The isolated Kimberley coast of Western Australia displays two billion years of natural history. The geology alone is astounding, with ochre rock formations that were shaped by the earth’s violent movements and then bent and degraded over thousands of years. Giant boab trees stand as tall sentinels, waterfalls blow fine mist over the clifftops, and Aboriginal rock art is hidden in the cracks.

The most sought-after commodity in this day and age is peace, which is best attained when lounging on a cruise ship’s deck. Multi-day tours leave from Broome, Wyndham, and occasionally Darwin and follow a similar route. Here are the top Kimberley cruises.

True North Adventure Cruises

This has been in business for almost 30 years and offers tours that guarantee close-up interactions and private vistas. True North, a multimillion-dollar yacht that can accommodate 36 passengers, maintains a boutique atmosphere while providing a five-star hotel-style experience.

Visitors are flown over cliff edges, islands, and waterfalls by an onboard helicopter. Select from seven-day excursions, 14-day excursions, or specialised expeditions that concentrate on the shore and coral.

Great Escape Charter Company

Only 14 passengers can be accommodated on The Great Escape Charter Company’s 26-metre luxury catamaran by six crew members, including a wonderful chef. The company is family-owned and operated. A queen bed, flat-screen TV, and private bathroom are included in each room. Importantly, a helicopter is perched on the roof and offers access to such challenging locations. Additionally, there is wi-fi and a spa on the front terrace.

Silver Discoverer

The Silver Discoverer, a recently renovated ship from Silversea Cruises, offers the pinnacle of big boat luxury. There are 120 people on board, and every cabin has butler service and a view of the ocean. There are lounges, two gyms, a beauty salon, a pool with a grill by the water, and a sundeck.

Zodiac boats transport visitors to shore-based attractions, fishing locations, and overcrowded waterways. A flight to the Bungle Bungles is included, and helicopter excursions can be booked to destinations like the four-tiered Mitchell Falls. On board are historians, geologists, and naturalists.

Kimberley Expeditions and Eco Abrolhos

While the majority of Kimberley cruises feature a considerate concern for the environment, Eco Abrolhos and Kimberley Expeditions each offer a particular focus. Both boats are sturdy catamarans with short draughts that enable them to nose straight under waterfalls, reducing the need for frequent Zodiac boat jumps to take in the scenery.

They are owned and operated by committed couples who have lived in the area for many years and strive to respect the wonderful natural beauty they see. There will be no more than 38 other people on one of these trips, ensuring intimacy and companionship.

Coral Expeditions

On their 10-day cruises, Coral Expeditions, which has over 23 years of experience pioneering the Kimberley region, provides professional information and warm Australian hospitality. The journey, which sails from April to September, will take you to calm beaches, small bays, and fascinating excursions with knowledgeable expedition leaders.

To offer the most fulfilling experience while taking into account the local ecology, the excursion leaders travel with the guests. Coral Expeditions brings you closer to the action by using smaller ships to travel to far-flung locations, see a variety of species, and take in some of Kimberley’s most amazing natural sights.

Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures

This can be your best option if you don’t have a week or two to spare and want to fly in and out to a specific area of the Kimberley coast. Its 12-person luxury houseboat takes out from the interesting Horizontal Falls after a scenic flight from Broome, and it spends four nights travelling to the Buccaneer Archipelago’s thousand islands. In addition to offering exhilarating experiences next to the desolate landforms and access to good fishing areas, helicopter trips offer various perspectives of the rocky red surfaces.

YOTSPACE Superyacht

The 35-metre (115-foot) superyacht from YOTSPACE superyacht trips is the ideal home base for connecting with the Kimberley in style if you’re looking for a private luxury retreat. Both the 11 and seven-day retreats, which are equipped with just four ensuite cabins, are made to be as individualised and private as you like, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in this magnificent area fully. The yacht’s outdoor spa and gourmet meals prepared by the onboard chef are available to guests while they are not exploring.

Kimberley Quest II

The custom-built Kimberley Quest II, operated by the multi-award-winning Kimberley Quest, offers a range of cruises. Take a seat on its luxurious deck for the ultimate Kimberley experience. The actual ship is outfitted with opulent amenities like air conditioning, a spa, a library, and a top deck for lounging.

The list of activities for off-board experiences is infinite. Consider stunning helicopter rides, swimming in ponds created by nature, discovering old hiking trails, and seeing the region’s most amazing animals. With the jet boat and helipad on the boat, you can access every part of the Kimberley.

So, you think something inside your drain obstructs the channel and would like to clear it out. But how are you going to do that? What is the best way to clean your drains? Should you do it yourself or hire a professional plumber?

Doing it yourself typically means using a chemical drain cleaner. But while this is a quick method to get water flowing through the drains again, there are good reasons why it is not a good option, warns Rent Appeal, especially if you consider the long-term impact of this solution.

Most homeowners use chemical drain cleaners because they think they save time and money. But the sad truth is that chemical drain cleaners do not save you money. Using them in your drains will cost you more money in the future.

How is that?

Why you should never use chemical drain cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners contain corrosives, principally sulfuric acid and caustic soda. These chemicals are so corrosive that after about five seconds of being inside your drains, they will not only start to eat away at the debris inside the pipes but also corrode them.

But the damage to your plumbing is not immediately evident when you use a chemical drain cleaner. That’s because drain cleaners thin out the pipes, making your plumbing fragile, more susceptible to leaks, and exposing your home to a greater risk of water damage.

