Silver Cloud Live ... June 9-19 from the Kimberley!

[lincslady]

Terrific stuff, as always.

[jpalbny]

Monday, June 17th. Montgomery Reef

 

This reef is underwater at high tide, but rises from the water as the tide falls. It's a pretty amazing place. We were here during a neap tide so it wouldn't rise as much as it would during a spring tide, but we were still happy to have a chance to see it!

 

We had a relaxing late morning on board as we cruised from Freshwater Cove.

 

 

Soon we were at the High Cliffy Islands. 

 

 

A quick lunch before setting out at 12:45 on zodiacs. We cruised the perimeter of the reef, searching for waterfalls. When the reef rises out of the sea, it holds lots of water atop the rocky mass, which runs off for quie a long time.

 

 

 

Now it was time for a "river" cruise, via zodiac. There are deeper channels in the reef where water remains even at high tide, and the maps refer to them as "rivers." This gives you a good view of marine life in the channel, and the reef on both sides.

 

And we saw lots! Many sea turtles. They looked so graceful in the water.

 

 

 

More waterfalls.

 

 

And a great sighting of a sea snake!

 

 

A beautiful day to be out on the reef! Gorgeous blue sky and water. Even though we have to douse ourselves in sunscreen, it's been worth it.

 

 

The True North vessel was here with us. They were doing helicopter flyovers. I think we need to talk to our EL!

 

 

That's OK, we saw a second sea snake, and caught a glimpse of a third! Can't get that from a helicopter. 

 

Back to Silver Cloud. What a great day!

 

 

Time to rest up before trivia. We tied for first again. 

[rojaan19]

Glad to  hear you are 1 in trivia  !!  Plus  great photos  JP !

Edited June 19 by rojaan19

[jpalbny]

Monday,  June 17th. Evening on board. 

 

We enjoyed another beautiful sunset from the deck. My favorite spot is up front on deck 8, where you can take advantage of the Observatory Lounge for some fun reflections. 

 

 

 

I am going to miss these sunsets very much. 

 

 

 

 

Now we had to clean up for the Captain's farewell. As always, there was much applause for the crew, who we had come to appreciate very much these past 10 days. 

 

 

Tonight we dined with the Captain. With us, we had another couple from Sydney, but the gentleman had been born in Ukraine just before WWII. He had fled as a young child, and eventually emigrated to Australia. 

 

The Captain is also Ukrainian, as is Chris, of course. Much animated discussion of current and past events took place. Lots of Ukrainian was spoken. And we didn't finish the last toast until long after 10PM. Off to bed after a very long day!

Edited June 19 by jpalbny

[rojaan19]

JP - apparently  I can  swear in Ukranian like a local.  ,,,  I was looking after a very sick  fellow who  was Ukranian,   and he taught me some  phrases to  says to  his fellow friends as they visited him  ....  they all  fell about laughing   at what  I said  ... so  I  think  I said  something very  naughty  !!   😲

[RachelG]

Another question: have you encountered many biting insects?  I have my sunscreen supply, but need to know if I need to bring a big supply of bug spray.

[rojaan19]

RachelG  -  in the top  end  even  the flies bite  !!  You can  get it here  !

 

TROPICAL STRENGTH !  your choice  of spray, pump, stick, gel  🤩

 

[jpalbny]

11 hours ago, RachelG said:

Another question: have you encountered many biting insects?  I have my sunscreen supply, but need to know if I need to bring a big supply of bug spray.

 

Rachel, we never encountered anything. Ann did her due diligence and warned us too, so we brought along our good bug spray. But we never needed it. Can't say whether that's typical, or an anomaly.

[Port Power]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

 

Rachel, we never encountered anything. Ann did her due diligence and warned us too, so we brought along our good bug spray. But we never needed it. Can't say whether that's typical, or an anomaly.

You are there in the middle of the dry season, so pretty typical.  Quite another experience in March/April!

[RachelG]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

Rachel, we never encountered anything. Ann did her due diligence and warned us too, so we brought along our good bug spray. But we never needed it. Can't say whether that's typical, or an anomaly.

