Getting Lively in the Kimberley

In the charter boat industry the aspirations, dreams, expectations, fantasies and even the hip pockets of all kinds of clients are catered for, to the best of the ability of each operator. My last article about adventures aboard “The Boss” describes some of the elements of a charter situation where the operator provides every material detail. Transfers, fishing tackle, bait, food, drinks, and all the comfort of a luxury vessel. Thoughtful operators go so far as to make sure they are providing the type of cuisine preferred by the client, and on that particular occasion to meet the request that the client’s wife not be the only female aboard.

In contrast, clients who choose to charter the “Lively” make an arrangement to provide their own transfer costs, tackle and bait, their own food and drinks, and even their own swags. Details such as cooking your own meals are a negotiable option.

There are no constraints on the amount of fun either set-up can provide. Not to mention the good fishing and beautiful sights to be seen in this amazing area called The Kimberley.

Four Winds Charters owned by Toby Goad of Broome, operates a 8.2m aluminium Phill Curran design cruising/fishing boat called “Lively”. Skipper Dean Kemp takes guests on an action packed camping adventure through many of the beautiful islands that make up the Kimberley. My inclusion on this trip came about when Dean was short a deckhand and I grasped the opportunity after knocking back too many offers in the past. When I arrived at the boat, surprise, surprise: there was already a deckhand aboard, so I was then offered the title of “fishing guide.” This was an unexpected alternative and a challenging task with the king tides approaching. However the ‘punters’ were bringing their own fishing gear and I had managed to sneak my compact flyrod and tackle in my bag. I travelled light anticipating the dimensions of the stowage space aboard this vessel with 8 persons to accommodate, and packed just two changes of clothes, swimmers, a towel and my camera.

I met the skipper, Dean and extra deckhand “Curly” at Derby and we arranged the food for the three of us for the four-day trip. Derby has the biggest tidal movement in Australia. There is no pristine sandy beach at Derby, just mangroves and soft, sticky mudflats. The flow of water in tidal movements is so great that engineers have devised a system to allow 240 volt power, for street lighting, to be generated simply as the tide changes. In fact there would be enough power generated for the entire Kimberley. Even the dimmest casual observer must surely notice sea water in Derby looks like thick chocolate, because of the way the tidal flow stirs up the mud. The pop-eye mullet stick their little heads out of the water to see where your cast net is coming from. Even the least imaginative of tourists can really believe the fact that crocodiles live there! Everyone who works on the water in this area works around the tides, as the difference of 11metres can leave you high and dry in the space of just a few short minutes.

The clients had arranged their own transport from Broome to Cape Leveque, so we headed there to rendez-vous with them. Passing through the channels and islands without wetting a line was difficult for me, but we had a deadline, and Dean assured me there would be plenty of time for fishing over the next four days. As we turned the corner in towards Cape Leveque hump-back whales greeted us with spectacular aerial displays. Turtles swam under the boat and schools of baitfish skittled across the surface as terns dived in to catch a meal. We anchored up, and as the skipper had a quick siesta before the guests arrived. I snuck out in the tender for a flick of the fly. A few bluebone and spanish flag made me feel better and I then returned to ‘Lively’ in time for the arrival of the guests.

Dinner, that night, was enjoyed by the entire group on shore at the local restaurant, highly recommended for its cuisine. The guests camped overnight whilst the crew slept onboard. We met again in the early morning and loaded the boat with their supplies for the trip. Pete, Jane, Paul, Jarrad and Sarah were the guests. Pete was enthusiastic about catching some big fish. His wife Jane was simply happy to be up there on a few days’ rest. Paul was from Perth and glad to kick back and relax after working hard over the past few months. Jarrad and Sarah were on a travelling/working holiday from Tassie. They’d just finished a working stint and were keen to enjoy the scenery with the chance of catching a fresh feed of top quality fish. So, my new title of fishing guide was not as serious as I’d thought and I happily took on the job of cook as well, to let them all truly relax for the four days. None of them had ever been through the Kimberley before and we were all eager to get going.

Mermaid Lagoon was our first stop. It is shaped like a ring and at the lowest of tides it traps all the fish inside. The best way to fish it is with a dinghy before the tide is too low. However, the surrounding reefs are just as productive and either way you are sure to tension a line. That particular day was the king tide of the year, meaning the biggest range from high to low. This meant that a lot of the reef was exposed, displaying beautiful colours that many people think are only seen in places such as The Great Barrier Reef. The small sharks are abundant and keeping your catch from them can be tricky. Once the tide began to move, so did we, as the movement is too strong for fishing lines.