The other reason not to use chemical drain cleaners is for personal safety. When using drain cleaners, you must wear rubber gloves and protective goggles. Additionally, you must pour the chemical very slowly because if it splashes on your skin, it will cause burns.

However, even if you succeed in pouring a drain cleaner into your drain without getting it on your skin or your eyes, drain cleaners sit inside your drain pipes for a long time. If the drain cleaner inside the pipe mixes with other cleaners, it can release deadly gases into your home.

So, if drain cleaners are harmful, what is the alternative?

You can buy a hand auger or plunger for nearly the same amount you pay for a chemical drain cleaner. These effectively remove clogs near the drain opening and can be used repeatedly. There are also lots of natural drain cleaning methods you can use.

But these methods do not address the root cause of the clogs in your drains. They only work as short-term fixes. The best long-term solution for keeping your drains in good condition is to hire a professional plumber. Why should you take this option?

Benefits of hiring a professional plumber

Solve problems effectively

Unlike when homeowners try to solve issues in their plumbing, a professional plumber does not just focus on the symptoms of the problem. A professional plumber will find the root cause of the problem.

Also, unlike chemical drain cleaners, which do not distinguish between the debris inside the pipes and the PVC, metal, or enamel of your plumbing, the professional plumber can pinpoint the cause of the problem and solve it effectively.

They can educate you

Most blockages inside your drains are caused by the improper use of the drains, such as when you flush fats, oils, and grease (FOGs) into the drain or misuse of the garbage disposal.

A professional plumber can prevent future problems by identifying behaviors contributing to your plumbing issues. They can give you advice that will help you avoid future problems and save costs.

Detect problems early

Most plumbing problems start as minor issues with early warning signs of the impending catastrophe. Blockages happen when those initial signs are overlooked. A professional plumber can save you money by catching problems at the beginning stages and solving them before they become significant costs; instead of compounding your plumbing issues, as chemical drain cleaners would, professional plumbers help you avoid problems.

Routine maintenance

A local plumber can help you do routine maintenance of your plumbing. Rather than wait for problems to happen before you pay attention to your drains, regular maintenance of the system will prevent issues.

For instance, a camera inspection of your drains does not cost much, but this simple step will save you the thousands of dollars you would have spent to fix damage caused by a sewer backup.

Professional advice

A professional plumber will help you keep your plumbing up to date. From information about new regulations to innovative plumbing products that have just entered the market, your plumber is more in touch with the industry.

They can ensure that instead of merely spending money to keep the system running, you can invest your money to improve your plumbing system. A professional plumber can help you build a resilient system with fewer problems and lower costs.

As I’m working on various financing engagements, I’ve noticed a trend of behaviors and am using this avenue as a therapeutic sounding board. This article is dual fold. It’s a chance for me to rant and get some things off my chest while providing constructive feedback to you as to what NOT to do when searching for business financing.

There are ways to present yourself and ways NOT to present yourself. Today, I’m going to focus on my top 5 ways to kill your financing chances in hopes that you can avoid them.

1) Not Answering Questions Completely or Honestly – Nothing will ruin your credibility faster than being evasive with your answers; or worse, not being truthful. If you’re hiding information that is later caught, it makes me wonder what else you’re hiding. Your credibility is shot. Some people want to put a rosy face on a less than ideal situation…well don’t. In order to find you the best financing for your business, it’s important to disclose the good, the bad and the ugly. No business is perfect and these flaws WILL come out in underwriting. So be upfront…show everything, warts and all.

2) Not Following Through on Your Commitments – If you commit to providing information by a certain date, call back at a specific time, or meet at a certain time, etc. and don’t follow through as promised, you’re viewed as undependable and unprofessional…and nobody wants to deal with that. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you follow through on your commitments, your clout goes up dramatically because of all the mediocrity in the world.

3) Radio Silence – If you think being late with your commitments is bad, going underground and ceasing communications is equivalent to you saying that you don’t want your deal done. Aside from a family emergency or something life threatening, I can’t think of any other reasons that are acceptable to just stop communicating. “But I’ve been soooo busy”, you might say. SO WHAT! I’m swamped and put in 14-16 hour days and don’t need or want to hear excuses like that. Please remember to stay in constant contact.

4) Sloppy and Unprofessional – When information presented is sloppy and unprofessional, it shows little care was used when preparing it. Many conclusions can be drawn, whether true or not. Maybe they’re not smart; maybe they don’t care; maybe they’re not serious. Whatever the conclusion, it will not help you get your financing. Make certain to prepare as if you’re providing the financing and ask yourself what you would want to see.

5) Form Over Substance – If you find that funding sources are cutting meetings short or they don’t want to have them at all, chances are you’re providing form and no substance. What’s this? It’s when you talk a good game and it ends there. You might get lucky and schedule a meeting or two, but when they catch on that the magic ends there, so will your meetings. Don’t discuss business philosophy or high-level theory. Have specific, concrete information about your company, why you need financing, how you’ll pay it back, etc.

BONUS: Here is a sixth way to kill your chances to get business financing…

6) Not Saying “I don’t know” – It seems simple but so many time people will stumble their way through trying to answer a question instead of just saying “I don’t know”. We’re all human. It’s OK to say “I don’t know; I’ll have to get back to you with an answer”. Don’t guess, or worse, make something up. Trust with others is always easier to build when you’re honest.