11 Day Broome to Darwin Discovery Cruise

Coral Princess
Oceanic Discoverer

A 10-night exploration voyage to the Kimberley has so many highlights, it's hard to know where to begin. Your expedition cruise begins from either Darwin - the capital city of The Northern Territory, or Broome - famous for its beauty and cultured pearls. Both are unique frontier centres and are the gateways to the magnificent Kimberley wilderness.

Experienced, highly informative Expedition Leaders and Guest Lecturers will supervise the expedition itinerary maximising the experiences offered on our shore excursions. Sensitive arrangements are also made allowing guests to absorb the cultural remnants of one of the world's most ancient people, the Australian Aborigine.

A specially designed excursion vessel allows you to explore the gorges of the Mitchell, King George, Prince Regent and Hunter Rivers. For the more adventurous, optional helicopter flights to the Mitchell Plateau are also available. The abundance of bird life and native wildlife including the salt-water crocodile make every moment of the expedition unique. The hundreds of islands in The Buccaneer Archipelago, the tidal phenomena at Montgomery Reef and the extraordinary horizontal waterfalls near Talbot Bay: The Kimberley has it all.

You access The Kimberley, one of the world's most remote areas, aboard one of our expedition cruise vessels, Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer. Shallow draft and manoeuverability make these ships ideal to safely navigate the mighty rivers and scenic inlets of The Kimberley.

Both vessels offer facilities you would expect of larger ships. A choice of room grade and bedding configuration, all air-conditioned with en-suites, cocktail bars, spa pool, sundeck, resource library, lecture lounge, telephone/fax, Internet booth and more.

Day 1: Depart Broome

4:30pm Boarding - 6:00pm departure. This evening meet your fellow travellers and friendly crew at the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party. Enjoy cocktails as we depart Broome and cruise north towards Cape Leveque.

Day 2: Lacepede Islands

Today we cruise through Pender Bay and visit the Lacepede Islands. These islands are situated well off shore and are known for the turtle nestings and booby and frigate bird colonies.

Day 3: Crocodile Creek and Horizontal Falls

This morning we travel ashore aboard Explorer, our specially designed excursion vessel. We visit Crocodile Creek where there is time to explore and enjoy a cooling dip in the fresh water pools. At Talbot Bay, the region's 12 metre tides create an amazing spectacle, the unique Horizontal Falls. Board the inflatable zodiacs for an exhilarating, up-close view of this natural phenomenon.

Day 4: Montgomery Reef and Aboriginal Art

We cruise through the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to over 800 islands, before arriving at Montgomery Reef. See the reef 'rise' out of the ocean as the tide ebbs, before joining a reef walk and marine life study. Later, we travel ashore at Raft Point and visit a secluded and very interesting aboriginal rock art gallery.

With our lecturer, view Wandjina art and the mysterious Bradshaw Paintings (Gwion), thought to be the world's oldest indigenous art, dating back over 20 000 years. Enjoy time to discover one of the bay's many uninhabited islands and enjoy a cooling dip in the freshwater pools.

Day 5: King Cascades and Camp Creek

We cruise the mighty Prince Regent River aboard Explorer to breathtaking King Cascades, an unusual and picturesque waterfall cascading over terraced rock formations. Enjoy a picnic lunch at beautiful Camp Creek, where there is time for a leisurely swim. The more adventurous may wish to join a nature walk, keeping an eye out for native Kimberley birdlife.

Day 6: Careening Bay

Careening Bay was named by Phillip Parker King after his ship, 'HMC Mermaid', was careened during his first voyage of discovery in the Kimberley. Our lecturers lead us to the site of a large boab tree baring the inscription 'HMC Mermaid - 1820', still clearly visible almost 200 years later. This afternoon we cruise through Kuri Bay, home of the south sea pearl industry.

Day 7: Prince Frederick Harbour and Beach BBQ

Cruising into Prince Frederick Harbour we anchor at Naturalist Island. We have helicopters available for optional scenic flights over the Mitchell Plateau for close up views of the mighty four-tiered Mitchell Falls. This evening, enjoy a spectacular Indian Ocean sunset as we indulge in a gourmet Aussie Beach BBQ.

Day 8: Bigge Island and Low Rocks

Discover rarely seen Aboriginal art on Bigge Island. Our lecturer will be on hand to interpret this amazing rock art gallery which dates back thousands of years. Later, we visit the sea bird rookeries on Low Rocks.

Day 9: Vansittart Bay

Enjoy a full day to explore beautiful Vansittart Bay and its many islands and secluded coves.

Day 10: King George Falls and Tranquil Bay

Today we explore the mighty King George River. Aboard Explorer, we'll discover scenic gorges, and in our inflatable zodiacs we'll cruise close to the base of magnificent King George Falls, the tallest waterfalls in Western Australia towering some 80 metres above the river below. Later, we visit Tranquil Bay for beach walking and exploration. This evening we farewell new-found friends as we enjoy the Captain's Farewell Cocktail Party.

Day 11: Arrive in Darwin

8:00am. Our unforgettable cruise along the Kimberley coast concludes in Darwin this morning. This itinerary is an indication of the reef, islands and coastal areas we visit. While every effort will be made to follow this itinerary we do reserve the right to vary this itinerary to make allowances for weather and tidal conditions and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel.

Excursion Boats

The 'Xplorer' is a specially designed aluminium excursion vessel used for the majority of our excursions. This vessel has high horsepower engines and will accommodate all passengers at one time. The 'Xplorer' will be used for landings and for extensive exploration of rivers and tributaries. For your added convenience and comfort, the 'Xplorer' is equipped with an awning and toilet.

We also carry two inflatable landing craft (Zodiacs). Designed for expedition work, these large and heavy-duty inflatables are extremely safe. Separate air compartments retain a large reserve of buoyancy even if the boats damaged. The flat bottom design permits these crafts to land directly onto the beaches. Expect nonetheless to wade through shallow water to reach the shore.