MAGICAL LANDSCAPES Left, Horizontal Falls is a must-see world famous natural wonder while the coastline around Cable Beach is as ancient as the dinosaurs.
crocs are not adverse to a bit of cannibalism, apparently – and conservation wisdom. And absolute must for any trip to Broome, exciting, enthralling and even a bit educational, we returned to Seashells full of talk of sharp teeth and snapping jaws. A swim before bedtime took us close to the next day – when a bright yellow hovercraft would be waiting to whisk us back to the land that time forgot.
GIANT STEPS
Miles, Broome Hovercraft Eco Adventure Tours’ rugged pilot, won the kids over instantly with his easy-going mix of outback tough guy smarts and science geek enthusiasm. He was to take us out onto the water in his fantastic machine in the hunt for prehistoric footprints, a combination that quickly made him a hero in Sam’s eyes – what could be better than someone who can pilot a hovercraft but is also able to explain the differences between Jurassic and Cretaceous fauna and flora? The adventure started at the tour company’s base, just a kilometer or so down the road from Broome’s deep-water jetty. An obviously family-run business, this is a friendly but classy operation, laid-back but boasting beautiful gardens, a sophisticated, well-stocked bar and stylish gift shop.
Oh, and two big yellow hovercrafts. Hovercrafts are a method of transport that all of us know of, but few have actually travelled on. In truth, Miles admitted during his bubbly commentary, they’re not the most practical of beasts – no pulling power, a slave to tides, winds and passenger weight ratios, they’re more useful in a James Bond film than in the busy world of commuter or goods transportation. In fact, Broome Hovercraft Eco Adventure Tours is the only tour of its kind in Australia. Conditions, you see, have to be just right – but here on WA’s northern tip they’re just about perfect. Our hovercraft sped over the beach into the ocean. Broome’s huge tides mean that the water beneath us was never more than waist deep – most of the time you could have got out and paddled – but the feeling of skimming quickly along the coast is exhilarating. We were headed to a very historic beach, somewhere were Oli was going to get his dinosaur fix. Millions of years ago, it was home to a brachiosaurus herd, and Miles pointed out the evidence to prove it, a trail of footprints preserved in rock charting the passage of an adult and its calf in a time when this bit of WA was tropical swampland. The massive animals – they were about
26 metres long and weighed up to 400kg – were once a common sight in these parts, making the area the world’s foremost place for finding dino prints. They’re everywhere, Miles told us with a glint in his eye and his commentary had as all picturing a time when dinosaurs ruled the world. Thrilled and enthralled we headed back to Seashells for a Monopoly and pizza night, ready for more adventures.
GETTING HORIZONTAL The next trip was one that just Daisy and I were set to experience. My daughter, you see, is by far the most adventurous of our brood – and also the best at getting up in the morning – so when we learned there were just a couple of spots available for the Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures half-day tour, it wasn’t too hard to work out who should get the guernsey. When we returned, however, I was convinced that everyone should one day experience this incredible adventure, a thrill ride that would be hard to beat anywhere in the world. We were picked up at half eight to meet up with the others we would spend the day with and driven by coach to Broome Airport. Ordinarily, half-day tours start at either half five in the morning or 11.15am, but tidal vagaries occasionally throw up november 2015 | PRIMOLIFE
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