Cruising the Kimberley

Cherylle Stone and husband Geoff enjoy one of northern Australia's iconic cruising destinations, the Kimberley.

There are so many compelling reasons to visit the Kimberley: a thousand miles of largely uninhabited, stunningly beautiful rocky coastline, half a dozen majestic navigable rivers and an equal number of large bays and sounds occupied by an amazing variety of fauna and flora, splendid fishing, countless calm anchorages, endless walking opportunities, fantastic art galleries and, for a desert, surprisingly good supplies of fresh water. 

For all that, it is quite confronting. With tidal ranges up to 10m, 10-knot currents in some parts, and large areas that are unsurveyed, navigation is quite challenging. Its location in the remote northwest of Australia makes the Kimberley a bugger to get to — unless you are on the way to somewhere else. Indonesia is 300nm north, and it’s on the Indian Ocean route to Africa.

Our Kimberley caper entailed a return passage of 8000nm, about the same distance as we sailed to circumnavigate Australia a few years ago. We left Port Stephens in NSW in Subzero, our 13m Grainger catamaran, in late March one year, arriving in Darwin via the east coast in mid-July, Broome late August and were back in Port Stephens by mid-December.

Fifty vessels

Approximately 50 private vessels cruise the Kimberley each year. There are also around 20 tourist vessels and pearl farming mother ships doing their thing. Because of the vast distances and countless options for anchorages, it’s a big deal to encounter another yacht. We shared anchorages with other vessels on only a handful of occasions. For this reason it was wonderful to be cruising in company with Ron and Betty Robinson (Dream Weaver 11, a Passport 42). Aside from the social aspects, their presence provided us with a sense of security. Between the two vessels, we had enough resources to affect major mechanical and structural repairs that would have enabled us to get to Darwin or Broome from anywhere in the Kimberley.

When life became bewildering it was reassuring to share the experience — as we did when the “marine cicadas” made an appearance early in our Kimberley caper. After dark we heard a persistent humming noise somewhere on the boat. We checked halyards, pulled up floorboards, switched off all power, even re-anchored. Eventually we called the “Dream Weavers,” who reported they were having the same problem and engaging in similar activities. We ceased searching and went to bed believing the underwater noise to be Defence spooks doing sonar research. Three months later some cruisers from Darwin provided another explanation. Apparently there is a species of catfish that lives on the bottom and makes a vibrating noise. A large group can set up quite a hum.

Planning the itinerary

With literally thousands of interesting anchorages and less than three months to explore the region, it was a real challenge to plan our itinerary. For us, the most attractive places provided opportunities for cooling off in a freshwater billabong, Aboriginal rock art, were free of current and had good holding in sand or mud.

The Berkley and King George rivers were on our must-see list. Both are unsurveyed, have shifting sand bars at the entrances and, unlike much of the rest of the Kimberley, small tidal ranges. The King George has only one high and one low tide per day and the high happened to be at 0400 hrs. We had an afternoon’s good fun doing our own survey from our dinghies — and some tense times the next morning following the track over the bar in the dark.

The King George River is navigable for six miles through a spectacular sandstone gorge with a large waterfall at the end. We nosed the boats under 60m of waterfall with 60m of water under the keels. There are miles of good walking above the falls and the swimming is excellent in a series of large billabongs.

The Berkley River entrance does not have an easily accessible secure anchorage nearby from which to do a dinghy survey so we obtained some waypoints from one of the tourist boats that visit the river regularly. This river is navigable for 11 miles, has several side creeks with fresh water, large waterfalls and catchable fish. Endowed with all the unique elements that make cruising the Kimberley so attractive, it is worth the effort to get over the bar. The first creek on the right has mangrove jack that beg to be caught. On the plateau above the Amphitheatre Falls is another creek with billabongs and easy walking. To get to it we climbed up the scree slope downstream. Casuarina Creek has art galleries along both sides with vistas landscape designers would have difficulty even dreaming about. There are two more permanent spring-fed creeks about 12 miles upstream which offer superb swimming and walking opportunities.

Art and culture

Aboriginal people have occupied the Kimberley for 50,000 years. Along the coast and on the islands are some fabulous art galleries. Jar and Bigge Islands and Raft Point are on the cruise ship circuit and have well worn tracks to the caves. Other sites are more difficult to locate. While we were unable to find the galleries on some occasions, we nevertheless enjoyed wonderful walks and dinghy rides through spectacular scenery.

The ancient Gwion Gwion figures have an ethereal, almost impressionist quality with fine flowing lines. The more recent Wandjina figures are big and bold. They are said to have come from the sea and the art is their shadows on the rocks. The halos around their mouthless heads represent clouds and lightning and indicate their weather and cloud spirit connections. The lack of mouths is said to be so that it does not rain all the time. We visited only a few of the many sites.

In Casuarina Creek, which flows into the Berkley River, we climbed up the scree slope on the right about 200m downstream from the waterfall. We walked along the plateau to the top of the waterfall, then several kilometres up one side of the creek and down the other keeping an eye out for likely looking caves and overhangs of which there were many. It was magical to eat lunch in the shade of a cave full of ancient paintings overlooking a tranquil lagoon.

