Porossis Creek: Kimberley Day 7 - crabbing, scenic tours and a giant, ancient, boab

26th June

Porossis Creek 

We travelled last night and late in the evening moored at Porossis Creek

The sun lights up the eastern hills

The morning showed just how beautifully the area is. We're totally enclosed by hills, cliffs and vegetation. 

The hills to the west are lit up before the sun rises over the eastern hills

Having been told that if you were going to watch only one sunrise, this was the place to do it, I'd poured my coffee, donned some respectable clothing over my sleep attire and headed out. 

The sun peeps over the hill

The sun was just touching the tops of the cliffs opposite and there were a couple of tawny nurse sharks cruising around the boat 

Tawny Nurse Shark

One of the sharks had its accompanying fleet of remora. 

In the maze of creeks

From time to time we could see the early morning crabbing expedition moving in and out of the little creeks.

Realising that somehow my watch was half an hour slow. I'll reset it and got myself a bit better organised for the day. 

A tasty snack for later - courtesy of one of the crabbing expeditions

I was back on at the upper deck in time to see the sun peep over the hill and then it was time for the second contingent to go crabbing.

 

The multiskilled Tinny ready to pull the crab net aboard

It was absolutely delightful in the maze of little creeks and a lot of fun watching the crab pots being pulled and the resulting antics with trying to keep a sized one and throw a little one back, and a particularly big one attempting to climb out of the bin and make its own way around the tender. 

Tony caught a big one

The latter event alarmed Desilee somewhat as she tried to draw attention to it repeatedly with her voice pitch rising each time.

Scenery in the creek maze

One of the small ones being a thrown back almost didn't make it over the side and there was a suspicion that Noel's rear end was at risk of being pinched. 

Tinny about to relocate a little one

We came back for breakfast, by which time it was only a bit after 8:00 but I felt as if we'd had a full day.

Reflections in the breathless air of the creek maze

After breakfast it was time for the scenic tour and back in some of the maze of little creeks amongst the mangroves. It was unbelievably hot so that when the tender finally came somewhere where there was a breeze or started to move faster, further out on the river, it really was pleasant.

There is a small croc hiding

 

The scenery was a fabulous and while we didn't see much animal life, we did see the footprints where a croc had pulled itself up the bank.

And footprints show where they have been

 

As we sailed away from Porossis Creek, I reflected once again that the promotional photos that I had seen at the Kimberly do not do justice to this journey I'm doing at the moment. 

Jasmine, that woman of many talents, guides the tender as it is lowered to the water

Every time we stop and the tenders are put into the water, I do have to reflect what a well-oiled operation is being conducted here.

In the maze of waterways

We sailed to Careening Bay, where in 1820 the crew of His Majesty's Cutter, Mermaid determined the locations to be a safe haven and suitable campsite and beached their vessel in order to effect repairs. 

The Mermaid Boab

Commander Phillip Parker King had been instructed to 'leave evidence which cannot be mistaken about your having landed' caused to be carved the ship's name into a boab tree,  now known as the mermaid boab tree.

The Mermaid Boab

When the carving was first done, the trunk of the tree was a singular entity.

On the way back to the tenders, I discussed with fellow passenger Simon some prints we saw - very dog like, I expressed the hope that they were dingo, not dog.  Jasmine later confirmed that dingos had been sighted there.

This whole area is a nature reserve, and I did spot a couple of interesting shells on the beach.

Back on the boat I found myself yet more water to drink, along with electrolytes to attempt to restore a feeling of well-being, and a quiet place to finish reading my book. 

At the time I have appointed as okay to add a little gin to my soda water, I did so and resumed my book in a very convenient position for watching the sunset, which was of course lovely.

another lovely sunset

I finished my book, A Gentleman in Moscow, and found the ending satisfactory, albeit a bit uncertain, but in discussions shortly thereafter with Gary, a fellow passenger, he realised he had seen the series and was able to enlighten me as to the character about whom I had been uncertain.

 

Somehow at dinner I ended up sitting next to Peter, the very loud chap, and did manage to have some quite civilised conversations with him at a sensible volume. 

In the course of earlier general conversation on the beach, his wife Louise is had admitted that he could be a little loud, to which I had responded with the query 'a little?' she did of course defend him, and give reasons for what she described as 'his enjoyment of life.'...

After dinner, Jasmine gave her usual briefing, covering where we'd been that day where we're going tomorrow, what we're doing tomorrow.

 

Following that she offered a talk with powerpoint presentation about tides and while I thought I wouldn't bother since I know about tides, while I was preparing my flask of coffee to take to my cabin ready for the morning, her talk proceeded well past the basics and on to all sorts of other rather interesting factors that affect tides. Her coverage was very comprehensive and touched on matters that I wasn't aware of, so that was actually very interesting.  Others later admitted that she'd lost them!

On the edge of a conversation a little later, Jasmine mentioned she'd like to study more about all sorts of things with a focus, possibly more through short courses. While she mentioned TAFE I suggested TAFE wouldn't deal with the level that she wanted, and mentioned MOOCS, about which she knew absolutely nothing, and showed great interest. I foresee a further conversations about this matter if google does not provide her with sufficient details while we are on the boat. 

It seems tomorrow will be an early start to get the best of the scenery as the boat needs to maximise tidal opportunities. So I am in bed by 9:00 and shall dip into the book I found going through the cupboard of such in the dining room area.

 

Our route for the day and plans for the next.