Swift Bay
On Tuesday 30/6, we anchored in a beautiful arm of Swift Bay and explored the beach and freshwater resource. The beach was formed by a steep shell slope, and beyond it rocks on which hundreds of crabs scuttled in their borrowed shell homes; an eagle’s nest occupied a nearby cliff. Kiella was again welcomed by a family of sharks. Ian and Clive collected fresh water from a PVC pipe left by the pearlers. Elaine and Marg attempted further fishing, unsuccessfully.

The next day we took the dinghy further into the Bay in search of paintings, and were rewarded magnificently. On two massive boulder overhangs we found a rich gallery of work, with perhaps the most profoundly moving two larger than life figures: one a female form for which we assumed deeply spiritual significance. It could almost have prefigured Christian iconography, arms outstretched, broad hips, and its head surrounded by a ‘halo’ with ‘saintly’ figures embedded. The second was a 200+ cm. long male body, painted on the roof of the overhang, its legs not clearly distinguished but which could have taken fish-form.

We had drinks with Ros and Ross from R & R, who were a mine of information on their fourth trip to the Kimberley. That night we experienced rain!

Palm Island
Another beautiful passage, with overcast skies, to Palm Island and the mangrove creek/river that provided a wonderful context for more impressive artwork. The rocks were unbelievably coloured – red, yellow and brown, blue and purple, black and white, providing the obvious source of the ochres that have withstood tens of thousands of years of weathering. This gallery contains the oldest known depiction of a boat, a canoe with four occupants: a shock to discover it is only 20-25 cm. wide.

The tides required a move to a deeper harbour around Palm Is, where the weather blew up from the south-west in the late afternoon, providing our first wild weather – seas quite calm but winds creating spectacular effects. Palm Is itself presented a beautifully textured hillside to the waters’ edge, with a row of palms fringing the ridge.

Next morning we were off on a long days travel form Palm Is to Hanover Bay, going through York Sound via Careening Bay an overall trip of 78 nautical miles. Careening Bay was named by Philip Parker King when he had to take his boat as far into the shore as possible to careen the hull of his boat. His boat “Mermaid” had been built in India in 1816, but unfortunately the nails used were made of iron so they had rusted causing wood to move and leaks to occur. A large Boab about 100 meters from the beach has carved on it “HMO Mermaid 1820”.

Friday 2/7/10 saw us in Hanover Bay, via Scott’s Strait. We anchored beside Explorer 1 and also Patricia VII, whom Ian and Elaine had met in Margaret Bay, Qld, and later in Darwin. The creek beyond the anchorage provided further spectacular gorges and reflections, but no fish! The engines were serviced by Ian and Clive while we waited for FA to arrive, as they had picked up their new anchor winch.
Sampson’s Inlet, a so called cyclone refuge was our next anchorage on 5/07/2010, and we finally found a shallow spot in 12 meters of water about 1500 hrs. The fishing as you all are aware has not been great, so out with the rod and lure and some improving casting from the boat found a young hawk on the shinny lure. With some quick thinking from the crew, a towel was popped on its head {after it had a small trip across the water and then onto the duck board}, the side cutters out and one nasty barb was removed all in the blink of an eye. I’m sure that the next time it sees a fish swimming it will have second thoughts. Sandy managed to hook a magnificent estuary cod, while Marg hooked a smaller one. With a couple of trevally also from FA we had fish for dinner…… at last.

Camden Sound gave us our first encounter with whales and we happen to see one breach in front of us as we again headed WSW. The seas helped all with whale spotting as they glassed out and we saw other pods as we motored to Doubtful Bay.

Red Cone Hill at the entrance of the creek in the Bay stood up proud, but was green, this we put down to the late wet season and the lush growth on it. As we meandered up we came across 5 trailer sailors from Perth, who had launched their boats in Derby and all had 3 months to enjoy this great coast and its wonderful estuaries and inlets. Need less to say, sundowners on Kiella with all plus FA that evening was full of laughter, stories and the odd can or two. That morning 10 boats were at anchor and we felt civilization had started to catch up with us all again. Three nights there with a trip out to Montgomery Reef and back, a trip up to Red Cone falls to check out the laundry facilities, sundowners with other yachties, our lack of human contact had certainly exploded.

Horizantal Falls in Talbert Bay had us making a booking to ride the whirlpools at the best possible time to get the thrills from passing through these wee gaps ….so 2 days to kill, so around the islands and into Dugong Bay. This is another magnificent area of the Kimberly region. We had our own croc that circled us at low water and checked us both out regularly. The Spectacular falls provided us with plenty of easy to get water and did we” pig out” .Kiella looked like a Chinese laundry as everything flapped in the breeze. The girls also had a beauty session!!!!!!

Tuesday 13 we all thoroughly enjoyed the ride of a life time, even if I had to shut my eyes once. The talents of those young guys who handle such a powerful craft are to be admired. Pictures don’t do justice to what we experienced although the cameras were working overtime again.

Dog Leg Creek beckons as we need to refuel, so tomorrow up with the birds and out with the wallet.