I suspected that would be the case in dry season, but just wanted to verify.  Thanks!

[sanne]

We have been on a Kimberley cruise 3x…. in June, August and September… never encountered any bugs. We are about to go again and there will be no bug spray in our luggage! 

[jpalbny]

Today was our last hurrah. We just dropped off the rental car and we're at Perth Airport waiting for check-in to open in 30 minutes. So, back to the last day of the cruise!

 

Tuesday, June 18th. Talbot Bay

 

Today we were going for our last zodiac ride, at Horizontal Falls. Because of the tides, we didn't start until 10:30. So we got up around 7 and had breakfast at LT.

 

We watched the sail-in through the narrows. The water was still.

 

 

Nice scenery! 

 

 

We arrived at our anchorage, near Slug Island. So named because of its shape.

 

 

Eventually it was time to load up had head out. Ponant's Le Jacques Cartier is here too, but we'll be going first. Then they'll have the afternoon time slot.

 

 

 

Both ships look tiny next to Slug Island. 

 

 

We approached Horizontal Falls and gawked at the red rocks.

 

 

There wasn't much water flow at the moment. That will start soon, and gain in intensity as the tide keeps falling.

 

 

We took a look from partway up the first narrow point, and could see the inner falls. Half the width of the outer falls. You can't get there in our zodiacs.

 

 

More beautifully shaped and colored rocks.

 

 

 

To pass the time, we went up Cyclone Creek to look at mangroves and hunt for wildlife. We saw a black-tipped reef shark!

 

 

The rocks go in every direction here. Serious plate tectonics at work!

 

 

This sillstone is twisted beyond belief! And somehow these few mangrove trees survive in this harsh environment, growing on rock, and subject to immense tidal variation. Nature is impressive! 

 

 

More mangroves. 

 

 

At the end of Cyclone Creek, another narrows. Some current is generated here but not as much as Horizontal Falls. 

 

 

Now we have to speed back to the falls so we don't miss the show! I'll post some videos in a bit. Here's a picture of the inner falls again, with more flow than 2 hours ago. 

 

 

We had a few rides through the falls, and the current feels strong! It was exhilarating. Then, back to the ship to let the Ponant folks have a go.

 

 

Last trivia, where we tied for first. And our last Kimberley sunset on board! I liked it so much, I took its picture twice.

 

 

A great adventure is drawing to a close. At least we have some time in Perth to wind down (ha ha, Chris has several weeks worth of stuff planned). 

[jpalbny]

Tuesday June 18th. Talbot Bay. 

 

Here are a few videos from riding the current in Horizontal Falls. 

 

     

Later that evening while we were on deck doing laps, I heard a splash. I looked around and caught this happening! 

 

For tonight's sunset, I tried a time-lapse video. Pretty cool, though it doesn't capture the color quite as well as a still shot.

 

Edited June 21 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Tuesday evening on board. 

 

The last night is a time to thank the expedition staff, and to see the video which the photography staff has put together. The video was nice, as always. And the expedition crew received some well-deserved applause.

 

 

Off to the MDR for one last dinner. I had been wanting to try this wine all trip, and it didn't disappoint. 

 

 

The menu.

 

 

Chris had mushroom soup and I had the barramundi for a starter (I had some white wine with that).

 

 

 

We both had the pork schnitzel. Not a classic match for a full-bodied red, but there was plenty of fruit in this one so it worked. Plus the schnitzel was rich.

 

 

We had the chocolate trois-feuille for dessert and the wine went well with that too. We were full so we didn't miss the 997 other sheets which they lost somewhere in the kitchen. 

 

 

We finished packing and put our bags out. Bed time!

 

Tomorrow we're hoping to meet our friends from Brisbane, who are boarding Silver Cloud tomorrow. Both embarking and disembarking guests will be at a hotel in town to await the next step of the journey. So, fingers crossed that the timing works out!

