Aboard Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures 26-metre Jetwave Pearl, moored in Cyclone Creek at the head of Talbot Bay (Ganbadba) in Western Australia’s magnificent Kimberley, the chef is constantly creating ways to make the dining experience unforgettable.

Our overnighter is jam-packed – estuary cruising, a meet-and-greet with tawny nurse sharks, lessons on the history of Horizontal Falls (Garaangaddim), and a chartered fishing excursion that might be rewarded with barramundi, threadfin, mangrove jack, black jewfish or mud crabs.

For lunch, the chef prepares local barramundi with a beurre blanc sauce, cauliflower purée, barley and celeriac. There’s an almond and strawberry fruit tart to follow.

The Horizontal Falls Luxury Overnight Stay Tour is 24 hours of pure Kimberley, an ancient, majestic landscape in Australia’s north-west, embracing 423,000 square kilometres.

The sleek Jetwave Pearl, refitted and recommissioned in 2022, has 10 cabins for a maximum of 20 guests. Cabins on the main and upper decks (12 sqm) have a double bed and elegant ensuite; two premium cabins (16 sqm) have a queen-size bed, ensuite and balcony. Most cabins are named after pearls – mine for the lustrous keshi, the Japanese word for poppy seed. Big picture windows frame a landscape of rich sandstones, volcanic basalt, dolerite and siltstone, and a botanical feast of eucalypts, woodlands and native pines.

On the lower deck is the dining room. In the kitchen, Chef is smearing chocolate over baking paper. They’ll become shards to bedeck a chocolate ganache dessert with crème anglaise. Taking shape, too, is dinner: slow-cooked eye fillet with smoky baba ghanoush, parmesan wafers, tiny asparagus spears and a beetroot glaze.

For a chef, the region is fertile pickings. From the pristine waters come the Kimberley’s star turn – barramundi – plus pearl meat and mud crabs. Beef is produced on the vast pastoral leases throughout the region. Thanks to the creation of the Ord River Irrigation Area in the 1960s, there’s an abundance of maize, chickpeas, borlotti beans, melons, pumpkins and mangoes. The region is also home to small-batch coffee roasters and unique distilleries that produce craft gin, rum and whisky.

According to Nina Letissier, who presided over the kitchen this past season, the Horizontal Falls Luxury Overnight Stay is as memorable for the chef as it is for guests. “The backdrop of breathtaking scenery, dramatic cliffs and clear waters provide a stunning backdrop that enhances the whole experience. Not to mention the wildlife that surrounds the boat – sharks, turtles, eagles, crocodiles, fish, rock wallabies. I fell in love with this peaceful yet constantly changing place,” she says.

While the private chef creates unique dishes, beautifully presented and full of flavour – Letissier especially loves making ceviche from the local catch – nature provides her own little luxuries: from the spectacular Horizontal Falls to pink and orange sunsets. Be dazzled by the latter from the houseboat’s back deck and possibly the most seductive charcuterie board ever assembled at sea.

As the sun rises over the Kimberley, the experience has come to an end. The farewell from our chef is the perfect breakfast – sourdough toast balancing a poached egg and pesto hollandaise, smoked salmon and heirloom tomatoes. The perfect sign-off to a true bucket-list experience.