The southwestern site at Jar Island is on the rise above the mangrove swamp about 200m above the beach where the Western Australian cruising guide has an anchorage marked. This gallery has exquisite Gwion Gwion figures. Great care needs to be taken to avoid the half tide rocks in the murky, unsurveyed water on the approach to the anchorage. We snagged our anchor on a metre-high pile of rocks and a British monohull grounded on another pile not far from us. Fortunately there was no wind and we both escaped unscathed.

The “Castle”

For sheer beauty and magical qualities we could not go past the “Castle”, a large multi-chambered cave standing proud above the landscape in the Osborne Islands. It was easy to imagine the Aboriginal occupants going about their daily lives in the complex. We four adults were transported back to childhood games and fantasies in a wonderful cubby with walls covered in vibrant paintings. It is best accessed near high tide. Another cave about 40m above the beach where we anchored can be accessed at any time. The water off this beach offers secure anchorage from which to take the dinghy round through what the locals call the Greek Islands to the “Castle.”

There is a large pearl farm around the Osborn Islands. The manager advised us via VHF radio how to navigate safely through the farm, where to anchor and the locations of the galleries.

At Bigge Island there is a series of caves at the southwestern end of the beach in Wary Bay. Lush fig trees provide shade and food for visitors. The art work, depicting Macassan sailors and a variety of animals, is hidden deep within the chambers which also hold human remains.

The track to the gallery at Raft Point takes off from the rocky beach around the point to the east of the anchorage marked in the guide Cruising Western Australia. This locality is so-called because the Aboriginal people set out from here on rafts to hunt dugong and other food around nearby Montgomery Reef. Not surprisingly dugongs figure prominently in the artwork. There is a raft on display at the Cape Leveque café similar to those that would have been used here. Made of small poles joined together with wooden dowels, it appears to be a very precarious vessel on which to move through crocodile-infested, turbulent water.

European culture

Silver Gull Creek is a gem. It has a permanent spring and was once a watering point for the iron ore mine on nearby Koolan Island. Phil and Marion sailed in a few years ago and have created an oasis, aptly named The Squatters Arms, surrounding the old water tank that is now a swimming pool. They maintain the pipe to the derelict wharf so that vessels may pull alongside to wash down and replenish supplies. Marion sells jewellery and books on the Kimberley at her “shop” for those who hanker for some retail therapy. They are most hospitable, inviting visitors to swim in the pool and sit for a yarn in the tranquil tropical garden.

When the tide goes out of Crocodile Creek, just around the corner from Silver Gull Creek, a mud-locked puddle five metres deep, will accommodate three vessels rafted together. Sheer rocky cliffs soar 30m on either side. At low tide a waterfall tumbles 10m into the puddle. Above the waterfall is a pool that is inundated with salt water — and possibly crocodiles — in spring tides. The spring-fed billabong above yet another fall is just the spot for humans to soak and float and play. Crews leave plaques and other mementos of their Kimberley adventure in the barbecue shelter overlooking the middle pool. The structure is a relic of the mining heyday at Cockatoo Island.

Self-sufficient

The Kimberley is so remote we needed to be self-sufficient with lots of spares and built-in redundancy in all mechanical and human systems. On the outward leg of the cruise, we were having problems with an alternator and heat exchange system and believed the camping ground at Honeymoon Bay would have a phone we could use to contact the suppliers. The “park” caters for diehard fishermen. It is 30 heavily corrugated kilometres from Kalumburu, the only town in the area. We walked to the park office and found three fishermen poking around under the bonnet of a dilapidated Nissan ute. After the usual pleasantries, the conversation went something like this:

Geoff: “Is there a phone here?”

F 1: “You need a card and you can only buy the card in town.”

Geoff: “So you have to go to town?”

F2: “Yeah, but you need to see Les (the park manager). Les is out fishing. You can tell his boat. It’s a white tinnie with ‘My Tinnie’ painted on the side.”

F1: “He’ll be back about lunchtime. You can see him about the ride to town. The shop is open today, I think it’s open tomorrow for half a day but it’ll be closed Monday or Tuesday when the supply barge comes in. Yeah, and we need to get this truck fixed before anyone can go anywhere.”

F3: “And don’t even think about getting parts sent here. Someone ordered outboard motor spares a year ago and they still haven’t turned up.”

Best there is

For us the Kimberley represents the best there is in wilderness sailing — tranquil anchorages, a rich history, abundant wildlife, stunning scenery, mild, warm weather and the challenge of managing the risks associated with cruising in a remote area. It was well worth the hassle to get there — and back.

KIMBERLEY BASICS

CRUISING SEASON
The best time to visit is during the cooler "dry" season from May to October.

CURRENTS AND TIDES
Tidal ranges of up to 10m and currents up to 10 knots occurs in some places.

WATER
Even after a poor wet season it's possible to obtain potable water - if you know where to look.

FUEL AND PROVISIONS
There are no shops on the Kimberley coast; Darwin and Broome are hte logical sources of most services, provisions and spares.

REFERENCES

* Western Australian Cruising Guide by Fremantle Sailing Club, 23nd edition (Fremantle Sailing Club 2001). This is the most comprehensive guide available.

* A Guide to the Kimberley Coast by Len Zellm, 1st edition (Wild Discovery 2003), concentrates on the coastal fringes, islands, reefs and areas accessible by boat.

* www.kimberleycruising.com.au Long-time cruisers, Dennis and Annette Ford provide information that is not available anywhere else, including navigating the unsurveyed Kimberley rivers, locations of art sites and where to find water.