Broome to Horizontal Falls: Scenic Flight & Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm Lunch

4.91

(260 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Hands pressed to the window, I watched red earth give way to endless blue as our little plane lifted out of Broome. The pilot — Dave, who grew up around here — pointed out cattle stations and those wild-looking Devonian rocks. He kept tossing in stories about the land and the tides, half shouting over the hum of the engine. I tried to snap a photo but mostly just stared; it’s hard not to when King Sound glints like that.

The main event was flying over Horizontal Falls. It’s quick — blink and you might miss it — but you feel this weird jolt in your chest as the water squeezes through those cliffs. Dave said Attenborough called it one of the world’s wonders. I believe him. After that came a blur of islands (Buccaneer Archipelago, he said), all twisted shapes and swirling tides below us. There was a moment where everything went quiet except for the propeller and I just let my head fall back against the seat for a second.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm is nothing like I expected — not fancy, more like someone’s old homestead with big smiles and salty air everywhere. We had barramundi for lunch (I tried to say “barramundi” in Yawuru; Li behind the counter laughed kindly at my attempt). The fish was crisp on top, soft inside, with this tangy sauce I still think about sometimes. After eating we wandered into their pearl shed; holding one of those luminous pearls felt oddly heavy for something so small. A quick swim in their infinity pool cooled us off before piling back onto the plane.

The flight back skimmed along Cape Leveque’s red cliffs and Cable Beach’s white stretch — sun almost too bright on the water. I kept thinking how close everything looks from above but how far apart it feels on foot out here. So yeah, if you want a day trip from Broome that actually feels like you’ve left town — this is it.