Saturday 27th June to Sunday 28th June
Tipperary Waters Marina
   We'd arrived back in Darwin the previous Monday and had spent the last few days fitting a new chart plotter and radar dome and finishing the provisioning. We planned to spend until the end of September in the Kimberley and our friends Bill and Barbara with their two children Ellie and Alex would be spending the first two weeks with us. By Saturday lunchtime all the provisioning except for some last minute fresh fruit and veg was complete and Steve went off to the airport to pick up our friends. We managed to squeeze them and their luggage on board amongst the baskets of potatoes and onions then went to Stokes Hill Wharf for what would be for us the last meal ashore for 3 months.
   Early Sunday morning Barbara and Lyn drove to Rapid Creek market to pick up fruit, veg and herbs. We were booked to go out of the lock at 10:30 a.m. and still had to return the hire car. All went to plan and we left the marina at 10:30 with 280 miles to go to Reveley Island at the mouth of the Berkeley River.
   The forecast was for variable winds at 10 knots which meant there was almost no wind so we motored all day.

Monday 29th to Tuesday 30th June
Passage to Berkeley River - 237 miles
   We motored from the time we left Darwin on Sunday morning until about midnight on Monday when the wind finally came in. We managed to catch a couple of small fish - enough for a fish pie, on the way. From midnight Monday until dawn on Tuesday we had a fabulous sail, 10 - 15 knots on the beam.
   We crossed the bar into the Berkeley River very carefully with a least depth of about 2.8 metres (that's 0.8 metres under the keel). Once inside we motored as far as Casaurina Creek before dropping anchor. At the end of the creek is a waterfall cascading onto a rock shelf where there is plenty of space to sit and shower under the waterfall. There isn't really enough water in the creek to take Carillon up to the waterfall so we made two dinghy trips to get everyone there. It was definitely worth it and everyone enjoyed the luxury of unlimited water.

Wednesday 1st to Thursday 2nd July
Berkeley River
   Wednesday morning we climbed the slope to get to the top of the waterfall. We knew there were some well preserved aboriginal paintings a little way along the river bed and wanted to show them to our friends. There was more water than on our previous visit last year and we found a pool deep enough to swim in. It was a good way to cool off after our little walk.
   In the afternoon we motored further up the river into the gorge. This is a 9 mile stretch with high rock walls on each side - quite spectacular. We anchored off the 'amphitheatre' (a semicircular small bay with high rock walls and a rocky platform around the edge). As the sun started to set the rock walls went from a pale reddish brown to a deep rich red gold colour.
   Steve managed to catch another fish so this time Barbara did the cleaning and filleting. We didn't have enough for a meal for the six of us so this fish was destined for a lunch time salad the next day.
   Thursday morning Lyn, Barbara and Ellie took the laundry up to a small waterfall near the head of the river to give it a good wash. It's a very pretty spot with a large rock pool that was great for relaxing in while the laundry was soaking.
   Thursday afternoon we motored back down the river to the entrance to be ready to leave at dawn the next day.

Friday 3rd to Monday 6th July
Berkeley River to King George River - 51 miles
   We left the anchorage just as the first glow of the approaching dawn was visible. High tide had been about an hour earlier but we didn't want to go over the bar in the dark. We crept out very carefully and were safely over the bar by 6:30 a.m. We had a splendid sail with clear blue skies and about 10 - 15 knots from behind. We even managed to put the spinnaker up for a few hours. We anchored in Koolama Bay at the entrance to the river. Again there is a sand bar across the mouth so we need to go in close to high water which will be early tomorrow morning.   
   Dawn on Saturday sees us once again creeping carefully over the shallows to get into the main river. Once inside the river we have to negotiate a shallow sand spit just inside the entrance before finding deep water. We motored as far as a small creek. We had been told there were more aboriginal paintings at the head of the creek but by this time the wind had piped up to 20 knots and it would have been a very slow wet dinghy ride to reach them. We decided to motor on up to the twin waterfalls at the top of the navigable part of the river. Here it was much calmer and more sheltered from the wind. Again we are surrounded by rock walls and the colours in the dying sunlight are quite surreal.
   Sunday morning Steve, Lyn, Bill and Barbara climbed a slope to the top of the rock walls to investigate the river that fed the falls. Close to the falls the pools were very shallow but further upstream we found some deep clear pools just right for a cooling swim - in fact with the wind blowing as well we had to lay on the rocks in the sun to warm up again.
   Monday we made our way back to the entrance ready for another early start the next morning.

