With 13,650 kilometres on the clock, the Extraordinary taxi journey ended recently to a huge reception at Broome’s Surf Lifesaving Club, overlooking spectacular Cable Beach. Doug and his final two passengers from the UK, Jim and his brother, Joe who is completely blind, got to experience the Leg 11 ‘North West Highlights’.
This final leg took Doug and the boys from Broome up the Dampier Peninsula to Beagle Bay and Middle Lagoon ending at Kooljamen at Cape Leveque. The three were guided by Neville Poelina, a local indigenous identity who’s knowledge of the area is second to none and runs his own cultural tourism operation in the region, Uptuyu Adventures.
Then it was time to get the adrenalin pumping with a seaplane flight from Cygnet Bay to the Horizontal Waterfalls. Aboard the jet boat the boys experienced the thrill of this natural phenomena. The Falls are located in Talbot Bay where the twin gaps (part of the McLarty Ranges) have two ridges running parallel approximately 300 metres apart.
Horizontal Waterfalls at McLarty Ranges
Aerial view of the Horizontal Waterfalls
The first gap is about 20 metres wide and the second, most spectacular, gap is about 10 metres wide. Given the region is subjected to almost 10 metres of the tidal movement, when the huge quantities of water push through these gaps, the effect is a Horizontal Waterfall.
Water rushing through the gaps
View of the gaps on the approach
Upon their return from the Falls, Nev met Doug and his passengers and took them to meet Irene, a Bardi elder and her grandson Brandon where they were shown around their hatchery where the local people are farming green turtles and Barramundi to name but a few. Joe said, given his blindness, he was very touched by how much effort everyone went to to ensure he got the full experience. Read more about the extraordinary adventure…
