All in a day’s work
Seaplanes, sharks and fast-moving tides – just another day at the office for Hayley ‘Daisy’ O’Donnell, who shares the beauty and power of the extraordinary Horizontal Falls with those lucky enough to visit.
WORDS Tess Durack
Tucked into Western Australia’s McLarty Range, the remarkable Horizontal Falls (Garaanngaddim )are created by surging ocean currents rushing through two gorges. Water on one side builds up faster than it can flow through, creating up to four-metre ‘waterfalls’ flowing horizontally between the two sides. The flow’s direction shifts with the tides, which can rise and fall up to 12 metres a day, making the falls as unique as they are spectacular.
It takes a special kind of person to navigate these remote and untamed waters. Someone who understands the tides and can manage seaplanes, pontoons and power boats. For Hayley O’Donnell – better known as Daisy to her crew and guests – it’s more than a job. It’s a calling.
Daisy was just a teenager when she realised she was made for outdoor adventures. Swapping school for a full-time traineeship at a local dive shop in her hometown of Jervis Bay (Booderee) in NSW, she secured her dive masters, Certificate III in tourism, and coxswains’ ticket by the time she was 18. “And then I was off,” she says.
First stop: Cairns (Gimuy). “I got straight off the plane and walked up and down the esplanade handing out my CV – I landed a job on a dive boat the next day!” Then it was three years on Lizard Island honing her knowledge of tropical marine life and her talents as a guide. A stint as a ranger at the remote El Questro station in the Kimberley sparked an enduring curiosity for geology. Then it was further west to the remarkable Kimberley coastline, where the Horizontal Falls cast its spell over her.
As Senior Master and now Assistant Marine Operations Manager, Daisy is based on the Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures pontoon at Talbot Bay, a floating hub in the heart of this remote wilderness. Nestled between cliffs, the pontoon rests on calm, turquoise waters, a short boat ride from the Horizontal Falls.
Accessible only by seaplane or boat, the pontoon includes three comfortable houseboats for overnight guests and the staff who call Talbot Bay home for weeks at a time.
From the pontoon, Daisy manages the complex choreography of seaplanes, watercraft and guests before guiding boats through the spectacular Horizontal Falls.
Here, Daisy shares an average day in a very un-average job.
THE STORYTELLER
We spend a day in the life of Hayley ‘Daisy’ O’Donnell, Senior Master and Assistant Marine Operations Manager at Horizontal Falls.
My first priority? Coffee! Then, I print out the day’s tour plans and confirm guest numbers, weather conditions, and any last-minute changes. In peak season, with up to six tours a day catering to morning, afternoon, and overnight guests, scheduling and communication are everything.
I gather the crew – about 20 of us – for a briefing and to assign skippers and deckhands. Then, I inspect and start up the fast boats to ensure they’re operational and ready for the day.
The first seaplanes touch down, and we spring into action. Docking a moving plane requires skill, timing, and a well-executed lasso to secure the aircraft as it comes into dock – they don’t call it ‘catching planes’ for nothing. With the morning’s passengers delivered and the overnight guests farewelled, the day’s first transition is complete. Tours are all carefully timed to align with the shifting tides, ensuring each group of around 30 experiences the Horizontal Falls at their most spectacular.
I lead an Acknowledgement of Country (Dambimangari Country) and deliver a safety and itinerary briefing. If there’s limited time to catch the falls in action, it’s a ‘Falls ASAP’ situation, and we take a boat straight there, adapting the tour’s schedule. But usually, the day begins with an up close and personal encounter (from the safety of an enclosed cage) with the local tawny nurse sharks, who play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem. It’s a theme I love sharing with our guests – how every element of this extraordinary environment is interconnected.
It’s time for the power boats to make the trip to the awe-inspiring Horizontal Falls, where they’ll witness the powerful tides rushing through gaps in the cliffs. We make runs through the white water and, in quieter moments, share what the area means to the Dambimangari people. We tell how rising seas drowned the landscape, creating the maze of islands, deep channels and narrow gorges we see today.
After the rush of the falls comes the serenity of a slow glide along Cyclone Creek (Talbot Creek) where the ancient and striking rock formations – sandstone twisted and contorted over two billion years by immense geological pressure – are a haven for wildlife. The tiny passageways between the mangroves of the creek’s upper reaches are ideal for spotting salties (saltwater crocodiles), turtles, and – if you’re lucky – a dugong. The bay’s more open waters reveal tawny nurse sharks, lemon sharks, black tip reef sharks, and the occasional hammerhead.
Back at the pontoon, after a cool drink, the morning guests head off, and the crew and I get ready to ‘catch’ the next set of afternoon planes. A quick lunch and the energy of the arriving guests keeps our momentum high.
The routine may repeat, but no two tours are the same. The tides have turned, the light has shifted, and each new group comes with fresh excitement and new questions.
As the day’s last tour winds down, the team and I ‘reset’ for the overnight visitors and the next day’s tours, washing down the boats and performing maintenance checks.
Our overnight guests soak up a magical Talbot Bay sunset with nibbles and drinks while our chef prepares their Kimberley-caught wild Barramundi dinner.
I climb onto the pontoon’s rooftop to gaze at the Kimberley night sky. With no light pollution, the stars blaze as I relish the stillness before another action-packed day.