Tuesday 7th to Wednesday 8th July
Koolama Bay to Mission Bay - 69 miles
   Just after dawn there was enough water for us to get over the sandbar so we headed out of Koolama Bay towards the notorious Cape Londonderry. It's about 90 miles to Mission Bay so we had a long days sailing ahead of us. We had good winds from behind and approaching the cape were making about 8 knots through the water. The cape has rocks and sandbanks extending a long way out from the land so it's best to leave plenty of room. Even so the seas tend to be very confused and quite choppy and the winds tend to increase so it can be quite an uncomfortable trip. Our maximum speed was about 10 - 11 knots.
   Mission Cove is in the SE corner of Napier Broome Bay so once around the cape we had a long fetch to get there. We arrived in the late afternoon shortly before sunset and anchored just off the beach. The land is very flat here so we had little shelter from the strong SE winds blowing off the land.
   Wednesday morning Steve, Lyn, Barbara and Alex went ashore to find the ruins of the old Pago Mission - the precursor of today's Kalumburu Mission now situated on the King Edward River further to the west. After walking for just under a kilometre along a sandy dirt road we found the ruins. There isn't much left now apart from the stone bases of the buildings and the old bread oven but with a little imagination it's possible to conjure up an image of what it would have been like. The mission was established in 1908 and eventually abandoned in 1937 because of a lack of water and moved to it's current site at Kalumburu.
   Wednesday afternoon we put the headsail up and had a gentle sail around the next headland to the McGowan campsite where Bill, Barbara, Ellie and Alex would be leaving us.

Thursday 9th to Saturday 11th July
McGowan Camp Site
   Bill and Barbara had contacted the camp site some weeks previously to arrange a lift to Kalumburu Mission where they would take the mail plane to Kununurra then a scheduled flight to Darwin and on to Brisbane. Wednesday afternoon they went ashore to meet Paul whom they had spoken to. He seemed to have forgotten about the arrangement but after some reminding the trip was organised.
   Thursday was spent pottering about the boat while our guests packed their bags followed by some exploring along the beach. The site was quite full with 4 wheel drive campers and trailers all over the place. Many people were fishing from the beach or along the rocks but not much was being caught.
   Early Friday morning we took our friends ashore along with half a dozen fuel cans to be filled at Kalumburu. The next problem came when Paul informed us that the mail plane was already full so there was no space for our friends. We thought this unlikely since they had a confirmed booking in writing and after a few phone calls it seemed that there would be two planes (the mail plane only takes 6 people) so we waved them goodbye and hoped all their travel arrangements would work out.

Sunday 12th July
McGowans to Sir Graham Moore Island - 17 miles
   Having said goodbye to our friends we were now heading south to explore more of the Kimberley. Our next main stop would be Freshwater Bay but to get there we had to go through Middle Rock Passage. This requires careful timing so we planned to sail to the Sir Graham Moore Islands and anchor overnight to get a favourable tide in the morning. We left McGowans about midday to catch the shore breeze and sailed north to anchor in Geranium Harbour on the south side of Sir Graham Moore Island. This put us in about the closest viable anchorage to Middle Rock Passage

Monday 13th to Thursday 17th July
Sir Graham Moore Islands to Freshwater Bay - 25 miles
   Middle Rock Passage is a narrow but quite deep channel passing between Mary Rock and the Eclipse Islands. At spring tides the current runs through at up to 6 knots so it's quite important to choose the right time to go through. We needed a flood tide so in order to be able to see Middle Rock, which lies just to the north of the channel, we wanted to go through soon after low tide. We left the anchorage about 6:00 a.m. and reached the channel a couple of hours later. The tide was with us at about 6 knots but we had about 16 knots of wind against us so as well as the usual whirlpools there were some standing waves. It wasn't a problem, we had at least 20 metres under the keel all the way and could see the jagged rocks quite clearly as we raced past (at about 11 knots through the water).
     We then sailed to Freshwater Bay carefully avoiding the pearl farms and sandbanks and anchored just inside the bay leading to the tiny waterfalls.
   As we dropped anchor we noticed three quite large sharks circling the boat. They seemed more curious than anything else. We later identified them as tawny sharks which are a type of nurse shark. I think they were attracted by the engine noise because they seemed to show up when we were running the generator.
   At the far end of the bay we were anchored in is a tiny creek leading through the mangroves ending at a small waterfall. It's possible to land the dinghy and follow the creek. Most yachties use the water as a source for washing and laundry. Higher up the creek after clambering over some rocks there is a pool deep enough to swim in, it's a lovely place to relax.
   Later S/Y Reality, who we knew from the marina in Darwin and Calypso, who we also knew from Darwin and had already met in the King George River and McGowans, arrived and also anchored in the bay. It's nice to meet up with friends when you're cruising. 
   While we were anchored here a surge came through so the winds were up to 25 knots for a few days. We don't choose to sail in strong winds if we don't have to so we stayed put until Friday when they had moderated a little.
    

