Travelling at a maximum speed of five knots (approximately 9km) our tour boat, Gigetta, glided through the tannin-stained waters of the Donnelly River. We were heading towards the river mouth 25km south west of Pemberton on the south coast of Western Australia.
As the boat weaved between fallen tree branches and submerged logs our skipper, Shaun, seemed completely relaxed behind the steering wheel as he navigated a path for his quite large 31-passenger tour boat with one-handed ease through the tricky course.
We had set out from the Donnelly boat landing, 12km upstream from the river mouth which (because of the narrowness of the river) is about as far inland as is navigable by most boats. The river starts around 130km further inland between Bridgetown and Manjimup, but surrounding dense undergrowth prevents any form of boating travel for most of its length.
We had picked a quiet, midweek day towards the end of summer for our cruise. As it turned out there were only a half dozen other passengers on board. For all of us I think this was a bonus. It gave plenty of opportunity to interact with questions and discussions with our very knowledgeable skipper, as well as to freely move around the boat to take in the views, wildlife and other items of interest on the way. The Gigetta also had a viewing platform along each side of the roof, which enabled passengers to look up high into the trees along the river banks.
Our phone booking was made the day before and, as arranged, we were picked up by bus from a car park at the entrance to Karri Valley Resort. We also left our vehicle and caravan there for the four hours or so we would be away. Other regular pick-up spots for cruise passengers include the Pemberton and Manjimup visitors’ centres, where bookings for the trip can also be made.
In tall timber karri country on the way to the Donnelly River
As we travelled the 15-minute bus journey from the pick-up point, the driver, who was also our boat skipper, quickly had us at ease with his commentary before we had even seen the river or our cruise boat. The area around this south west region of the state was tall timber karri, marri and jarrah country, which gave way to more coastal vegetation closer to the river.
Once aboard the boat, Shaun’s knowledge of the river and surrounding areas proved to be phenomenal. The way he engaged his handful of passengers, drawing out questions and encouraging thought and reasoning, made the trip educational amid a very scenic experience. He has been running this cruise for around eight years and his love for the river and the local area really shows through.
Birdlife at the mouth of the Donnelly River
One of the intriguing features of our cruise on the Donnelly to its mouth into the Southern Ocean, is the fact that there are no roads or tracks nearby. The only practical way to get anywhere near the lower reaches of this pristine waterway is by boat.
With the river bordered on either side by the D’Entrecasteaux National Park and tall timber forests giving way to heathlands, paperbarks, wetlands, then colourful limestone cliffs and sand dunes, the constantly changing biodiversity of the river and its surrounds provided a splendid variety of scenery. It prompted plenty of discussion on history, ecology and geology along the way. From early research it is believed that the river was named after a Rear Admiral Donnelly following exploration of the area by Lieutenant William Preston of the Royal Navy in 1831.
Colin on the gangway of Gigetta at the river mouth
As we got closer to the coast, the river noticeably widened. In these lower reaches the speed limit rises to a maximum of 8 knots. We were not in a hurry, however, and Shaun kept us meandering along at a steady pace, stopping or slowing from time to time when wildlife or something of interest came into view.
During our cruise Shaun also pointed out the eerie sight of burnt stands of timber and foliage along the riverbank, the result of a large bush fire that tore through in December 2010. Much of the area, however, is now well on the way to recovery.
Limestone cliffs near the river mouth
We learnt that the Donnelly, while it has quite a large catchment area, it is also spring fed from part of the huge Yaragadee aquifer that spreads underground across a wide section of WA’s south-west corner. One result of this continual water flow is that at its mouth, the river breaks through the natural sandbanks on quite a regular basis and flows out into the sea. Even in summer, when most other south-west rivers receive very little bolstering from catchment water and can become land-locked for several months, the Donnelly opens up to the sea every three weeks or so. As we approached the river mouth, it was clear that one of these regular openings had recently occurred, perhaps only a day or so earlier.
Shaun holds court
Another intriguing feature of this lower section of the river is the colourful shacks dotted along the river bank. Shaun explains that there are actually no permanent residents in any of the 43 leasehold properties here (some 80 or 90 years old) but they are usually pretty on weekends and in holiday periods. If you really wanted to get away from it all for a holiday break and still enjoy a high degree of comfort, this would have to be one of the best spots you could imagine … and with shack names including Fibbers Cottage, Bullant Lodge and Lakkanookie, the owners here are obviously an interesting, colourful lot.
The only form of transport along the river is by boat
Shaun told us that good size marron are a real attraction for the ‘locals’ here, as well as black bream and even trout that have been introduced into the waterway. There was also plenty of evidence of birdlife with darters, ducks, terns and many other waterbirds sharing the Donnelly River.
With such a healthy habitat, it was also not surprising to learn that early Noongar Aboriginal people hunted and lived in this lovely area. Even today there can be found not far from the river mouth, a number of abalone shell middens as well as ceremonial, burial and other sacred sites.
Burnt vegetation along the river
At the river mouth passengers have the opportunity to disembark and take a walk on this remote section of Southern Ocean beach where it was easy to see that we had the whole place to ourselves – not another footprint to be seen. That was, until a small dinghy came down the river and its four friendly occupants came for a stroll on the very same beach we had, only 15 minutes earlier, declared ‘our very own private piece of paradise’ – all good fun in such an isolated corner of WA.
On our return journey up river, our skipper produced for morning tea some delicious (claimed to be ‘famous’) muffins which he boasted he cooked himself – from a secret recipe – before the cruise. Tea and coffee were also served and, if you take an afternoon cruise, passengers who have brought their own drinks often declare happy hour with a cold beer or wine as the boat slowly motors the 12km return trip back to where we started.
All the while Shaun continues his stories of the river and its history. He indeed has plenty of facts at his fingertips as well as some tall tales about the goings on here that had us intrigued and entertained. For instance, when you take the Donnelly cruise, ask him about the fact and fiction stories behind the extensive pile of large, strange looking black basalt rocks along the foreshore near the shacks.
Yes, this trip is full of fascinating stuff indeed. And by the way, as Shaun hands out a second muffin to his passengers, most agree that his claimed ‘famous’ tag for the cakes might just stick.
