03 Jul 2025

In a while, Crocodile – Zodiac cruising at Porosus Creek

With calm water in the harbour, we were treated to a morning adventure through Porosus Creek, one of the main tributaries feeding into the Hunter River. Zodiac cruising along the muddy shores as the tide was dropping, we encountered luscious mangrove forests, steep mud banks filled with Mudskipper fish and Flame-backed Fiddler Crabs. We had great success with our search for crocodiles since Porosus Creek is named after Crocodylus porosus. We had our cup well and truly filled to overflowing with about 6 spectacular crocodiles spotted, some in the water and others hauled out on the muddy banks, basking in the warm morning sun. The river also provided viewings of Snubfin Dolphins, and we were escorted by a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins on our return to Heritage Adventurer. The dolphins then got distracted by some fish that were worthy of being lunch, and we were also ready for a tasty treat on board.

For those of us not cruising the day away up Porosus Creek, we took an absolutely stunning scenic helicopter flight up to Punamii-uunpuu/Mitchell Falls – an incredible four-tiered waterfall cascading down the richly coloured red sandstone plateau. Some of us saw Monjons, the smallest rock wallaby in Australia and endemic to a small area of the Kimberley. Some of us even went for a soak in the freshwater ponds at the top, enjoying the cooling effect of the water lilies.

The afternoon excursion was a Zodiac cruise to the famed geological feature of the area, "Thor's Hammer," as the sandstone is precariously balanced upon a column of breccia; nobody dared to breathe. We explored sea caves and mangroves, spotting various birds, crocodiles and some more dolphins - this time the Australian Humpback Dolphins milled around as we explored the area. Overall, a great success!

Images © E. Bell, Heritage Expeditions