The Return Kimberley to Darwin
“For the Traveller” poem by John O’Donohue
When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would like to say.
A journey can become sacred thing;
Make sure, before you go,
To take the time
To Bless you’re going forth,
To free your heart of Ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you towards
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life,
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.
Separated now from the “Motley Crew”, as they make their way
down the Western Coast in their quest to circumnavigate Australia.
A long sail from Cockatoo Island to Sampson Inlet, the reality of being lone sailors in this remote coastline was realised.
No notifications of other ships or boats on our AIS, radio silent. The sailing
season for this year 2021 in the Kimberly has been completed by most of the
yachts most of which were now back in Darwin or gone further west.
Capt Teza and I enjoy each other’s company which is
important to successfully live in such close quarters. Mischief, mayhem and chaos, keeps us laughing,
learning and loving as we explore this amazing West Coast
of Australia.
Sampson Inlet was calm out of the wind with no swell. A typical
Kimberley Bay surrounded by red rock cliffs synonymous with the Kimberley
region.
Our passage plan will be a lot quicker on the return with
little time to explore on shore. It is
now September, and we need to be back on the Eastern Seaboard before November
to catch the northerlies and to make safe passage before the monsoonal weather
arrives in the top end.
From Sampson Inlet, we stopped over at Careening Bay then on
to York Sound to the Hunter River.
We wanted to go to the Hunter River in WA as we are both
born and breed in the Hunter Valley NSW. We thought it fitting that we should
pay homage to our birthplace.
Capt Teza kept very busy on the helm zig zagging around the many reefs and shoals entering the Hunter River. A majestic entry with very tall red rock headlands.
The river is wide, then
narrows further downstream to the Hunter Falls. We anchored in a creek arm off the
river called Porous (Latin word for crocodile)
Peaceful interlude watching bird life during the different
tidal changes of the river throughout the day.
Mangrove roots emerge out of the river at low tide revealing the inhabitants
as they forage for food on the mud flats.
Ever get that feeling that indeed you are being watched?
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| Cool Change Matt and Lisa Photo Porous Creek on their Visit |
Drone Photos from Matt and Lisa of Cool Change on their
visit to give you a bird’s eye view of the creek and river and its inhabitants……………………………
just watching and waiting.
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| Photo Matt SV Cool Change Porous Creek |
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| Photo Matt SV Cool Change |
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| Photo Matt SV Cool Change Porous Creek |
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| Photo Matt Cool Change |
We did not go to the top of the river; it was a reasonable distance from our yacht. Our return trip we have become more cautious in our exploring with the tender. We are no less vulnerable than our previous exploring, but without assistance nearby for an emergency, the level of risk escalates.
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| Hunter Falls Photo Matt from SV Cool Change on their visit weeks ahead of us |
We were not
comfortable going to the falls with recent accounts of an aggressive crocodile
further upstream. The large tidal changes can leave you stranded with your
tender high and dry in the middle of the mud flats and feeding grounds. Not appealing. We consoled ourselves not
exploring further in the knowledge that this was the last months of the dry
season, the falls were most likely dried up.
The rock formations in the changing light of morning and
dusk are spectacular and take your breath away.
We are getting very low on provisions, no fresh fruit or
vegetables. We are now on canned, frozen,
or dried produce.
We had not caught fish for 10 days. As if the universe was watching, Capt Teza reeled in his biggest ever fish as we departed the Hunter River. A massive “Mother of a Mackerel”, over 1.4 metres long and we estimated about 15 kilos.
It took me considerable time to process. This fish will be our main protein supply for the next few weeks. I still have some frozen meat.
I have a
huge repertoire of many ways to cook fish and enjoy being inventive with taste
and texture of the different fish recipes. Never have we said “Not Fish Again” as
it is so fresh however Capt Teza is hanging out for lamb and myself fresh fruit
and Vegetables.