Steaming through the channels on the day of the king tide is like white water rafting. The water turns and swirls, the tidal flow runs at around fifteen knots creating huge whirlpools, and an experienced skipper must be well and truly alert. No such thing as auto pilot here. Trying to capture this image on film is not easy and trying to keep steady onboard is also a mission at times. It’s great fun and amazing to see. I guess you’ll just have to come and see it for yourself!

That afternoon we stopped to gather firewood on one of the beaches. We set up camp while the tide was still roaring and headed out for the top of the tide fishing-session. Along the way we found a barramundi snoozing in the shallows. If only we were quick enough with the landing net, we could have eaten him for dinner! However, we startled it and it swam briskly away. Another boat came into view, a group of men from Derby all camping out for a buck’s week-end. Slightly different from the pub-crawl that most men suffer on their buck’s night. This venture took the guys up to a remote fishing location where they camped by the beach. No chance of going DUI up there.

Our fishing expedition led us to a few deep holes where we used 100pound handlines to bring in the fish with speed against predatory sharks. Spanish flag make good bait and with the trusty old paternoster rig and two 6’o hooks, along with thumping great big snapper lead, you should get your bait to the bottom when the tide is slightly running. Just remember to keep your own little space clear when using hand lines, as a tangled mess is not a good look or experience. The fish to expect up there are usually on the larger end of the scale and we caught many varieties of norwest snapper, as well as a delicious bluebone that we kept for tea. Ho hum, it’s a tough life being labelled fishing guide when you’re in an area where the fish almost jump onto the hooks and into the pan!

There’s nothing quite like camping out in the warm weather with a cool night breeze passing through the camp. We cooked around the fire and sat down with a glass of wine and guitar. Dean is extremely skilled on the guitar and we all wracked our brains thinking of songs we knew. Everyone was having such a great time that they decided to extend the trip for another two days. Now was the time that my offer to be cook got me thinking. Eight people,…. enough food and supplies for four days,….. now six days,….mmm… that shouldn’t be too hard. I just had to make sure no one got sick of eating fresh fish. No worries! Sleeping under the stars is amazing in the Kimberley. It’s hard to close your eyes when there is so much to see. Finally I slept knowing that we had an early start again with the tides.

Our next way-point was an abandoned shack called X&X’s. This oasis in the middle of high cliffs and adjacent to a natural fresh water spring was once home to an alternative lifestyle person, who is now a guest of her majesty, confined within different walls, after some heavy involvement in hydroponics. Some people are just never satisfied. The water spring is purely fresh and the bottom two pools are great for a dip. On our return to the boat a mackerel greeted us as it jumped high out of the water, above our heads. The men were then keen to troll to our next port of call and we did, unfortunately to no avail. The fishing during the big tides is characteristically less productive than at other tides, and the thought of using this reputation as an excuse to stay longer on charter toward the neap tides tempted Pete.

The keen anglers all anticipated the next low tide. The weather was just perfect every day, and steaming through the islands was also a good chance to simply relax and enjoy a siesta on the bow of the boat. We continued on and stopped over a reef at low tide, which produced more spangled emperor, queenfish and trevally, while Curley and Pete set out to get some Kimberley oysters for dinner. Like everything else up there, the oysters are large and tasty, bigger than Texas! Pete set up his Penn 750 with a wire trace and floated out a strip bait from a spanish flag. Within no time a school of mackerel came by and we soon heard the reel scream for joy. One very happy angler grinned from ear to ear as he sat back with a beer and seemed to unwind further now that he had caught his goal.

We steamed on to Crocodile creek and set up camp for the night in what seemed a luxury set up for all campers that pass by. This well visited fresh water spring at the end of the salt water inlet has had a lot of work put in to it over the years including a stainless steel ladder, concrete floored shelter and barbeque plate with working bench and sink. There are also half a dozen rusted old bed springs just perfect for a swag and a comfy night’s sleep. The fresh water spring flows down a picturesque waterfall in to a deep hole that holds a few friendly fish. We were confidently assured there had never been a crocodile-sighting reported in this hole, even though the salt does reach over the pass at the top of the springs. Having just passed the biggest tides of the year, we were a little cautious at first, but the water is clear and if you have room to pack a mask and snorkel, take one and explore. Jane and Sarah thought this was one of the best camping spots. A beautiful fresh water pool, a comfy bed and sink next to the barbeque plate that even has it’s own chimney. Even better: they didn’t have to cook!

The biggest eye opener at croc creek is the array of mementos from all the visiting ships. Everyone from HMAS Wollongong to tiny cruising sailboats and many charter boats leave something to say they have been there. The creativity is wild and you can stand under the shelter where they all hang and spend hours reading all the poems and stories of past visitors written on everything from toilet seats, to floats, odd thongs and the original –“message in a bottle.”

Our next morning was to be a late start and everyone was enthusiastic about the idea of sleeping in. This also meant we could party on to the wee hours and the guitar came out once again along with the wine and good food. Paul had been a little shy up until now and the thought of sleeping in kept him singing and also playing the guitar for hours.