 

[goldengatecruisers]

JP and Chris, thank you for the wonderful commentary, photos and videos.  This is definitely on our 'wish list' and you have made it even more appealing.

 

Ashley

[sea bright]

Thanks for the great trip report!

[Port Power]

6 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Tuesday June 18th. Talbot Bay. 

 

Here are a few videos from riding the current in Horizontal Falls. 

 

 

   
 

 

 

If you enjoyed that during a neap tide, imagine what it could be like during a full moon!  Lovely video.

[drron29]

1 hour ago, Port Power said:

 

 

If you enjoyed that during a neap tide, imagine what it could be like during a full moon!  Lovely video.

Indeed. We did the falls on Orion. We picked the cruise to go with the full moon. So not only an incredible ride through the Horizintal falls but the Stairway to heaven in Broome.

[taxatty]

Seeing Ashmore Reef, the Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef along with the wonderful native art, scenery and wildlife on a similar itinerary was amazing--seeing them through a Silversea expedition cruise with top-notch food, accommodations and service made them even more memorable and special.

[turtlemichael]

Thanks for a wonderful commentary and excellent pictures. I'm very appreciative of your positive take on things even when they were not perfect. Safe trip home and may your next voyage come around quickly.😄

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, June 19th. Disembarkation Day, and on to Perth!

 

We were up and ready to go to breakfast by 7AM, but the safe in the room decided to act up - again! A few days earlier it had refused to open, but they opened it with master codes. Now it wouldn't even open with the codes. The control panel seemed dead. So, a 15 minute wait while they found the manual key. At least we have our passports now!

 

A last breakfast in LT, then back to the suite to vacate by 8AM. One final look at our Silver Suite...doubt we'll see another any time soon! 

 

 

We were expecting to be off the ship by 9AM, so we went to the Observation Lounge, where I could get more coffee while we waited. It was amazingly, quite empty. 

 

Unfortunately there was a large P&O ship berthed next to us,  and since Broome is a small town without tons of tourist infrastructure, this ship overwhelmed the town's supply of busses. So we waited. And waited some more. Finally we were called... about 10:45!

 

Our friends had long since landed, and were eagerly awaiting us at the hotel. They were on the 7AM flight from Perth, and would be embarking Silver Cloud this afternoon. Time was ticking! 

 

We got to the Mangrove Hotel around 11:15, and they were waiting. We organized our airport transfer for 12:45 then promptly popped a bottle of bubbly from the hotel bar to celebrate. 

 

It was great to see our dear friend again, and to meet her SO. We'd first met her in 2013 on a Panama Canal cruise, then traveled together on safari in 2015, and she'd also taken us around Tasmania in 2018. But we hadn't seen each other since February 2019, before covid, so we had lots to catch up on. 

 

The time passed too quickly and we were off.

 

 

The Broome airport is small and the check-in line was long, but our SQ status got us through quickly. The boarding area is somewhat open-air, and reminds us of Kona, though a bit more rustic. There was a sandwich place so we grabbed a bite, since we knew we weren't getting anything other than water on board the VA flight. We're not in Silversea any longer, that's for sure! 

 

There was quite a delay before we could taxi. Then when we reached the runway, we had to wait for at least four small planes to land. Finally! Only 40 minutes late. 

 

On the plus side, we had some nice views of Silver Cloud and the larger ship next to her.

 

 

 

This is just south of Broome and looks like a river mouth. I liked the colors.

 

 

Inland, more interesting landscapes. 

 

 

Perth Airport was efficient and we found our transfer easily. It was a big bus with about 20 others, so luckily we got seats near the front of the bus and were able to check in quickly when we reached the Westin. Very nice room. Now it was time for dinner! 

 

We found a wine bar about five minutes from the Westin, and fortunately they had a table for us. We shared some delicious prawns for a starter. 

 

 

Then a crispy duck leg and some beef cheeks to finish.

 

 

 

Side dish or dessert? The triple-cooked fries were so tasty.