Friday 17th July
Freshwater Bay to Parry Harbour - 29 miles
   By today the forecast had moderated to 15-20 knots from the SE so we decided to move on. Once out of the bay we would have an easy downwind sail for a few hours but getting out of the bay the waves were very steep and short and quite wet and uncomfortable but once we turned the corner the wind and current were with us so we were racing along at about 7 or 8 knots. The next headland, Cape Bougaineville had a narrow passage around it with overfalls marked on the chart. We were expecting it to be quite difficult but as the current increased so the seas smoothed out and instead of the 2 metre waves we'd been having the seas were almost flat. The overfalls were barely noticeable and apart from coming across an unexpected pearl farm we had a smooth sail across to the southern bay in Parry Harbour.
   We had the whole bay to ourselves. That night the moon didn't rise until the early hours of the morning so after sunset the night was very black. There were no lights to be seen anywhere so the stars were absolutely brilliant. It was a cloudless night so we could see the milky way stretching from one horizon to the other with a zillion stars across the sky.

Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th July
Parry Harbour to the Osborne Islands - 27 miles
   This morning we started to go down into Admiralty Gulf to spend a day or two at the Osborne Islands before heading across to the Mitchell River closer to spring tides. We had a perfect wind and were able to sail out of Parry Harbour with a beam wind, around Gibson Point with a perfect view of Fury Rock to seaward of us, then southwards towards the Osborne Islands with the wind still on the beam. The wind held until we were close to the islands and then died. We motored into a sheltered anchorage between two islands.
   There are extensive pearl farms around the Osborne Islands and the following day, to reach a bay which featured three magnificent rock arches we had to motor around the outside of them. The buoys are laid in neat strings across the tide and although it is possible to go between the strings we thought it better not to. When we reached the anchorage we found it more exposed than we had expected but decided it would be ok. The rock arches were pretty impressive displaying the wind and water worn rock formations we'd seen all over the Kimberley. There were plenty of animal tracks in the sand so there's obviously wildlife around but apart from the usual egrets and terns we didn't spot any.

Monday 20th to Sunday 26th July
The Mitchell River
   There was no wind the next morning so we motored across the gulf towards the Mitchell River. About halfway across we spotted a large black shape in the water some way off. We couldn't decide what it was until it suddenly blew a plume of water into the air. What we could see was a whale resting on the surface. We approached it gently until we were about 300 metres away and identified it as a humpbacked whale about 15 metres long - that's about the same size as Carillon.
   We left the whale in peace and headed towards the river only to startle a turtle, also daydreaming on the surface, but he dived as soon as he spotted us. The Mitchell River is navigable at any state of the tide for the first 7 miles but the next 3 miles is a mess of sandbanks and rocks then it is reasonably clear for another 5 miles or so. We anchored just before the first set of rocks marking the start of the difficult patch with the intention of taking the dinghy across the shallows to find the channel at low tide the next day.
   A couple of hours before low tide we took the dinghy up the river. The first couple of miles would be pretty straightforward for Carillon as long as we went close to the top of the tide (preferably a spring tide) but the last section was full of sandbanks and it was hard to see a way through. A catamaran that had gone up the river in the morning was anchored at the mouth of a small creek just on the far side of the difficult bit and gave us a set of waypoints that they had used. We followed the track back in the dinghy and decided it was do-able. The only other channel we'd found involved passing very close to some jagged looking rocks which would be submerged at high tide.
   The following morning (Wednesday) using the waypoints we'd been given we found our way through the sandbanks quite easily and anchored at the mouth of Surveyors Creek. We took the dinghy up the creek to find the rock pools at the top with the intention of doing laundry. It was a bit of a scramble over the rocks but we found the rock pools without any trouble. While the laundry was soaking we went further up the stream and found a large deep pool for a swim. On our return to the dinghy we discovered we'd been gone just a little too long and it was almost high and dry. We had to drag it over a few semi-submerged rocks to get it out to clear water again.
   A couple of hours before high tide on Thursday we motored the rest of the way up the river (about 5 miles) and anchored about 200 metres from the rock bars. We saw numerous egrets and a pair of ospreys fishing at low tide. On the bank close by hiding in the mangroves was a chestnut rail (that's a bird) and later we heard an extraordinary grunting drumming sound which is apparently it's call.
   The rock bars here dry out leaving large pools between them so it's best to go up an hour or so before high tide and come back no later than an hour or so after high tide otherwise you run the risk of being stranded the wrong side of the rock bar. On the rising tide as the incoming tide reaches the level of the rock bar and starts flowing over it quite strong rapids are formed. We stayed a couple of days to check out the rock pools higher up the river then on Saturday made our way back down to Seabird Creek. We would need to leave the river in the next day or two because there would not be enough water over the sand bars at neap tides. The weather forecast was for 15 - 20 knots from the E-SE on Monday and 20 - 30 knots on Tuesday. The sight of two large crocodiles drifting around not far away made up our minds for us. We would go over the sandbars on the midday tide on Sunday and sail around the next headland (Cape Voltaire) on Monday.
   Sunday morning about two hours before high tide we set off to wend our way through the sandbanks. By this time they were covered so it was a case of following the waypoints we'd used coming in. There were no problems - we had at least a couple of metres under the keel most of the time and eventually anchored not far from the mouth of the river ready to go around Cape Voltaire the next morning.

