Happy birthday to our granddaughter Addison who is four today,
We left Broome for the start of an eight night cruise on the Lady M . We were picked up from the caravan park and taken to the boat in the early afternoon, settled into our cabin to begin the cruise of a lifetime. There are 10 passengers and 4 crew....captain Bill, first mate Max and two Belgian girls Helen and Leen. Crew and guests eat every meal together and already we feel like one big happy family. Dinner at the captain's table EVERY night!
The boat is beautiful, state of the art and comfortable with two dining areas, air conditioned cabins with ensuite bathrooms, a library, semi-circular bar, lounge area, kitchen and spa. We guests help ourselves to fruit, alcohol, tea, coffee and soft drinks and have access to all areas of the boat including the bridge and excepting the kitchen. (What a shame)!
On the first day and overnight we cruised north from Broome to Cape Levique and then eastwards to the Bucaneer Archipelago. The seas were calm and the LadyM cruises at 10 nautical miles per hour. We will have covered 800 nautical miles by the time we dock in Broome.
Thursday 6.9.12
Breakfast was at 7am, after which we stopped for fishing. All of us had rods and the catch consisted of 3 keepers and quite a few small ones..
We went further up to see the cliff faces pushed up at amazing angles in the far distant past.
Our trip to Raft Pt ended with disappointment as it was too rough for us to get out of the tender which was bouncing on the rocks. Leen,one of the Belgian staff, climbed overboard to help the others push the boat back into deeper water and disappeared suddenly. She had misjudged the depth and came up spluttering and laughing and won a mention in the 'highlights of the day'. The 'highlights' occur every night after dinner when each person, crew included, says what they thought was a highlight for them. We are never at a loss for a highlight on this beautiful trip! We will go to Raft Pt. on the way back.
Then back to the LadyM for relaxation, drinks and nibbles on the back deck. Dinner was mackerel and fried rice followed by Tiramasu for desert while watched the sharks swim back and forth behind the boat. Saw a sea snake too.
What an amazing day.
Thanks to Travacalm for my settled stomach. I'm amazed that I am loving this experience and not seasick.
Friday 7.9.12
Up for the usual breakfast of yoghurt, fruit, muesli, toast, juice, tea or coffee at 7am. Those who wanted to, went in the tender to put crab traps in the mangroves.. hoping to see some crocs too but there was only one small one. The floats for the traps had to be thrown high up in the trees to accommodate the 10 mtr tide. Unfortunately we only caught 3 so will have to go again tomorrow so we have enough to feed 14 of us.
Dinner was an exceptional lasagne with salad and a good red followed by delicious fruit kebabs drizzled with chocolate. The company is congenial and we all seem to be getting on well together and enjoying each others company.
Most of us had a fish off the marlin board but the catch was four sharks, a few of which we kept for bait. Sunset was stunning.
Saturday 8.9.12
Woke early to watch the sunrise ....Just magic as the rays spread over the rippled water with vibrant colour, lighting everything with red-gold. Sunsets are stunning every night too.
After breakfast, we went in the tender crock-hunting up Red Cone Creek. We motored through the mangroves which were amazing.... So many small inlets it was a wonder we didn't get lost. We only saw three small crocs, a Brahminy Kite, a few sandpipers. The mud flats were extensive with lots of bright red crabs dotted about like fallen flowers. It was eerie and only needed some 'psycho' style music to complement the threatening silence. We felt many eyes upon us!
After morning coffee and a cupcake, another boat went out loaded with hopeful fishermen. Everyone is slapping on the suncream and hats and being aware of the danger of the strong sun and glare. We are getting very brown. 
The afternoon activity was a trip in the tenders to Ruby Falls... A very pretty place reached by a scramble over rocks to the plunge pool. We swam under the falls, floated on our backs and finally had a mud bath in the fine blue-grey mud. We washed off and headed back to the boat.
Two of us went out with captain and First UMate to pull up the crab traps again. A total haul of 14. Craig and Glenn have been doing a lot of fishing ... Craig catching sharks and Glenn not catching anything until today when to his delight, he hauled in a shark too. Don't know where the fish are!
By 9pm everyone has retired to cabins, sleepy after busy days. The boat moored at Raft Pt. overnight until 2.30am.
