The Horizontal Falls is one of Australia’s strangest natural sights. It’s a rare mix of rugged coastal terrain and strong tides that attracts large groups of people willing to pay a lot to see it up close. But soon things will be different.
Ocean waves crash between two small cracks in cliffsforming a wave that resembles a waterfall and can reach up to four meters high. Talbot Bay is a remote location on the northwest coast of the country. The indigenous traditional owners of the area are unhappy with this situation because they claim the land is sacred. For decades, tourists in sturdy boats have passed through these holes.
There are also other problems with boat tours. In May 2022, a boat hit rocks, injuring people and requiring a large-scale rescue operation. After the event, there were calls for travel to be halted for safety reasons.
Although the boat tours continue, Western Australia, the state where the falls are located, responded to concerns from Indigenous traditional owners by saying they would not be permitted in 2028, out of respect.
You can always see things up close. Not everyone likes change. The WA Tourism Council, which represents the state’s tourism industry, says it will make people less likely to travel there and lead to many job losses.
Residents remained respectful to the horizontal falls
The Dambeemangaddee people have lived in this area for 56,000 years and believe boats are polluting the falls. However, they still accepted the boats. Location: Horizontal Falls is in the Kimberley region, 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) north of Perth, the state capital. They are part of Maiyalam, one of three protected marine parks created in 2022 with the help of traditional owners and the Western Australian government.
In response to complaints about its commitment to protecting Indigenous sites in a state with significant mining, the Western Australian government has taken action. By the end of 2026, no other boat tour companies in Talbot Bay will be operating any further trips. The main company, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, will no longer fly over the falls after March 2028.
Whatever happens, boats will still be able to pass through Talbot Bay. This will allow people to get a close look at what British naturalist David Attenborough called “Australia’s most unusual natural attraction”. WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby said in a statement: “This decision shows that the government has two duties: to respect the cultural environment. views of traditional owners and to protect and support WA’s tourism industry.
“We want people to experience Indigenous culture as an important and exciting part of visiting Western Australia’s jointly managed national and marine parks.” Many Aboriginal groups had lived in Western Australia (WA) for more than 50,000 years before the arrival of the British and their violent takeover in the 1780s. The Dambeemangaddee was one of them. Then, a huge amount of Native American land was seized or destroyed.
Honor the power of this place
By banning horizontal falls, this place will become sacred again. The natives of the region believe that boats passing through these gaps disturb Woongudd, the magical serpent who created this astonishing spectacle.
The story of Woongudd is found in the Dreamtime, an old book of stories and rules that shaped the lives of Aboriginal Australians. People say Woongudd moves water on the falls by sliding between the rocks. Boat tours harm this “powerful and sacred place,” the Dambeemangaddee said in response to the ban. This is what traditional owners have been saying since the 1990s.
“This journey has been hard for many of us,” they said. “This choice gives us the feeling of finally being heard. » They lived there for a whole year and we can still feel their presence. It’s a quiet place. But it could be dangerous. In their society, traditional owners only crossed cracks in rocks at the right time and for a certain reason.
The Dambeemangaddee have made it clear that they want people to continue to visit the Horizontal Falls. There, people believe that visitors can be courteous and still be in awe of the tides. They advised tourists: “Respect the power of this place and our cultural obligations to care for the country and keep you safe. » They were discussing their historical role as natural protectors of Australia.
The Dambeemangaddee said they had begun producing new films and brochures that would discuss their cultural and spiritual connections to Talbot Bay before the ban on horizontal falls. In addition, they are creating new circuits, hospitality activities and a tourist management strategy in the region.
The ban, opponents say, will result in fewer people attending. Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures said in a statement that it will transition to a “culturally appropriate program that will allow visitors to experience the spectacular natural wonder of Horizontal Falls in a respectful context.”
What the authorities say about it
Evan Hall, CEO of the Tourism Council WA, has voiced his opposition to restricting boats in the autumn. According to him, people have been practicing this activity in the Kimberley for a very long time. He said his ban would harm fifteen tourism-related businesses and eliminate approximately fifty-eight full-time jobs in the region.
As Hall said earlier this month, the falls allow visitors to experience the unique and amazing quality of this unique place. “You can’t look at it from the sidelines and understand it.” Everyone has access to and ownership of national park lands and water. By law, national parks must promote and facilitate public recreation and nature-based tourism. Restricting guest access is ineffective in achieving this goal.
Sally Shaw, CEO of Kimberley Day Cruise, however, supported the restriction. She informed CNN that the trips to the horizontal falls offered by her organization only take place near the cliffs and not through them. She said it was risky and disrespectful to the traditional owners of the falls to drill holes into it.
According to Shaw, “We don’t go over the falls for safety and cultural reasons, and our tour never has. » “Most of the people on these tours are familiar with different cultures and know that the future is a secure national treasure that we can all enjoy. »