RAINFOREST RAVINE (14o 52.0’S, 125o 13.7’E) – Chart AUS 729
Rainforest Ravine
Freshwater
YORK SOUND
Caves
LOCATION and APPROACH
Rainforest Ravine is one of the most beautiful and untouched
areas of the Kimberley. The ravine is located in the eastern
part of York Sound, directly north of the Anderdon Islands
and approximately 3 miles east of Kartja Island. Approach to
the mouth of the inlet is clear and deep. However, the inlet
shoals gradually over the first half mile and all but dries on LWS for the next 2 or 3 miles.
Protection from the east through north and around to the west can be found on either side of the mouth
of the inlet. Alternatively, the large bay in the Anderdon Islands, 4nm to the south, offers protection
from the south.
LOWER RAINFOREST RAVINE - The inlet is clear of obstructions for a couple of miles upstream.
On the rising tide, take the dinghy through the narrow bit, around
a mangrove island, and anchor the dinghy across the round
boulders (left) so that it can be reached on your return to here at
about high tide. Beware of the big resident crocodile.
While walking across the
boulders where the fresh
water is running, keep a
good look out for reptiles
other than crocs.
This
"scary" little goanna (right) can bail up a person trying to pass
through on the way upstream.
The overhanging rocks on
both the eastern and
western sides of the
ravine are worth a look on
the way through to the
upper
reaches
of
Rainforest Ravine.
Following the crystal clear
waters upstream through the cool sandy paperbark forest you will
soon come to a side creek (right) rising off to the west. You can
explore this creek for hundreds of metres, and it seems to go much further, possibly up to a spring.
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UPPER RAINFOREST RAVINE
Back in the main ravine, the
rainforest
starts.
Then
there is the sensational
bloom of lavender flowers
amongst
the
sandstone
boulders (left) and the
dense cover of herringbone
ferns on the eastern bank
of the ravine (right).
Further upstream the scenery just gets better with clear pools
of water flowing gently over well rounded rocks and other
deeper pools with reflections of the forest and a fallen tree
(left). This just has to be the most beautiful area of untouched
rainforest on the Kimberley coast, and the charter boats don't
go there. Yet!
THE BEACH CAVES
While
in the York
Sound area, check out
the little bay to the
east of the Anderdon
Islands (marked on the
map above) with the
most
amazing
cave
system. The caves are
only accessible from the beach at low tide as the swell thunders
through the rocks and into the caves above half tide level.
There is a lunchtime day anchorage over sand in the bay just off the caves.
Beware of the sudden onset of the strong westerly sea breeze in York Sound late in the cruising season.