Hunter River (Western Australia)
Encyclopedia
The Hunter River is a river
in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
.
The headwaters of the river rise below Donkins Hill then flow in a South westerly direction until the river discharges into Prince Frederick Harbour then York Sound
and the Indian Ocean
.
The River was named in 1820 by the explorer Philip Parker King
aboard the Mermaid while making charts in the area. The river was named after the surgeon
on the Mermaid, James Hunter.
The river has two spectacular waterfall
s, the Hunter Falls and Donkin Falls, both of which drop 90 metres (295 ft). Also a large and unique rock formation can be found at the mouth of the river.
The area is popular with tourism
companies and several wilderness
cruises operate in the area.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
The headwaters of the river rise below Donkins Hill then flow in a South westerly direction until the river discharges into Prince Frederick Harbour then York Sound
York Sound
York Sound is a sound located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia opening into the Indian Ocean.The sound in bounded by Cape Pond to the North and Hardey Point with the Coronation Islands to the South....
and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
The River was named in 1820 by the explorer Philip Parker King
Philip Parker King
Admiral Phillip Parker King, FRS, RN was an early explorer of the Australian coast.-Early life and education:...
aboard the Mermaid while making charts in the area. The river was named after the surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
on the Mermaid, James Hunter.
The river has two spectacular waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s, the Hunter Falls and Donkin Falls, both of which drop 90 metres (295 ft). Also a large and unique rock formation can be found at the mouth of the river.
The area is popular with tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
companies and several wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
cruises operate in the area.