Monday 27th July
Mitchell River to Swift Bay - 45 miles
   We left about 6 a.m. to take the last of the ebb tide out of the river then the flood tide to Cape Voltaire. Despite the forecast for 15 - 20 knots from the SE it was flat calm so we motored all the way. We also observed that the tidal stream arrows on our chart (AUS 728/729) were apparently reversed. The chart indicates that the flood tide runs ENE and the ebb runs SW. According to our observations that is reversed and the flood runs SW and the ebb runs NE.
   We were heading for Swift Bay on the E side of Montague Sound. It looked sheltered from most directions and if the wind really was going to blow it looked a good place to be. Of course just as we got to within the last few miles of Swift Bay the wind came in at about 20 knots from the N.
   We anchored in a cove on the east side of Swift Bay sheltered from everywhere except the west. We noticed 3 other boats including our friends on Calypso anchored in the southern cove but that looked exposed to the northerly wind currently blowing.

Tuesday 28th July to Wednesday 5th August
Swift Bay
   The forecast was for 20 - 30 knots from the SE for the next few days so we knew we weren't going anywhere just yet. We noticed there was a leak in the main engine exhaust system so Wednesday was spent fixing that. When we came to check whether the repair had worked we found the engine wouldn't start so Steve spent some time bleeding the system and eventually the engine started but the next problem was it wouldn't stop. We discovered that the stop solenoid assembly had come to pieces so had to stop the engine by letting air into the system. Well the stop solenoid assembly is tucked away underneath the engine and is very difficult to access. Unlike a car we can't simply jack it up to get underneath so it took 2 days of painstaking work finding the various parts by feel and putting it all back together with the fingertips of one hand. Eventually it was done and with a sigh of relief we started the engine and were able to stop it again.
   Wednesday evening just before it got dark, Calypso left the southern bay and came round to the east bay and Thursday morning Enigma did the same thing because there was a very uncomfortable swell working into the southern bay. Given our problems with the engine we were glad we'd decided to anchor where we had.
   We had noticed a sea eagle nest on the top of some rocks on the shore and could see 3 chicks. They seemed to be learning to fly because every now and then one would frantically flap it's wings and rise a little way above the nest then come crashing back into it.
   It was still pretty windy outside so we went exploring and with some advice from our friends Ron and Barb on Opal Shell we found quite a few aboriginal art sites. Ron and Barb have been running Opal Shell as a charter boat in the Kimberley for the past 28 years so are very knowledgeable about the area. We spent a couple of days exploring the creeks and art sites then decided it was time to move on.

Thursday 6th August
Swift Bay to Prudhoe Island - 22 miles
   Our next goal was to check out the art on Bigge Island. There is a well-known site at Wary Bay with some excellent examples of Wandjina art but Wary Bay is a fairly exposed anchorage so we didn't want to be anchored there overnight. About 10 miles before Wary Bay is a very protected anchorage in Secure Bay at Prudhoe Island. The wind forecast was for 10 - 15 knots from the SE so we were hoping for a good sail all the way. Unfortunately the SE winds died away by about 9:30 so all we got was an hour or so of sailing then on with the motor again. The tides in this area are quite strong so we have to make sure our passages are made with the current going in the right direction. Motoring or sailing against 2 - 3 knots of current is frustrating to say the least so much better to have it with you.
   Secure Bay turned out to be very secure. It had high rock walls on 3 sides and another island not far away on the fourth side so was well protected from all directions.

Friday 7th August
Prudhoe Island to Boomerang Bay - 16 miles
   Early this morning just after the tide turned we set off for Wary Bay on Bigge Island. Once again we had wind for the first hour or two then it died away so we ended up motoring again. Wary Bay is a shallow bay facing NW with a shallow reef extending some way from the shore. We found a spot to anchor in about 17 metres of water and made our way ashore to the only beach. On the southern side of the beach are high rocks with numerous tunnels winding into them. On many of the walls are examples of the Wandjina art form. It is thought that these paintings were more recent than the Bradshaws that we had seen elswhere and are a completely different style. We took photos but were careful not to touch any of the paintings. Having spent time admiring the paintings we returned to Carillon to make our way to a more protected anchorage further down the coast of Bigge Island at Boomerang Bay. On the way we encountered a pod of hump-backed whales. We slowed the motors so as not to alarm them and they swam and dived not far from us for some time. On two occasions a whale jumped vertically from the water landing with a great crash and splash.
   The anchorage at Boomerang Bay was still exposed to the NW but it was possible to get quite a long way in and find some shelter behind the reef.

