The Horizontal Falls

 Wow, what a day!! Is this day 'up there' with our Lake Argyle trip or what?

To begin with, we were picked up outside the caravan park in Derby by bus and taken to the airport to board our float plane for the 35 minute flight up to Talbot Bay and the beginning of our Horizontal Falls trip.

The aerial views were just great - here is a sketch map of our flights. Talbot Bay is top right hand corner.

Yes, there are actually two horizontal falls, however the top one is the smaller of the two and although a bit of a thrill to go through it, it is the larger one (bottom of above photo) that gives you all the thrills!

Once we disembarked ....

we got onto the 'Horizontal Hotel' - the pontoons that were the landing stage for the day, not only do they do day trips, but you can also stay out here overnight.

We were given a lovely morning tea, and then it was down to the jet-boat to have our first ride through the actual falls.

This opening on the larger of the falls is just 7.5 m wide and the torrent of water that flows through is absolutely phenomenal - not sure if you can see the 'dip'  (of approx 1m) that you take when the boat goes through, but apparently it is something like around 4m during the king tides, and they do not take the boats through as it would be too dangerous. The boats have 3 x 300hp motors on the back, one boat actual has four of these big motors. At one point the driver of the boat, at the beginning of the 'rapids' was doing approx. 10 knots per hour just to keep the boat steady. There is terrific power in this water.

It is also amazing to see the whirlpools and bubbling waters on either side of the falls. Makes a washing machine look like you were doing some hand washing!.

Did we get wet - maybe just a tad, but as it was a glorious day, no one cared. Then prior to lunch we saw some wild sharks coming up for a feed, although they do not feed them a lot, as when the operation shuts down for the 'wet' season, the sharks have to fend for themselves.

The lunch that was put on for us was a delicious buffet, and if you did not enjoy it, then you would be very hard to please.

It was after lunch that were were again taken out on the boat for another run, however this time, the tide had changed from incoming to outgoing, and another amazing fact it that right on the turn of the tide, the water through the falls is 'still and calm', then fires up again in the opposite direction.

During the cyclone season, they tow the pontoons up Cyclone Creek and tie them to a safe mooring to ride out the cyclone. However the float planes and boats are all taken back to Derby.

Once back at the pontoons, it was time to board our float plane for the flight back to Derby.

Just before coming in to land, the pilot did a circular run over the township of Derby - Peter and Des actually picked out our vans as we flew over the caravan park.

Our trip to the Horizontal Falls has come to an end, and after leaving the plane, it was back onto the bus to go back to the caravan park.

Now it is time for a drink and marvel at the wonderful day we have just had.

'Til next time,

June