The fish in the fresh water pond are very friendly and although you could have fun with a quick flick, they are also cunning and seem to know the difference between food and bait. There are many juvenile mangrove jacks and mullet that will almost feed out of your hand. We fished the creek as the tide began to rise and Paul landed a queenfish whilst trolling using the faithful White Redhead from the Halco Laser Pro range. Pete caught yet another mackerel and Jarrad then hooked up to the Barra of his lifetime, only to be disappointed when it broke the line at the tip. This is a good reminder to frequently re-spool your reels with high quality line. Jarrad had assured me he had done this, so it was just unlucky, but there were many more fish to come.

Once again everyone found the trip so enjoyable that they decided to stay a couple more days to reach the better tides for fishing. We refilled all the drums with fresh water from the spring and I began to search the storage cabinets in the boat for extra dry stores. It’s actually amazing what you can cook up with a bit of creativity and few resources, one gas ring and big frypan, and most important: a hearty appetite. The problem now became supply of alcoholic beverages. Luckily Cockatoo island was not far from our track-made-good and we pulled in for a stock up of supplies before trekking up to the famous horizontal waterfalls.

On the way to the horizontal Waterfalls is Silicon Beach. A stunning pure white beach surrounded by high rocky outcrops. This is one place you should never visit without your sunnies. The sand is hard packed and feels similar to wet icing sugar when you walk on it. The day we visited the tide was dropping and there were schools of whiting in the shallows up against the rocks. Jarrad quickly prepared his cast net and set up his rod with a live bait. It wasn’t long before a predator picked up the livey and took it for a long run. Then dropped it. This happened five times before he retrieved the bait to surprisingly finding it still alive and kicking. This was one lucky fish. Unfortunately we had to keep moving that day and both fish remained in the bay at Silicon beach. I had a flick of my fly around the rocks and although I had a few followers, the ratchet kept quiet.

The horizontal waterfalls are an amazing sight in Kimberley. The high cliffs gape down to a small opening just big enough to fit through in a boat, or on a jetski. However, it’s no place for the faint-hearted, and deserves commonsense respect when the water is boring through with the high tidal change. One slight mistake can be cause for high dramas. A good look from a safe distance is the best, and the surrounding scenery is breathtaking.

Another stop on our journey after more sight seeing and fishing expeditions was “SilverGull”. This is an oasis located at the base of a hill overlooking one of the inlets on the mainland not far from Cockatoo Island. Phill and Marrion have lived in this remote area for the past umpteen years and have turned the barren landscape in to a lush green hideaway with lots of native plants and fruit trees. There is a freshwater spring here too that flows in to an old water tank. Phill cut a big window in the side of the water tank and this is now the “pool,” complete with table and chairs that you sit on in the water and party on in to the night. Phill and Marrion are strong Kimberley party goers that will keep you entertained with yarns, along with many other visitors to their home. In fact we were just one of the 1800 visitors there that winter. Marrion makes unique pearl shell carvings which visitors can purchase and contribute to the cost of running the place. They provide an important link in the boating fraternity. This place will test your fitness as the hills are steep and make you realise how unfit you are, when you tackle them for a visit. The loo is the best part, but I’m not going to tell you about it. You’ll just have to visit Silver Gull, yourself, to find out first hand.

Finally the day came where we had to make our way back to Cape Leveque. The four day break turned into an eight day escapade. We continued to fish on the return leg and caught many more varieties with the better tides. However, we didn’t need to keep them for food now, and we all sportingly released the happy fish. Reluctantly we disembarked from “Lively” and made the trek back to Broome where we all happily shampooed, shaved and showered, sat back and reminisced over the best eight days that had just passed, and the friendships newly forged.

These two adventures were both great fun and showed me the diversity of options available for people wishing to visit and fish in the Kimberley. I hope that these articles have kindled some light on your perception of this vast region, which is so close to our homes, yet so removed from our daily lifestyles. There are other options for travelling through this area, such as sailing, and maybe next year I will explore them and write more. Or perhaps you could write about your adventure up there in 2002!

Details for booking charters aboard “Lively” for 2002 are roughly as follows, although most elements are negotiable to some extent: Extended trip through the Kimberley cost $250p/p per day +GST for six passengers including food. Five days is sufficient for a charter to the places mentioned in this article, however longer trips can be arranged. The pick up point can be either from Cape Leveque, or via the fully sealed road to Derby where a secure lock-up is provided for your car by the crew. All you will need is a swag and mozzi dome (can be provided for you if necessary), light weight jacket and long pants for the evenings, personal effects, (max 10kg luggage), camera, fishing equipment, and a sense of humour.