Saturday 8th August to Sunday 9th August
Boomerang Bay (Bigge Island) to Rainforest Ravine - 34 miles
   Another early start this morning - low tide was about 6 a.m. and we needed most of the flood to get to our next destination some 30 miles away. We managed to sail for a few hours and arrived at 'Rainforest Ravine' about midday having encountered yet another whale not far away.
   The anchorage is at the mouth of a bay but if you follow the bay in towards the land it becomes a gorge ending in a rock bar. We didn't want to leave the dinghy tied over a rock bar on a falling tide so we left the exploration until Sunday morning when we would have a rising tide and not risk having the dinghy stranded on the rocks. When we arrived at the rock bar we had to climb the rocks at the side to enable us to tie the dinghy painter above the high water mark so that we could still reach it on our return.
   After clambering across the rock bar we followed the gorge until we reached a waterfall. A substantial stream was flowing through the gorge and it was quite shaded so the vegetation was very lush. Beyond the waterfall we found a large still rock pool. That was as far as we went so I don't know how much further the stream went.
   On our return the tide has risen by about 2 metres and the dinghy was nestled in the mangroves. After extricating it we returned to the boat to find Calypso anchored not far away.

Monday 10th to Tuesday 11th August
Rainforest Ravine to Hunter River - 30 miles
   Our next stop is the Hunter River. The winds are very light and fickle at the moment so we motored a good part of the way. As we were passing Naturaliste Island at the entrance to the Hunter River we motored around it to check out a possible anchorage between the island and the mainland. It looked perfect, very sheltered with a comfortable amount of water. We decided to bear it in mind then motored on to Porosus Creek a kilometre or so past the entrance to the river. The Hunter River is only navigable for about 4 or 5 kilometres then it becomes shallow with sand bars and one or two deeper pools. There are waterfalls about 5 kilometres above the sand bars but it has to be done in the dinghy and there's an hour or so to walk to reach them once you get to the head of the river so we decided not to bother. Porosus Creek was pleasant and sheltered although we didn't have any luck trying to catch fish.

Wednesday 12th to Thursday 13th August
Hunter River to Ivy Cove/Careening Bay - 32 miles
   Careening Bay was our next destination. This is where Philip Parker King carved 'HMC Mermaid 1820' into a boab tree during his survey of this part of Australia. The Mermaid spent a couple of weeks or so here careened on the beach while repairs were carried out. Unfortunately iron nails had been used in her building and were rusting through.
   Careening Bay is exposed to the NW so can be quite rolly so we anchored at Ivy Cove on Glauert Island not far to the NW. The anchorage is tucked in between Glauert Island and Gray Island so is very sheltered. Ivy Cove also has a boab tree with carving. This one says 'Ivy 19.10.1890 (or 91)'. The Ivy was a pearling schooner working in the area at that time.
   There is no wind in the mornings at the moment so Thursday morning was a good time to motor Carillon across to Careening Bay to view the Mermaid tree. It was a little way up the creek bed in the middle of the beach and had some information displays close by. The carving was clearly visible. We returned to the boat about 11:00 and found the shore breeze had started and was already making the water a bit choppy so we returned to Ivy Cove for the night.

Friday 14th August
Ivy Cove to Hanover Bay Inlet - 23 miles
   Friday morning saw us heading towards One Tree Island in Hanover Bay Inlet. The shore breeze came in about mid-morning so we were able to sail most of the way. The waters in SE Asia where we had been sailing for the past few years have fairly insignificant tides. There is not much rise and fall and in most places the currents are not strong enough to have caused us any problems. Here in the Kimberley the tides are very significant. In the area we are in at the moment at spring tides the rise is 9 metres and the tides run at 2 - 3 knots increasing in the channels between the islands so every passage we make we need to ensure that the tide is travelling in the same direction that we are. This means we can't always wait for the shore breeze so have to spend more time motoring than we'd like to.
   We arrived at Hanover Bay Inlet in the early afternoon having sailed most of the way. We found the two motorboats we'd met in the Hunter River and Ivy Cove already anchored here.
   Hanover Bay is a comfortable sheltered anchorage. There is a steep gorge on the north side of the bay accessible by dinghy and ending in a mass of rocks. At high tide it would probably be possible to get the dinghy over the rocks and land then possibly find some fresh water further up the stream but near low tide landing was just too dificult.  

Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th August
Hanover Bay to Samson Inlet - 38 miles
   Today the winds were light and fickle so we motored all the way to Sampson Inlet. It was a tortuous passage through the Rogers Strait then weaving through the islands south of Augustus Island. Our track took us past the Pearl Farm base in Kuri Bay.
    The anchorage at Sampson Inlet is tucked well inside and is protected from everywhere. The hillsides are covered in trees instead of being sheer red rock walls as they are elsewhere and it is indeed a very pleasant anchorage. There is supposed to be fresh water here somewhere so we explored to the very end of the inlet in the dinghy. We ended up in a small channel with rock walls on one side and mangroves on the other. It ended in the usual heap of rocks and again it may be possible to get up to the fresh water at high tide but there were just too many rocks a little way under the surface for us to get the dinghy somewhere we could get ashore. All was not lost however, on the way back Steve trailed a fishing line and we caught a trevally just the right size for dinner.