Sunday 9.9.12
At 2.30 am we upped anchor and steamed on to Doubtful Bay and then between Augustus Is. and the mainland, through Pt George IV and into Hanover Bay. The cliffs of the Kimberley coast have the most amazing colours and rock formations and they light up at sunset with deep red ochre colour. The water is so blue in comparison and the beauty of it is awesome.
Max cooking the crab catch. We put them on ice first to put them to sleep.
We couldn't swim in the plunge pool because of the crocs so we climbed up to the pools at the top of the falls which are crocodile free and wallowed in the warm, clear water there. We had to abseil down the final section of the walk to reach the water.
The True North cruiser was there just before us and some of their guests had flown in by helicopter to the top of the falls. Hate to think what that cost them! True North is luxury plus but carries 40 passengers so not as intimate as our group of 10.
Monday 10.9.12.
It's a bit sad to know we are now heading south on our way back to Broome.
After breakfast we went by tender to Sheep Island which has graves of early settlers who perished there along with their stock. Among them was Mary Pascoe who gave birth to a baby girl, the first child born in the new settlement. Mary died soon after the birth, probably from haemorrage, and the babe a few weeks later. There is a time capsule there detailing their names, ages and cause of death and a huge Boab tree heavily carved, which has stood for more than 300 years. Eventually, the remaining 25 people were rescued.
Kapok flowers
Tuesday 11.9.12 Raft Point.
We then steamed on to Raft Point after lunch, with the lines trawling out the back but not much luck. Later, on the hand lines we caught Baracuda, thumbprints, trevally and pink perch. Glenn was happy to get a good-sized fish that was not a shark!
After anchoring some of us did the rigorous climb up Raft Pt. to see. The wonderful aboriginal art work there under over-hanging rocks. There were upside down Wadjinas, dugongs, male and female figures all well protected from thr elements in deep shade. They are not often seen as this Kimberley Coast is only accessable by boat.
We caught really large trevally today on hand lines off the back of the LadyM... Well Arthur did anyway... Fishing before breakfast. We steamed all day until Crocodile Creek where we had a swim. It was crowded with guests off the Orion.. a huge passenger ship with 110 guests and 70 crew. They all had to wear life jackets and the crew had set up awnings to protect them from the sun, and served cocktails. There was a saxophonist with a Spanish hat as well. It was so over the top! If they needed anything, it was a didgeridoo being played by an Aboriginal which would at least have been more culturally appropriate! There was a family too whose Dad worked in the iron ore mine on Coolum Island. To escape the crowd a few of us climbed the waterfall up to the top pool which was clear and warm and quiet! There was a bit of excitement when a water monitor swam across in front of us and climbed the bank and frightened Jacky who shouted 'croc', along with a colorful expletive!
Craig and Glenn with Glenn's mackerel being returned to the deep.
Back to the LadyM where we moored over a reef in Yampi Sound, in the hope of catching more fish. We fished, played Rummy Cub and had a cheese platter for nibbles on the bow while we talked and watched the sunset. The after light was spectacular with orange/purple colour spread across the horizon against a deep mulberry sky, all of which reflected on the rippled surface of the sea. Just magic!
Dinner was creamy chicken and meatball vol-au-vonts with a huge salad, followed by a rich chocolate mousse. Several hours later most people headed for bed.... 9 pm is about as long as we last after days of sun, fishing, swimming and exploring.
What a phenomenal experience this trip is!
Wednesday 12.9.12.
Our last full day onThe LadyM.
Glenn with brave Max who is carrying the 'croc donger'!
The lines were out behind the boat as we headed round Cape Levique and south towards Broome and every time we got a fish we radioed the bridge with a call of "fish,fish" and the engines were cut while the fish was reeled in, sometimes one each line at the same time. Most of it was tuna which kept Max busy with the filleting knives. Ate a lot of delicious sashimi at happy hour.
The seas were the roughest we had experienced and remained so all night as we moved south.
Thursday 13.9.12
We awoke early to find ourselves moored calmly in Broome Hbr. had breakfast and wrote in the guest book. Helen had done a printout of names contact details for us all. We packed up and watched Bill and Max expertly bring the LadyM alongside the jetty. The end of one of our most memorable adventures.
Captain Bill, Leen and Helen from Belgium, First Mate Max with Jenni and Glenn.
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