In the area of the coast called York Sound we anchored at a little Island called Kartja. The rock on the beach was filled with lava flows with very different sandstone formations.
Thousands of years of erosion making them smooth, sculptural, and creating
beach caves.
We enjoyed having a fire on shore for sundowners and as part of getting rid of paper rubbish.
We explored a creek on the mainland which was a considerable distance looking for what is known as the “Rainforest Ravine”. The creek narrowed considerably, we were ducking under mangroves, weaving around rock bars.
We sighted a huge crocodile slide and nest in
the mangroves. Then another and another.
On cue we both said at the same time “I wonder where he is?”.
Sea Eagle
Getting to the ravine would mean leaving the tender on a tidal change and climbing over muddy rocks for some distance in this crocodile bask area. It was a bit overwhelming, and we both felt uncomfortable.
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| Photo Matt SV Cool Change |
After seeing 2 more crocodile nests with slides in and out on
the mud flats suggesting a bask of very large crocodiles which were, likely to
be competitive and protective of nests or floating about underneath us in the
little tender, hunting or matting which are activities you don’t want to
disturb.
We opted out on that exploration and on the way back to
yacht across the bay we found a tiny little unnamed Atoll Island with crystal
clear water and interesting rock formations.
We both had a paddle in the shallow water as it was very
hot. We keep lookouts on each other
however it’s always a nervous dip into the water. Mainly because crocodiles can
either emerge out of the water, be walking down the beach or can be sunbaking
on the rocks behind you, and they are very stealth in their approaches.
Prudhoe Island was our next stop over.
Photo by Matt and Lisa as I forgot to take photos.
Next day we had an uncomfortable passage to
La Fontaine Island and an even more uncomfortable night. We left early in the
morning making a B Line to get to Parry Harbor as conditions were worsening
and we needed to get to more protected waters.
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| Fish that skip Photo Matt SV Cool Change |
Just as we were zig zagging our way through the shallows and
reefs, our motor died. Quickly hoisting
up a sail to try and keep us into the swell and steady the boat from a side
beam rolling action. Capt Teza went below
to find the issue. We had fuel blockage,
after an hour we were back on our way but by this time the wind and swell had
increased. A mighty effort by the Capt under uncomfortably conditions down below
in the Engine Bay to get the fuel line fixed.
We spent a couple of nights at Parry Harbor sorting out
fuel filters and lines. We suspected a
bad dirty batch of fuel at Dog Leg Creek.
Thankfully we have plenty of fuel filters onboard.
Parry Harbor was unremarkable. We did not get off our yacht mainly because
it was very rough conditions to be exploring the beaches and creeks. Weather deteriorated preventing us getting to
Honeymoon Bay. About this time, we were
in discussions via text on our Satellite phone, about a purchase of a house and
land at Lower Beechmont. It was
imperative that we get to Honeymoon Bay for internet and a public phone box
with excellent reception.
We are very Crusty; salt crystals are all over the deck as
we have not had a drop of rain since we left Darwin 9 weeks ago
Our “Sheets are Stiff” which is not a “naughty” phrase but a
“nautical” term.
Sheets are what sailors call the ropes that haul in and out
the sails Ours are now caked in salt and stiff which makes it hard on the
halyards, the winches, and my hands.
We made way to Freshwater Bay in Vansittart Harbour, another protected sheltered bay that just so happens to have the very best oysters. As we were coming into this bay the motor coughed and spluttered again, same problem of fuel blockage.
We anchored safely, Capt Teza spent the next day doing mechanical work. Fortunately, the feed of beautiful oysters was compensation for having his head in a bilge most of the day.
Capt Teza put in play our back up plans for any future failures, we are a long way from assistance if this issue continues and impedes us getting back to Darwin safely.
We eventually arrived at Sire Graham Moore Islands for a night stop over and then made way to Honeymoon Bay in the morning.
Still very choppy particularly when going to
shore, which resulted in our tender becoming a bathtub.
