Friday, 3 December 2021

Sens de la Vie - Return from the Kimberley Coast to Darwin Sept 2021

 



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? 

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.



Photo Matt SV Cool Change Porous Creek


Photo Matt SV Cool Change
Photo Matt SV Cool Change Porous Creek


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.  



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. 



We did not belong here, intruders in a very hostile environment.  Call it intuition but was the only time that I really, really felt unsafe in the crocodile habitats.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

https://youtu.be/jkMRnI03WoY

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”





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.

Sunrise in the Bonaparte Gulf