DAYS 30 - 32 DERBY 19-5-16 to 21-5-16

Leaving Middle Lagoon was a better experience than getting there, it took 4 hours to get there and 2 1/2 leaving, the road had been graded in some of the worse parts, sigh but not the very worst, there was still water lying on the road which surprised us since it has been 35 degrees every day and we were there 4 days. In spite of my underwhelming thoughts on arrival, it was a great place to stay.  I actually liked it better than Cape Leveque, which while prettier, it seemed harder to get to the beach from the camping ground.
Michael and I have booked a flight to the Horizontal Falls, and an overnight stay on houseboats nearby.  As a result of this Tony and Jennifer decide to stay at a free camp call Tumblegoodiron, which I had read about in my Kimberley Guide.  When we stopped at the Willare Creek Roadhouse we were told that we had missed the turn and that it wasn’t suitable to take a caravan in.  Tony and Jen decide to come onto Derby with us.  We arrive in good time and set up quickly, the guys are getting quite good at it now.
We did a tour of the town and went shopping (2 supermarkets, Woolworths and IGA).  Tony and Jennifer went to both and couldn’t buy the bread Jennifer likes or Tony’s gherkin Spread, SIGH.  The town is small but quite attractive with lawns and Boab trees down the centre of the road. 
A visit to the information centre was a must, we needed to check out the Gibb road and the tracks into the Gorges since some of them have been closed, all was well however, all the places we want to go to are open!
DAY  31    20-5-16
Big event, Michael and I have toast and marmalade for breakfast, cooked in camp kitchen, last time we had toast was Alice Springs, we have missed toast!  We do have a grill, but have not bothered with it. Even Tony snuck across for toast and marmalade.
Our big day today, but since we aren’t picked up until 2:15 we have plenty of time to do other things, hehe like washing, some 4-5 loads!
It is absolutely necessary to see the tides at Derby since they can be 11 metre tides and you can actually see them coming in (walking pace I am told, although they weren’t that fast when we saw them).  The tidal system in this area is one of moving silt, as the water is a very muddy brown.    We saw some fish working the shoreline as the tide came into the mangrove mudflats. Had a smoothie at the newish café near the very long pier.  Interesting in that they were spraying very fine mist around the perimeter of the café as a cooling system, it was quite effective.  We wondered how they were making the mist, but didn’t ask, they were very busy.
Tony and Jen are going out for a Chinese tea tonight while we are away…..Reports next day that it was not the nicest!!!!
We are picked up at 2:15 (with another couple) from our caravan park, there are 10 people on board the little bus and we are it!  Hooray, a small  group.  The pilot checks us all off and we  begin to board.   When we booked we were asked our weights, they do not take anyone over 120 kgs.  Michael and I were the second slimmest couple there, that says it all about the others doesn’t it?
The flight to the falls was interesting, the only way to get to them is by boat or by plane, they are land locked by a huge military base.  We flew over kms of mudflats with vein like rivers crossing them.  The pilot made a couple of passes over the falls, one for the passengers on the left, and of course, the other for the passengers on the right.
We landed on the water, exciting, and taxied to the moored landing where the houseboats were.  After landing we had to take our shoes off (bare feet all the time while on board) we were then shown our cabins and invited to come up to the top  deck for our briefing.
After the briefing (our crew is very young, the second youngest is 32 (others are in their very early 20’s), we went down to the dock area to feed the sharks.  One could get into the shark cage if one wanted too, Michael hopped in but I thought I had a better view up on the deck.  After a while Michael thought so too.  Seven tawny nurse sharks each about 2 1/2 metres long and a few very big  bat fish came to be fed.  Interesting pets the crew has!!!!.
We then climbed into our high speed Zodiac (capacity of 20 passengers) for our trip to the falls, Michael and I were in the front seats.  Wow, there are two openings between the bays, one twenty metres wide the other 7.  The water at the 20 metre one was very turbulent with whirlpools and water going in several directions.  We were given a thrilling ride at speed through this gap  quite a few times, then off to the other gap.  This is where we saw the horizontal falls, there was a 3 metre drop between the water in each of these bays so we had a 3 metre water fall, too dangerous to try to travel through at the moment.  Our driver said that he would bring us back  tomorrow morning.  Hooray!
Nibbles and drinks when we got back (BYO) and then tea at 6:00, barramundi and salad followed by orange and almond cake with cream.  Tea and coffee available until late then the urn comes back on at 4:30 AM for the early risers.  The sharks hang around the dock late into the night, looking quite ghostly in the houseboat lights..  The rooms are small (beds large) and it is hot, air-conditioning on all night.  Neither of us slept well, I was up at 5:00 waiting for the sun to rise, during the night the dock (and houseboats) had swung around 180 degrees.  6:00 AM for breakfast (cereal, bacon, eggs and toast) and back out onto the Zodiac.  Very interesting, the tides have now equalised, the turbulence has gone from the wider gap and we can drive through the smaller one, which we do at speed (several times).  After a few turns we head back to the boat and wait for our plane to take us back.  The flight back  is lovely, we fly the scenic route over the Buccaneer Archipelago coastline, many little bays, islands and blue sea, glorious.  We are so  lucky to experience all this.
DAY 32  -  21-5-16
Back  in Derby and off to the Prison Tree, a huge Boab approx 1500 years old, makes us glad to live in this time, life was cruel and harsh in the 1800’s, especially to the aborigines.  Nearby we view the historic Myall Bore and watering trough – some 150 metres long to water 500 head of cattle at once.
Out to the jetty to see the sea at high tide, we now have a comparison.
Lunch and then our big shop, and fuel fill-up including [4] jerry cans……we have to shop for 14 days.