We had a lovely visit by Judy Warners Niece Samantha, who is
a schoolteacher at Kulumburu with her partner Ryan who baked a beautiful loaf
of bread for us and gifted some passionfruit.
I also was handed a rockmelon from one of the campers that was packing
up and getting rid of food stores. She had heard we had not had any fresh fruit
for the last 6 weeks.
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| Judy Warner's Niece Samantha and partner Ryan |
We stocked up on fuel, supplies and got necessary communications completed. Had lovely chats with the traditional owners of the Campground and was very fortunate to meet the elder who started the camp many years ago Leslie French. His grandson Lancho with his lovely wife Jo now run the business.
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| How to communicate and negotiate a property purchase via a very remote public phone |
We could not go into the Mission because of Covid Bio
Security regulations however a young aboriginal artist came to visit whilst I
was at the Camp Homestead, and I was fortunate to be able to purchase a simple
painting of his tribe’s totem protector spirit. This drawing was much like
those found in the rock caves in the area. A 20,000-year-old culture still
being depicted in modern art. I also purchased another painting from an
aboriginal female elder.
We organised our NT
Border Passes and departed after a couple of days.
We made way to King George River staying overnight at Kalooma Bay. A Visit as we were making passage by the WA Fisheries which was a much better experience than our fellow travelers Matt and Lisa had on Cool Change with a commando SWAT team approach to their boat whilst underway in difficult waters.
On inspection of our Fish stores in the freezer we were deemed compliant and they wished us a good passage across the Gulf to Darwin.
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| Last WA Anchorage |
I have previously written a
blog for King George River and posted a video on Utube.
http://tezonie.blogspot.com/2021/09/sens-de-la-vie-king-george-river-and.html
We spent some time up the top of river and in West arm Creek preparing for our passage across the Bonaparte Gulf. Meals and snacks organised, everything stowed, everything charged up and all safety equipment checked. They call this stretch of sea “Blown apart Gulf”
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| Leaving the Kimberly Coast WA to cross over to Northern Territory |
We had planned a return to The Berkeley River. Tidal heights and timing to get over the sand bar at mouth of the Berkeley negated us being able to return.
The Berkeley River remains my favorite place in the
Kimberley and perhaps our return excursion would not have had the amazing impact
as our first visit, that had filled us with awe and wonderment.
We departed on the correct tide to get over the King George
River bar and started our passage across to Northern Territory. The gulf crossing was reasonable; however, we
are finding overnight passages more than one night taxing on our health, you
don’t really sleep and are constantly alert.
After 2 days sailing, we arrived at Fog Bay by mid-morning,
dropped anchor and went to sleep.
By that night Fog Bay became a washing machine, another
night of deprived sleep. The locals call
this bay “FLOG BAY”. We now know why.
Happily, we arrived back in Darwin on the 20th September
our Wedding Anniversary. Parked up in
Cullen Bay Marina after 12 weeks at sea we celebrated with a meal out and some wine. Both got us very Tipsy very quickly. A
combination of not much sleep over the past few days and having no wine for the
last month and we ate too much food. In
a food coma we slept well.
Couple of weeks in Darwin to recharge, refresh and renew.
Enjoying being a tourist in the company of our good friends Nick and Cass, 60th
Birthday celebrations for Nick, restoration of my hair, shopping, sightseeing,
a fishing charter for Terry and Nick and preparing for our next passage getting
back to Queensland. A contract was also
in play on the property at Lower Beechmont in co- junction with my daughter and
son in law, so lots of paperwork and personal business to attend to before we
depart and loose communications.
Please to be making passage back to Qld via a few stops along the way to Gove Harbor .
Many islands and bays of Northern Arnhem Coast. The Wessel Islands, Hole in the Wall and British Company Islands all highlights.
U tube Video Highlights in production.
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| Sunrise in the Bonaparte Gulf |
