15:06.06S 125:00.24E

Sunday 11^th June,2007

Kimberley Cruise with Aurora Expeditions

St George Basin to Prince Regent River

BBQ at Careening Bay where PP King was able to careen the Mermaid on his voyage mapping the Kimberleys

Don & Robyn whom we had not seen since ’98 in St Martin  in the Caribbean on their boat Stylopora.

We had no idea that they were going to be on our cruise so imagine our surprise when

they appeared at the life jacket drill on the first night!

The aptain and crew Crew serving the BBQ

What more Bubbly David?

Hanna, Justin, Len & Simone after changing David’s wet bed! – No I didn’t do it this time the cabin flooded

from a burst salt water pipe feeding the desalinator, one of the reasons for a lack of fresh water on the ship. 

The next evening they found 20 tonnes of fresh water in a void tank that should not have been there –

a pipe feeding the first officer’s hand wash basin had burst resulting in the flood and 2 burnt out water pumps.

Kings Canyon – a Lost Eden

A Great place for a swim

Whoops Who pulled the plug out?

We arrive an hour before high water for our visit and when we tried to leave the tide was falling fast

grounding the tender. Try as we might we had left it too late and she was stuck fast until the next high water at

10.30 that night

Mertern Water Monitor just stayed put sunbathing whilst we took his photo

The Explorer went aground 1 hour after high water!!!

This photo was taken just 2 ½ hours after high water, with 12 metre tides the water goes out a long way!  After we had all resigned ourselves to a long 10 hr. wait in an ideal spotof lost paradise, we were rescued by another cruise ship’s tender which involved wading through black sticky mud and sliding down rocks to reach it

 Next morning, off on our 9 Km walk to Kunmunya across wild rock hopping country

This was where Mike had spent a year living in the wilderness and used to make this trek once or twice a week to carry supplies that had been landed with him and Susan 5 Km back to camp there are no paths or tracks just rocks and harsh scrub land

What did I say about rocks?

Len catches a baby Freshwater Croc at a waterfall which was our first rest on our way to Mikes camp

A bit too small for a handbag

On our way back to the coast, tripping on  rocks covered by tall grasses

A Russet  Shark circles the boat