 

 

Glad we found this place. Our friends had not found any dining spots to recommend for us in Perth, but I would certainly recommend this. It's called "Petition" and it's right by the Town Hall.

 

We sleepwalked back to the hotel to catch some winks. The last week of the cruise had been very busy and we were feeling quite tired. And my tour guide has very ambitious plans for tomorrow. 

Edited June 22 by jpalbny

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, jpalbny said:

And my tour guide has very ambitious plans for tomorrow.

I'll bet anything a tower features in it somewhere...  🤣

[Port Power]

3 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Wednesday, June 19th. Disembarkation Day, and on to Perth!

 

We were up and ready to go to breakfast by 7AM, but the safe in the room decided to act up - again! A few days earlier it had refused to open, but they opened it with master codes. Now it wouldn't even open with the codes. The control panel seemed dead. So, a 15 minute wait while they found the manual key. At least we have our passports now!

 

A last breakfast in LT, then back to the suite to vacate by 8AM. One final look at our Silver Suite...doubt we'll see another any time soon! 

 

 

We were expecting to be off the ship by 9AM, so we went to the Observation Lounge, where I could get more coffee while we waited. It was amazingly, quite empty. 

 

Unfortunately there was a large P&O ship berthed next to us,  and since Broome is a small town without tons of tourist infrastructure, this ship overwhelmed the town's supply of busses. So we waited. And waited some more. Finally we were called... about 10:45!

 

Our friends had long since landed, and were eagerly awaiting us at the hotel. They were on the 7AM flight from Perth, and would be embarking Silver Cloud this afternoon. Time was ticking! 

 

We got to the Mangrove Hotel around 11:15, and they were waiting. We organized our airport transfer for 12:45 then promptly popped a bottle of bubbly from the hotel bar to celebrate. 

 

It was great to see our dear friend again, and to meet her SO. We'd first met her in 2013 on a Panama Canal cruise, then traveled together on safari in 2015, and she'd also taken us around Tasmania in 2018. But we hadn't seen each other since February 2019, before covid, so we had lots to catch up on. 

 

The time passed too quickly and we were off.

 

 

The Broome airport is small and the check-in line was long, but our SQ status got us through quickly. The boarding area is somewhat open-air, and reminds us of Kona, though a bit more rustic. There was a sandwich place so we grabbed a bite, since we knew we weren't getting anything other than water on board the VA flight. We're not in Silversea any longer, that's for sure! 

 

There was quite a delay before we could taxi. Then when we reached the runway, we had to wait for at least four small planes to land. Finally! Only 40 minutes late. 

 

On the plus side, we had some nice views of Silver Cloud and the larger ship next to her.

 

 

 

This is just south of Broome and looks like a river mouth. I liked the colors.

 

 

Inland, more interesting landscapes. 

 

 

Perth Airport was efficient and we found our transfer easily. It was a big bus with about 20 others, so luckily we got seats near the front of the bus and were able to check in quickly when we reached the Westin. Very nice room. Now it was time for dinner! 

 

We found a wine bar about five minutes from the Westin, and fortunately they had a table for us. We shared some delicious prawns for a starter. 

 

 

Then a crispy duck leg and some beef cheeks to finish.

 

 

 

Side dish or dessert? The triple-cooked fries were so tasty.

 

 

Glad we found this place. Our friends had not found any dining spots to recommend for us in Perth, but I would certainly recommend this. It's called "Petition" and it's right by the Town Hall.

 

We sleepwalked back to the hotel to catch some winks. The last week of the cruise had been very busy and we were feeling quite tired. And my tour guide has very ambitious plans for tomorrow. 

“Petition” is a well known, top restaurant.  I think we last went there for my son’s 30th birthday.  Did you read all the information in the paving outside? Think courts and petitions.

[Dolcevita Diva]

 

JP and Chris,

 

Thanks for taking us along on this excellent adventure and sharing your fantastic photos and videos. Looking forward to the next chapter!

[highplanesdrifters]

What a fun journey!  Can't wait for the next installment Chris has planned .  Hope you take us along.