisingly strong. It is amazing the pressure that even small waterfalls exert when you are perched under them. The falls were flowing very well though.
King’s Cascade is the infamous location where American model (Fay) Ginger Meadows was taken by a crocodile in 1987. The attack occurred on March 29 and we were in the same location just six days after the 29th anniversary! After all the crocs we have seen on this trip we can’t understand how anyone could have contemplated getting in the river water.
After the dunk the passengers were offered the opportunity to climb to the top of the cascade where we could swim in safety. A larger number of passengers opted to take this opportunity than the last time, however Glenn and Tricia decided to stay on-board Odyssey. Tricia has not been feeling the best over the last couple of days and is finding breathing difficult – making a climb out of the question.
The climb to the top was steep at first, but after a short while it levelled out to a reasonably moderate walk. The pool at the top of the falls was spectacular. It was deep and cool and one of the larger pools that we swam in. There was a small ledge beside the rock pool where we could leave cameras and backpacks which was a pity because the falls at the far side of the pool some 50 metres away were beautiful.
We swam over to the cascade on the far side of the pool. The rocks on that side were very slippery and Paula took a tumble but she seems alright. We spent time swimming in and under the small falls and we even found a small shelf where we could get in behind the falls and sit and enjoy.
At this stage Mark signalled to Steve to follow him, so he, Paula, Roy Pam, Helen and Eddie did so. We walked upstream where there were even more pools falls and cascades. It was such a pity that we didn’t have a camera, but Steve did get a copy of some photos Mark took on his iPhone which was in a waterproof case. This was the prettiest swimming hole for the trip to date and is now easily our favourite.
Eventually it was time to go and we reluctantly made our way back to the rock ledge where we had left our backpacks. It was a slow climb back down to Homer – some of the passengers were a little unsteady on their feet, however the crew were wonderful and patient and helped them along.
We all reached Homer safely and were treated to another dunk under the cascade before making our way back to Odyssey. Once we were safely back on-board and cleaned up we were offered the opportunity to explore a little more on Homer whilst Odyssey steamed towards the mouth of the Prince Regent. We chose to stay on-board and enjoy a cool drink whilst we made our way down river. The water was glassy and Steve got some lovely photos of Homer in the rolling wake of Odyssey as she motored around us.
After the explorers re-joined us we enjoyed some lunch followed by a nap as Odyssey made her way towards Hannover Bay.
It seemed like only a short while before we were anchoring at Hannover Bay. A few of us boarded Homer for a short ride to the beach where we had a quick look at some more Wandjina art, a walk and a quick kick of the footy.
We eventually made our way back to Odyssey to prepare for a lovely dinner (duck) and a few drinks whilst we steamed towards Deception Bay to anchor for the night. We arrived just before 9pm and Steve quickly sent his daily Spot Satellite Tracker message and then we were off to bed.
Tuesday, 5 April – Day 20
Early this morning we left our anchor point to make our way further into Deception Bay and towards Butterfly Gorge. After a light breakfast we all boarded Homer for a trip down Butterfly Gorge. The gorge has beautiful high walls with small boab trees perched in precarious positions. As we travelled we were closely observed by a pair of white bellied sea eagles. Majestic birds!
Today is Jutta’s 50th birthday so she had the honour of riding in the dinghy with Matt. It should be known that Matt races dinghies for a hobby and is quite proficient at handling them at speed! Jutta had the ride of her life and we all managed to get some photos of her making the most of her thrilling ride.
Towards the end of the gorge was Butterfly Pool. Just where we moored Homer we noticed another croc just sitting by the rock wall in the water waiting for us. Fortunately, he was not able to climb where we were going so we left him there and scrambled over more rocks to the pool where we enjoyed another cool swim. Steve climbed up to a ledge above the pool where there was some more rock art and a couple of bats flying about. On his way back down he found a rock that was just right for jumping off which Mark videoed on his iPhone in slow motion. It wasn’t long before many others were doing the same.
It wasn’t long before it was time to leave and we made our way back to Homer and eventually Odyssey. We set sail towards Doubtful Bay and a number of us perched on the bow again. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity as first some of the crew and then the passengers noticed that they had phone reception. We were not sure where the signal came from, perhaps Kuri Bay, but we used the time available to quickly update Facebook and to send a few text messages.
We spent the rest of the journey sitting on the bow, enjoying the cool breeze and chatting. We eventually passed Raft Point, making our way into Doubtful Bay and eventually into Red Cone Creek, named after a large conical outcrop that has a reddish appearance during the dry season. It looked very green to us, but this is the wet still!
This evening we went on a sunset cruise on Homer to watch the sun go down over Doubtful Bay. Glenn and Roy again had the opportunity to try their luck at a bit of fishing in the dinghy. Jutta kindly shouted the passengers and crew some beer and champagne to celebrate her birthday. It was a magical scene and the company ws delightful! The sun setting over Raft Point was beautiful.
We eventually made our way back to Odyssey where a number of the female passengers made a quick dash for the showers. This had become a habit on the trip and the same ones where always the guilty parties. This in itself was not a bad thing, but it left no toilets free for those returning from a trip. Steve was desperate to relieve himself and no toilets were available so he ran to the bow before anyone else could get there to go over the side whilst Paula kept guard!
The dinner this evening was a three course banquet in honour of Jutta’s birthday. The crew prepared the tables on the back deck and we had a wonderful evening. We finished by the now traditional final drink on the bow where we watched Glenn cast a few lures at fish that were swimming in the lights of the boat. Steve sent his Spot Satellite message again and then hit the sack.