Monday 17th August
Sampson Inlet to Deception Bay - 13 miles
   We're heading for Raft Point but it's just a little too far to get to in one tide and still take in Langgi on the way so today we'll do a short hop down the coast to Deception Bay. We leave Sampson Inlet about 1:00 p.m. and take the flood tide down the coast. Today the winds are favourable so we can sail all the way. The anchorage shown in our pilot book is way down in the southern end of the bay but we think we can tuck around the headland in the north. The chart shows a vague 0.9 metres depth in the middle of the bay so we nose our way in carefully and discover it's deeper than the chart indicates and very sheltered.

Tuesday 18th to Wednesday 19th August
Deception Bay to Raft Point - 32 miles
    A few miles down the coast from Deception Bay is Langgi. It has a beach and occasionally has fresh water but it's most well known for it's rock formations. Just inside the mouth of it's little bay is an area where the elements have formed the rocks into numerous fantastical shapes. With a little imagination you can see kings and queens, sea lions, horses and elephants, just let your imagination run wild. On a calm day it makes an interesting stop for an hour or two.
   We left at mid-morning hoping that we would have some wind to take us down the coast. A light and fitful wind came in during the morning but it wasn't until the afternoon that it became strong enough and from a good direction for us so we motored for some way. There were quite a few whales about and we saw a pod of about 6 heading towards the shore from some way out to sea. When they reached a point about half a mile behind us they turned and came our way. There was no question of staying the requisite 300 metres away, they were definitely coming to investigate us. They swam close to us on the seaward side then four of them dived under us and came up a boat length or two on the other side of us and ahead. After playing chicken across the bow they swam away. Awesome, as our children would say, and just a little scary to have six 15 metre humpback whales gambolling around the boat.
    According to our pilot book the anchorage at Raft Point is 20 - 30 metres deep - way too deep for us - but we knew our friends on Stolen Kiss anchored in this bay when they came through the Kimberley a few years ago so we motored in to have a look. The alternative was a small bay a few miles to the south. The recommended anchorage was indeed 25 metres deep but in the SE corner of the bay we found an area about 10 metres deep at low tide and anchored there. It was a good spot, the catamaran Letting Go which had been ahead of us had gone into the anchorage to the south and the following morning had been rolled around most uncomfortably whereas where we were was relatively calm.
   Wednesday morning we took the dinghy round the corner to investigate an art site and found some very well preserved drawings. It was a bit of a trek up a steep stony path but well worth the effort.

Thursday 20th August
Raft Point to Kingfisher Islands - 23 miles
   Our next destination is Talbot Bay to see the horizontal waterfalls. It's about 50 miles or so and if we try to do it all today we'll have the tide against us going into Talbot Bay so we stopped overnight at the Kingfisher Islands just south of Montgomery Reef. Despite a forecast of 10 - 15 knots there was no wind so we motored most of the way and arrived early in the afternoon at about high tide. It's an attractive anchorage between two islands although the channel is deep and close to the islands it shelves to mudbanks so we anchored in about 15 metres to allow enough depth at low tide if we swing towards the shore. If we leave at dawn tomorrow we should be able to take the flood tide into Talbot Bay.

Friday 21st to Saturday 22nd August
Kingfisher Islands to Talbot Bay - Horizontal Waterfalls - 30 miles
   We left at 6:00 a.m. and motored to Talbot Bay. There is usually little wind in the mornings but we need to have the tide with us. It's about 15 miles from the entrance of Talbot Bay to horizontal waterfalls and the currents run at between 2 and 5 knots. We arrived at high tide about midday and found our friends Mike and Chrissy on Ohmless anchored there as well as a couple of charter operations doing rides through the waterfalls.
   Horizontal waterfalls are two almost landlocked lagoons one behind the other the only access to which are a 20 metre gap between the rock walls to each one. As the tide rises and falls the volume of water pouring through the gaps becomes a rushing torrent tumbling from one water body to the next. The water is 45 metres deep and at it's height moves 10 tons of water per second through the gaps.
   At slack water we could take our dinghy through to see the lagoons but we couldn't resist a trip on one of the tourist boats to go through at peak flow. It would be good fun in a canoe if it wasn't for the crocodiles. The two charter operations fly tourists in on float planes, take them for a ride through the falls then fly them back again. The float planes were landing and leaving roughly once an hour so business looked good.

