Thrill-seeking tourists wanting to ride through the popular Horizontal Falls will have two more years’ grace before Indigenous stakeholders lead a transition to more diverse cultural activities at the spectacular Kimberley location.
Horizontal Falls – or Garaan-ngaddim, meaning “floating over” – has profound cultural significance for the Dambimangari native title-holders along the pristine coastline.
At a ceremony in the Kimberley town of Derby on Monday, tour operators, traditional owners and the WA government will announce new arrangements prolonging access to the popular tourist spot until the end of the 2028 season.
But any further access beyond 2028 will depend on a review and commitment to other ways of interacting with the falls.
Horizontal Falls forms when seawater rushes through two narrow gorges about 300 metres apart, which boats pass through.
In May 2022, a tourist boat was carrying 27 passengers through a 7.5-metre gap at Horizontal Falls when it crashed into a rock wall, injuring several tourists.
In 2024, the WA government announced a phasing-out of the gap rides by 2028.
New arrangements have emerged from a Garaan-ngaddim Horizontal Falls working group, where traditional owners and tourism industry representatives agreed on a period of two-year access through the gap, strictly limited to selected licence holders, while a second narrower gap will remain permanently closed.
Rowena Mouda, Indigenous chair of the working group, said Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation looked forward to continuing work with tourism operators during the upcoming 2026 dry season.
“Visitors should leave with the thrills but also respect the living culture and presence of creation spirits,” she said.
“We say there’s a bigger story. I think visitors are hungry for more information, they want to understand it.
“This place is sacred for Dambimangari families – it is a gateway to a place where my great-grandparents once lived before colonisation. That’s only 100 years ago.
“We recognise that the place is being exposed nationally and internationally as a thrill-seeking event. So we’ve made a compromise to recognise that. But there’s a better message.”
Corporation vice-chair Leah Umbagai said traditional owners wanted visitors to feel welcome and safe, and to experience country “the right way”.
She said the falls’ tidal movements were seen as the living presence of Woongudd, the spiritual snake woman who shaped the gorge, islands and reefs of the north Kimberley coast.
In recognition of traditional owner-led wishes, the WA government will on Monday announce $5 million to invest in on-site infrastructure to support new Dambimangari tourism experiences.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions will lead a feasibility study to inform the design and operating model.
Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said the Cook government was “proud to lead the way in shifting tourism at Garaan-ngaddim towards a collaborative model that respects Dambimangari culture”.
“This is a positive outcome that supports their tourism aspirations, strengthens engagement with industry and recognises the need for continuity as new cultural experiences and commercial partnerships are developed,” he said.
Active participation by native title-holders is already underway in shaping how visitors experience Horizontal Falls. A pilot program supported by Tourism WA, DBCA, and tour operator Journey Beyond has seen Dambimangari guides trained to work with tourists.
Robyn Mungulu said being a tour guide allowed her to work on country.
“We are teaching and sharing our culture with young ones and visitors, and we are learning new things all the time from the Journey Beyond tour guides,” she said.
Mouda said training tour guides complemented the existing Dambimangari ranger program.
“They both speak to the importance of the living beings in this sacred area,” she said.
“We will keep the first falls open, but we want people to think about the tide times.
“The flows are always there, but some periods are safer to go through than others. They are taking people through when the water’s rushing for thrill seeking.
“Our preference would be that they go there in a gentler flow and look around and see it’s much more than just a water flow.
The country may look untouched, but it’s always been touched by us. It’s at the heart of our heritage.”
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Victoria Laurie is a senior reporter and feature writer who has written for Good Weekend, The Australian, The Bulletin, The Monthly, HQ, Australian Geographic and The Weekend Australian Magazine.
