Horizontal Falls
The powerful tides in the Kimberley can reach more than 10 metres and the direction of the flow reverses ensuring the water flows two different ways each day.
Located in the Buccaneer Archipelago this unique waterfall is not accessible by vehicle. You can view the Horizontal Falls from the air with a scenic flight from Broome or Derby all year round. Get up close with an extended cruise or visit by float plane and land at the Horizontal Falls and hold on tight as you take a thrilling boat ride through the rushing water torrents.
Take to the air to see the spectacular Horizontal Waterfalls in Talbot Bay from the air, before joining a boat tour to take an exhilarating ride through them!
Call us on 08 9158 3500 to book your tour
Looking for flexible day tours from Broome?
If you are searching for an experience that is remote, rugged and exciting – you have found it. The Horizontal Falls are a true Kimberley adventure that you are sure not to find anywhere else.
The scene is set in the majestic turquoise waters of Talbot Bay. Here you will be lulled by the serenity of the weather-beaten McLarty Ranges as they drape into the water of Talbot Bay, one of the many bays of the Buccaneer Archipelago. However, the true brutal power of the untamed Kimberley is thrust upon you as you near the narrow gorge that has been scythed through the Ranges by water cutting through the rocks over the millennia. It is a battle of the forces of nature, that has resulted in the Horizontal Waterfalls, and it continues today!
Call us on 08 9158 3500 to book your tour
The two gorges are part of the McLarty Ranges, each in one of two ridges that are running parallel approximately 300 metres apart. The first and most seaward gorge is about 20 metres wide and the second, most spectacular, gorge is about 10 metres wide.
The powerful Kimberley tides pulsate through these gorges up to four times per day. The tides vary from a placid 2 metre tide up to a raging 10 metre tide, usually associated with a full moon. This is when the raw energy is exposed. The rise and fall of the large tides are just too great for these narrow gorges as the water tries to squeeze through, but the tides are just too fast. The water builds and banks up on one side of the gorge, up to 4 metres in height, streaming through to the other side as a torrent of bubbling and foaming whirlpools and rapids, creating the majesty and ferocity of the Horizontal Waterfalls!
Call us on 08 9158 3500 to book your tour
It is remote, quite remote. You can only get to the area by using one of the Horizontal Falls tours, either by sea or air only. But no matter what way you choose, you really need to make sure that you get to experience the Horizontal Falls.
With prices starting from around $800 to $2-$3,000 depending on what option you choose, we are often asked “Are the Horizontal Falls worth the money?”. The answer for me is a simple ‘Yes’!.
Call us on 08 9158 3500 to book your tour
People also ask...
The Horizontal Falls are fast moving tidal currents that squeeze through two narrow gorges of the McLarty Range in Talbot Bay, located in the Buccaneer Archipelago.
The Horizontal Falls are unlike any other waterfall in the world. You may have heard of the legendary tides in Western Kimberley, which can vary by up to ten metres between high-water and low tide. Well these waters are what create Horizontal Falls when powerful tides rush through the two narrow gorges in Talbot Bay.
The gap in the gorges allows for millions of litres per second try and flow through, but it’s not enough for the extreme tides. So a buildup forms on one side of the gorge, sometimes several metres higher than the lake on the other side of the gorge. This then creates a Horizontal Waterfall – and a fast one too!
Horizontal Falls are described as 'One of the greatest wonders of the natural world'. In additional to being horizontal, the falls are also “reversible,” according to Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Each day, when the tide turns, the falls flow in the opposite direction.
Although pricey, Horizontal Falls is well worth the trip with such a unique picturesque spot.
The Horizontal Falls are about 250 kilometres from Broome, in the Buccaneer Archipelago. There are no roads there and traveling by boat is impractical for a day trip (longer cruises along the coast do stop in, though).
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