Sunday 23rd August to Tuesday 25th August
Horizontal aterfalls to Dog Leg Creek/Silver Gull Creek - 32 miles
   Dog Leg Creek and Silver Gull Creek will be as far as we go before returning to Darwin. We need the ebb tide to leave horizontal waterfalls so we depart about midday. To get to Dog Leg Creek we have to motor out of Talbot Bay then either take a narrow channel inside Koolan Island or go around the outside which is quite a bit further. The channel inside the island has currents of up to 7 knots when the tide is running so we can only use it at slack tide. Unfortunately we reached it when the tide was at it's peak so had to motor around the island. It must have been the most uncomfortable trip we've had for a long time. We had about 15 - 18 knots of wind on the nose and about 4 knots of current with us making for a very short uncomfortable chopped up sea. We were glad to reach our destination.
   At Dog Leg Creek there is a fuel barge where we can top up with diesel for the main engine and petrol for the outboard. The operation was run by a friendly girl and we were able to go into the creek, tie up to the fuel barge and fill the tanks first thing Monday morning about mid tide.
   From Dog Leg Creek we motored just around the headland to Silver Gull Creek which has a large sheltered anchorage. From a couple of hours after low water it's possible to take the dinghy right up to the top of the creek where Phil and Marion, well known to local yachties, live in their own little piece of heaven far from the madding crowds.
    Just around the next headland is Crocodile Creek which also dries out at low tide except for a large pool just before the rock bar. We took the dinghy to have a look and found a couple preparing lines ready to bring their boat up at high tide. There's just enough space to tie one end of the boat to a rock and have a short anchor at the other end. We decided not to take Carillon up there. There are rock pools for swimming, at spring tides the water overtops the lower one and the occasional crocodile finds it's way in but the upper pool has the clearest water we'd seen anywhere in the Kimberley.

Wednesday 26th August
Silver Gull Creek to Raft Point - 51 miles
   We timed our departure from Silver Gull Creek to allow us to go through the Gutter (as the passage inside Koolan Island is called). Even at slack tide there was a knot or two of current. The channel is deep for the most part and plenty wide enough except for one part where it goes around a right-angled bend passing between two islands. At the peak of the tide that passage must be just one big whirlpool. There are iron ore mines on Koolan Island and a small port area has been established for their use to enable them to transport the ore away.
   Once through the gutter we were able to sail most of the way to Raft Point and anchored in exactly the same spot as on our previous visit.

Thursday 27th to Friday 28th August
Montgomery Reef/Red Cone Creek/Raft Point
    We left Raft Point at 5:30 a.m. to visit Montgomery Reef. This reef is about 20 miles across approximately 10 miles NW of Raft Point. There is a deep channel in the east side of the reef where it's possible to anchor a yacht. If you plan to arrive in the channel a hour or two before low tide you can see the water rushing off the reef in rivers and waterfalls. We anchored in the channel and having spent a while watching the rushing water we took the dinghy to the reef and went for a walk. The reef is coral with small sand patches and still had 15 - 30cm of water covering it.
   We stayed in the channel until about an hour after low water then left. We didn't want to be anywhere near the reef once the tide overtopped it, the currents and whirlpools would be quite dramatic.
   We headed back towards Raft Point then went on into Doubtful Bay to anchor in Red Cone Creek in the SE corner of the bay. We found a comfortable anchorage in the northern creek a mile or so into the inlet. The area is popular with tourist boats and we wanted to anchor well away from them. At the top end of the creek is a rock wall and large deep pools for swimming. We took the dinghy up there and managed to get ashore and explore the upper pools before the boatloads from the cruise boats arrived. The pool was beautifully cool for swimming in and most refreshing sitting under the waterfall.
   We needed to leave Raft Point early the next morning to catch the tide so motored back there in the late afternoon. We decided to try a different anchorage just around the corner from Raft Point but when we got there found the recommended anchorage far too shallow so ended up going back to Raft Point in the dark. It's times like these that having all the routes and waypoints set up in the chart plotter becomes extremely useful.

Saturday 29th August
Raft Point to Sampson Inlet - 39 miles
   We have 30 miles to go today so once again we leave early in the morning to catch the tide. We left just after 5:00 a.m. just as it was getting light and motored up the coast until about 11:00 a.m. when the wind came in. We had 3 to 4 knots of current with us so were making very good time. As usual we were trailing a fishing line and when for the 3rd or 4th time it ran out we assumed we'd caught yet another batch of weed however this time it ran out a long way and we'd got a fish. When we'd reeled it in close enough to get a look we found we'd caught a small shark but we'd read our fishing book and it assured us that shark was good to eat as long as you bled it first so after a bit of a struggle we got it on board and did the necessary and will try shark curry for dinner tonight.
   We sailed into Samson Inlet about midday, dropped the anchor and had a well-deserved sleep.

Sunday 30th August
Sampson Inlet to Ivy Cove - 48 miles
   We motored out of Sampson Inlet through the islands approaching Rogers Straight then sailed downwind with just the headsail towards Ivy Cove. The seas were very rolly so it wasn't a very comfortable trip.

