This is one that I particularly like from a flight over the East Kimberley between Christmas and New Year 2008.

Wet season aerial view of the Lower Ord River in the East Kimberley.

The Ord River image was taken during a wet season helicopter flight  between Christmas and New Year 2008.  The East Kimberley had recently enjoyed heavy rain, the results of which can be seen in the image.  The country was a vibrant green, and it still remains one of my favourite shots.  We spent two full days shooting and filming, utilizing two helicopters and a fixed wing plane over King George Falls, beginning just before dawn, and filling several memory cards and many hours of tape on the way.

View other East Kimberley images and the full-sized Ord River image here.

Kimberley Media’s Lower Ord River image featured in American Outside Magazine.

(© Richard Costin | Kimberley Media 2013)

The wet season provides a photographic feast of opportunity as storms roll in, providing drama and colour, and sometimes drenching rain.   The image below was taken on Cockatoo Island looking over Yampi Sound.

A dramatic wet season sunset casts a golden light over Cockatoo Island in Yampi Sound on the Kimberley coast.                (© Richard Costin | Kimberley Media 2013)

You can view the gallery of new images below.

TEDxPerth 2012 took place on Saturday 8 December 2012 at the Octagon Theatre at the University of Western Australia. Over 500 people attended in person and listeners all over the country enjoyed the day by tuning in to the live broadcast on digital radio.

11-20 Sept. 2013

$5,500 pp twin share Double or twin deluxe cabin / $4,800 pp twin share standard twin cabin.

Contact us for more information.

Click below to view brochure.

AAP

January 29, 20134:29PM

THE West Australian government’s bid to ease community anger over industrial projects in the Kimberley has continued with the creation of a new marine park at Eighty Mile Beach.

The area, situated on the coastline between Broome and Port Hedland, will be protected by a new marine park which extends almost 210,000 hectares from 30km west of Cape Keraudren in the south to 10km south of Cape Missiessy in the northeast.

Over four years $5.3 million has been committed to establishing the park, which will cost $1.4 million a year to maintain.

Environment Minister Bill Marmion says about 70 per cent of the marine park will be for general use, allowing commercial and recreational activities, including pearl and recreational fishing, to take place.

About a quarter of the park’s key habitats will be protected in sanctuary zones, Mr Marmion said.

It follows yesterday’s announcement that the world-renowned Horizontal Falls at Talbot Bay will be part of a new national park to protect its natural beauty and cultural significance.

Mr Barnett was heckled by angry protesters when he arrived in the town on Sunday for a pre-election visit, eventually promising to hold a public forum to discuss the controversial project.

World Wildlife Fund Australia spokesperson Paul Gamblin says the new park is desperately needed.

“Eighty Mile Beach provides vital habitat for threatened species like turtles, dugong and sawfish,” Mr Gamblin says.

“With drilling rigs and mining equipment now becoming a regular sight in the Kimberley, there is great concern about the region’s future. The new parks must signal a beginning of much greater focus on protection, rather than exploitation.”

View a gallery of images of Eighty Mile Beach.

Dugong Bay – image © Richard Costin | Kimberley Media

GRAHAM LLOYD From: The Australian January 29, 2013 12:00AM

THE Horizontal Waterfalls, which appears with a falling 10m Kimberley tide, will be the focus of a new national park to extend protection for one of the last great marine wilderness areas.

Two new marine parks will extend one already declared at Camden Sound, the biggest humpback whale calving area in the southern hemisphere, on Western Australia’s West Kimberley coast.

Premier Colin Barnett announced the new marine parks yesterday, shortly before attending a fiery meeting in Broome where he was reportedly heckled by 120 demonstrators opposed to Woodside’s proposed $30 billion James Price Point gas hub, located south of the marine park areas.

Environment groups welcomed the new marine parks but remained opposed to industrial development at James Price Point, which they fear could open the Kimberley to widespread industrial development.

The west Kimberley coast has been described as the one of the most biologically significant regions of the world.

Kimberley Marine Research Station research officer Ali McCarthy said exploration of the area’s full marine biodiversity had only just begun. “The joint management with traditional owners provides exciting opportunities to combine contemporary scientific and indigenous ecological knowledge,” she said.

Both parks will be Class A, which affords them the highest possible protection.

The Horizontal Falls, which are formed by the rush of 10m tides over coral formations exposed at low tide, will be protected by a marine national park covering 160sq km.

A surrounding area of 3000 sq km will be protected as a mixed-use marine park.

“This spectacular and rugged area contains some of the most unique tourism features in the world and the growth in tourism . . . provides an opportunity to further protect the region’s social, economic and environmental values,” Mr Barnett said.

The state government said the new parks would not affect existing pearling areas.

Koolan and Cockatoo islands were excluded because they had existing mines.

Final park boundaries would be decided after negotiations with the traditional Dambimangari owners and other stakeholders.

View a gallery of images of Talbot and Dugong Bays.

An extensive sandy reef at the northern end of Augustus Island. (Annabelle Sandes/© Annabelle Sandes | Kimberley Media 2010)

Augustus Island, at the northern end of Camden Sound, is one of the largest islands on the Kimberley coast.  The island measures 22km by 16km at its widest point, with a total landmass of 190km².  Surrounded by an extensive sandy reef at the northen end, the interior is mainly comprised of a quartzite sandstone, with deep fissures which offer shelter to the Narbalek or  Little Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale concinna).  The Narbalek was considered the smallest rock wallaby until the discovery of the Monjon in 1978.

At the northern end of Augustus Island is a massive sandy reef with deep tidal pools.  This sandy reef complex supports a diverse coral assemblage, which in turn supports a variety of marine life including fish,Cushion stars, Giant clams and Featherstars.  Cusion stars (Culchita sp.) are found in a rainbow of colour forms, with the appearance of a tapestry pincushion; their thick, globular form and calcified body walls makes them a difficult meal.

These reef systems also provide shelter for the region’s Humpback whales.  The cows find shelter from the bulls behind islands and reefs in the warm, tropical waters, with the water temperature in Camden Sound in late August a balmy 26.5° c, compared with 22°c in Broome.   The water temperature  earlier in the season in June/July ranged from 16°c along Eighty Mile Beach to 24°c in Camden Sound.

Augustus  Island is now part of the newly gazetted Camden Sound Marine Park.

All images taken with a Canon 14mm ll f2.8 L series lens.   © Richard Costin | Kimberley Media 2012.