We had a late start this morning. A number of people on board had opted to take helicopter flights to Mitchell Falls today. There were seven flights scheduled to take off across the day. The chopper was due to pick up its passengers from the nearby beach. We watched as the first group was ferried over to the beach and climbed into the helicopter. It lifted off smoothly and was soon on its way and out of sight. Marg and I had no interest in the helicopter flights. It was $900 per person for starters, but additionally neither of us was keen on riding in a chopper with the doors open. Nevertheless, the people we spoke to who took the flights today said they had an amazing time.
Once the Mitchell Falls groups were sorted out, the rest of us boarded the tender and headed to Wollaston Island in Montague Sound. I was captivated by the stone curlew on the beach, while Marg took videos of some of the many small hermit crabs busily moving over the sand. There’s wildlife everywhere here in The Kimberley if you have the patience to look for it.
We scrambled up over the rocks, stopping to admire a St Andrew’s Cross spider sunning itself on its web by a large red sandstone boulder. A narrow track led us to a large overhang, where we spread out to admire the many wonderful examples of Wandjina paintings displayed over our heads and on the walls in front of us. Some members of our group were supple enough to squeeze in beneath the overhang and find more paintings on the rock ceiling above.
The Wandjina images are often of spirit beings. Many of them are easy to recognise as they have round heads, surrounded by what appear to be haloes, and very large dark eyes. There were some recognisable creatures amongst the paintings as well. I spotted fish and kangaroos, and our guide Richard pointed out a thylacine. There was another weathered painting which was difficult to view clearly, but Richard told us that some people think it may be a painting of a marsupial lion, one of the few species of megafauna known to exist in the Kimberley. Although these paintings are thousands of years old, but it’s believed some of them were ‘refreshed’ within the past few hundred years.
We made our way back to the beach. By this time the sun was out and the glare coming from the white sand was very strong. It was hot. There wasn’t a great deal of shade, so I was glad to see the tender pull in to the beach to provide some welcome relief. As we returned to our ship, we stopped to watch another group board the helicopter on the beach and head off towards Mitchell Falls.
In the afternoon we were out on the tender again, headed for another beach to explore some caves. We split into two groups, as the cave system was not large enough to accommodate our whole group at a single time. The first group left the tender and headed for the cave. Our group stayed on board for a half hour cruise before it would be our turn. We had a close look at a couple of ospreys on their nest. Apparently ospreys often mate for life and also return to the same nest every year. They made an impressive team as we slowly drifted past.
We returned to the caves. Our tour company calls them Hathaway’s Hideaway because the member of staff who first found them was named Hathaway. She was travelling with companions who dropped her on the beach while they went fishing. When they returned to pick her up, she spread the news of the new cave system she’d been exploring.
Some member of our group took torches and followed the guide through the narrow passages. They were inside for about ten minutes. They saw some micro bats and a small gecko. I went in a short distance, as far as the micro bats, but decided against going any further. The very narrow walls ahead made me feel uneasy and I didn’t want to get stuck in there. It’s probably an irrational thought, but I just don’t feel comfortable in tight, confined spaces and I’m not as supple as I once was. I was happy just to admire the rock structures near the cave entrance today.
Late this afternoon, we were ferried over to the beach near our ship for drinks and canapes. I think it was appreciated by all. Despite a few hiccups at the beginning of the cruise, everyone has been having a fantastic time, partially due to the efforts of the crew. They have been brilliant. They were waiting for us on the beach with glasses of bubbles and big smiles on their faces. Let’s face it, if you’re going to have a drink or two before dinner, you’d be hard pressed to find a more appealing setting than a secluded beach in the tropics from where you can watch the golden sun going down for the evening.
Almost everyone on the cruise is a baby boomer, but there is a delightful young couple of twenty-somethings travelling with us named Frankie and Jed. Everybody loves them. They’re having the adventure of a lifetime, and they’re always friendly and ready for a chat. I don’t think many people took any notice when they wandered down to the far end of the beach. Suddenly, there were whoops of excitement from some of the young members of our crew. I turned to look in the direction of the noise, and there was Jed down on one knee proposing to Frankie. I heard she said ‘Yes’. The old folks at our end of the beach broke into rapturous applause when they realised what had happened. We didn’t know these young people a week ago and now we were sharing in their special moment. I think it was the best ‘feel good moment’ of the cruise to date. Everyone on the beach had smiles on their faces. I think Frankie and Jed will make a wonderful couple and I wish them every happiness.
On The Road With Garry 