Monday 31st August
Ivy Cove to Mudge Bay - 47 miles
   We left Ivy Cove about 10 a.m. when the sea breeze was just starting and managed to sail all the way to Mudge Bay. Mudge Bay is a very wide inlet which narrows to a small channel and is well protected from everywhere except the north. We anchored between the main shore and a small island just as it was getting dark.

Tuesday 1st to Wednesday 2nd September
Mudge Bay/Palm Island Inlet - 9 miles
   The next morning we explored further up the creek by dinghy and found enough depth to have anchored Carillon up to about a mile further in. The creek was quite attractive running between interesting rock formations and mangroves. The tide was falling so we didn't go ashore. Quite often there are rocks under the surface close to the edges of the creeks and it's quite easy to find the dinghy stranded on top of one on a falling tide so we prefer to go ashore on a rising tide. Steve was trailing the fishing line as usual and we caught 3 good sized mackerel although the first one got away. They should taste a lot better than the shark. The shark was ok but the mackerel are a lot better.
We also found oysters on the rocks at low tide so gathered some for a pre-dinner appetiser. Late morning we sailed just around the headland to Palm Island Inlet. There are lots of places to anchor here so we chose to go to the mouth of the creek in the SW corner. Again we took the dinghy up the creek looking for likely art sites but didn't find any. We moved around the corner to the bay on the SE side and did some more exploring. We didn't find any art sites but we did catch a 1 metre queenfish. We took it across to Twin Tops to see if Brian and Joy would like to share it with us but they were pretty long on fish as well but Brian kindly offered to smoke some for us so that it would keep a bit longer.

Thursday 3rd September to Friday 4th September
Palm Island Inlet to Swift Bay - 20 miles
    We explored the beach to the east this morning and discovered an extensive cave system at the northern end of the beach. It was quite fascinating although there was no rock art.
   Late morning when the wind came in we sailed the 20 miles to Swift Bay with 'Twin Tops' about half an hour behind. We found 'Calypso' anchored at Dog Leg Island at the mouth of the bay then anchored in the southern part of Swift Bay not far from 'R&R'
    The next morning we went looking for art again and found 2 sites. The first, situated on the south side of the SW part of the bay had some excellent examples of 'wandjina' style art and the second, situated on the north side of the SW part of the bay, had some small examples of 'Bradshaw' style art.

Saturday 5th to Monday 7th September
Swift Bay to Freshwater Bay - 71 miles
    We motored out of Swift Bay about 6 a.m. intending to go as far as Parry Harbour. We found a good sailing wind from the WSW which just stayed in all day. By about 2 p.m. we were round Cape Voltaire and at the turning point for Parry Harbour but with 15 knots of wind on the beam and a favourable tide there didn't seem much point in stopping so we carried on around Cape Bougaineville towards Freshwater Bay and dropped anchor just as it was getting dark. We'd covered over 70 miles almost all of it under sail.
   On our way towards Cape Voltaire we'd spent time watching a mother and baby humpback whale playing. The mother was lying on her side waving one flipper in the air while the baby swam around her jumping out of the water every few minutes.
   We stayed in Freshwater Bay for a couple of days because it's a pleasant spot. Just before high tide on Sunday we took the dinghy through the mangroves to the freshwater stream at the back of the bay. The pools nearest the rock bar are quite shallow but if you follow the stream back for 5 or 10 minutes you come across a small but deep pool under a small waterfall. We spent a while just laying in the cool water listening to the waterfall and watching the trees swaying genly in the breeze.

Tuesday 8th September
Freshwater Bay to Anjo Cove
    To get to Anjo Cove from Freshwater Bay we have to go through Middle Rock Passage. Currents can be up to 6 knots so it's important to get the tides right. We planned to go through around slack water at high tide so that currents would be minimal. We left Freshwater Bay about 11:30 a.m. and even though it was slack water we still had almost 5 knots of current with us. By this time the afternoon sea breeze had started so we were able to sail all the way to Anjo Cove arriving about 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday 9th September
Anjo Cove to West Faraway Bay
   Even though this will be the fourth time we have rounded Cape Londonderry the tides are still a mystery. They seem to follow their own agenda so we left Anjo Cove at dawn and hoped for the best It was a pretty uneventful trip. Winds were very light so we alternately sailed when there was wind and motored when there wasn't arriving at West Faraway Bay about 4:00 p.m.

Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th September
West Faraway Bay to Darwin
   It takes about 2 days to get to Darwin so we left at dawn aiming to reach Darwin early Saturday morning. Winds were very light and our wind forecast was for 5 - 10 knots variable turning to E or NE as we got closer to Darwin. We motored most of the way using the light winds as and when we could. There always seems to be a lumpy swell in the middle of the gulf so trying to sail against light headwinds was a bit of a non-starter. We arrived in Darwin about 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning. High tide was about 9:30 a.m. so we anchored for a couple of hours before going into Tipperary Waters Marina where we will spend the next few weeks before our trip across the Gulf of Carpentaria around to the East coast of Australia.