The ultimate guide to visiting Horizontal Falls

Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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A unique natural phenomenon in the striking Kimberleys, Horizontal Falls is an underrated Australian wonder.

No photos can do justice to Horizontal Falls, the secret treasure of The Kimberleys that were so named by Sir David Attenborough himself, who also described them as “one of the greatest natural wonders in the world". There’s no way to get here on your own, but there are several tour options to experience this incredible natural phenomenon (including a stay on a floating luxury houseboat) – from day trips to spending a few nights on a liveaboard.

Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures jetboat through Horizontal Falls
Zoom through the Horizontal Falls on a jetboat.

What are the Horizontal Falls?

The Kimberley coast (and the northwest of Australia) has the highest tides on the continent, with a difference of up to 10 metres between low and high tide. These rapidly changing tides force themselves in and out of this large ocean inlet known as Talbot Bay, located around 250 kilometres from Broome, and consequently fights itself to rush through two small gaps (one 20 metres wide, the other only 10) in the Maclarty Ranges. The result? The Horizontal Falls. While not technically waterfalls, this rush of the changing tide does indeed mean that the water on one side is higher than the other, and that the water flows in different directions – something that is ever-changing depending on the tide flow. These aren’t the only falls of their kind in the world, but they are the deepest and most forceful.

aerial view of Horizontal Falls
See Horizontal Falls from above. (Image: Kassia Byrnes)

They also hold strong cultural significance to the Traditional Owners of Dambeemangarddee Country, who have lived on this sacred land for 56,000 years. They named this place Lalang-garram: a Worrorra word meaning ‘the saltwater as a spiritual place as well as a place of natural abundance’. And tell of how much of this Country was created by the writhing actions of a female Woongudd Snake. Woongudd’s power is most obvious in the movement of tides and whirlpools in the region, such as at Garaanngaddim (Horizontal Falls). The power of the whirlpools is the constant, visible and real manifestation and reminder of the presence and potency of Lalai (Law.)

“The Lalang-gaddam Marine Park Joint Management Plan is a modern way for us to remember our elders and ancestors," the Traditional Owners shared in a statement. The falls are on Aboriginal Reserve Land, meaning they have exclusive possession native title over the area. As such, local tour operators work with them to ensure visitors here are respectful, such as no longer driving speed boats through the middle of the smaller gap, as it, specifically, is sacred.

How do you get to the Horizontal Falls?

You must book a Horizontal Falls tour, all of which leave from either Broome or Derby. You’ll need to catch a seaplane or helicopter over the approximately 1.8 billion-year-old landscape for about an hour until you reach the falls and land in Talbot Bay. You can find direct flights to Broome from Perth and now Sydney as well. You can fly to Derby from Broome, book a Greyhound Australia bus during the week, or drive 2.5 hours.

Horizontal Falls Seaplane
Catch a seaplane from Broome or Derby. (Image: Kassia Byrnes)

The best time to visit Horizontal Falls

The tour season is from May to September (depending on the weather and the wet season), while the tides are at their highest and therefore the Horizontal Falls at their most spectacular. While this may be winter, with temperatures typically ranging from 20 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius, it’s actually the perfect time to be in Western Australia.

Horizontal Falls tours

Tour options range from half or full day in and out, to luxury liveaboard packages that include all food and activities. While you’re there, tour activities can include jetboats through the Horizontal Falls, swimming with sharks (you’ll be safe in a glass box), helicopter rides (unmissable), fishing, boat tours around the rest of Talbot Bay and more. Discover all your options at our comprehensive guide to Horizontal Falls tours here.

Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures over Talbot Bay
Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Talbot Bay.
Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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The ultimate Margaret River road trip itinerary for food & wine lovers

    Monique CeccatoBy Monique Ceccato
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    Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

    Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

    In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

    Day 1

    the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay
    Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

    There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

    Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

    Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

    Day 2

    After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

    Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering  dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

    Day 3

    Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

    With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

    Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

    Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

    For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

    Day 4

    Pair'd Beach Club
    Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.

    Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

    Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

    If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

    Day 5

    pair'd Grand Tasting
    Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

    Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

    Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

    Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

    Day 6

    Ngilgi Cave western australia
    Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

    After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

    Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

    Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

    Day 7

    Burnt Ends event at Pair'd
    Farewell the Margaret River.

    Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

    Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

    Pair’d Margaret River Region is proudly owned by the Western Australian Government, through Tourism WA.