Australian Traveller – August 2019

bounceoverthewaterboilsandwhirlpools,shooting

throughthe10-and20-metre-widegapslikeaslingshot.

It’sthrillingandwebegtodoitoverandoveragain.

It’sabitlikethetripitself:alreadythere’stalkabout

stagingamutinyandrefusingtogohome.“Ourbiggest

issueistogetpeopleoff,”jokesownerandskipperJeff

Ralston,aformercrayfishermanwhoiscelebrating 25

yearsofworkingthesewaterswithKimberleyQuestthis

year.We’remomentarilydistractedfromourscheming

whenthescrunchedstrataofTalbotBayloomsaroundus.

Thelayersofsedimentaryrockherebuckleandribbon,

withsometiltedbyasmuchas 85 degrees,alegacyof

geologicalforcesthatareestimatedtohaveoccurred

between 540 millionandonebillionyearsago.Some

strataisverticallyoriented–likeastackofpancakesput

onitsside–andasweskateoverkingfisher-bluewater,

wepassformationsthatlooklikeacook’schopping

board,withramrod-straightcleftsslashingthroughthe

rockineverydirection.

Anotherwaterfalldip,lessfruitfulfishingandaslow

cruisethroughturbidWhirlpoolPassprecedeourreturn

toCygnetBay’swaters,thereturntorealitystillatopic

asfast-flowingcurrentssweepmassesofwaterpastthem;

thetropicaltideshereareamongthelargestintheworld–

risingandretreatingbyupto 13 metres–andarebelieved

tobesomeofthespeediestontheplanet.Throughoutthe

day,thetidefalls,revealingbandsofsaltywhiteandsilty

brownbeneaththered-stainedsandstone.

Afterbreakfast,wecoastacrosstheturbulenceina

jetboat,thewarmairlikeahairdryerfanningmyface

aswedartupariveredgedbyrocksstackedhigh,like

giantblocks.Asweatyscrambleleadstoablackand

bottomlessbillabong,fedbyagushingwaterfall–the

epitomeoftheKimberley.

Ahumpbackwhaleandherbabefarewellusfromthese

waters,theirpectoralfinsslappingasthoughwaving.

We’reenroutetoMontgomeryReef,abig-ticketitemon

theKimberley’ssightseeinglist.Australia’slargestinshore

reefmeasures 25 kilometresonewayand 13 kilometres

theother,coveringsome 300 squarekilometresand

resemblingalow,coralandseaweedcoatedmesa.Asthe

tidewithdraws,waterpeelsoffthereefinfrothingcascades.

Narrowchannelspermitexploration,outboardslabouring

againsttheflow.Wespinaroundandcutthemotor,

floatingonthenoisycurrentwhilepeeringovertheside

atsunfishandturtles.Pure,raw,wild,realarethewords

dancinginmymind;natureisaforcehere,andwebreathe

inherintoxicatingpower.

DaythreeleadsustotheHorizontalFalls,aquirkof

naturewherecascadeslieflatbetweenmountainranges.

They’reanotheroutcomeoftheKimberley’shumbling

tides,wherewaterpushessoferociouslythroughgapsin

theredrockthattheresultingcarpetsofwhiteresemble

waterfalls.TheQuest’sjetboatispowerfulenoughto

FROMTOP:The

KimberleyQuestII

atMontgomeryReef;

Ridingatenderalong

thereef’scascades.

WEEKENDS | The Kimberley

64 AUSTRALIANTRAVELLER.COM

(^1) PHOTOGRAPHY: FLEUR BAINGER (TENDER, DETAIL); SUE ELSCOT (AERIAL OF BOAT)