11 Day Darwin to Broome Expedition Cruise

Overview

Welcome to The Kimberley, the Australian outback adventure experience of a lifetime. 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 Darwin - the capital city of The Northern Territory.

Experienced, highly informative tour guides will supervise the expedition itinerary, maximising the experiences offered by the breathtaking scenery and the magnificent sunsets, and making sensitive arrangements to allow guests to absorb the cultural remnants of one of the world's most ancient peoples, the Australian Aborigine.

You access The Kimberley, one of the world's most remote areas, aboard the excellently appointed Australian expedition cruise vessel Coral Princess. Her shallow draft and manoeuvrability make her ideal to safely navigate the mighty rivers and scenic inlets of The Kimberley.

A specially designed excursion boat is more than a match for the strong currents resulting from the dramatic tidal changes in this area. It 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 enormous variety of bird life and native wildlife including the saltwater crocodile makes every moment of the expedition unique. The hundreds of islands in Buccaneer Archipelago, the tidal phenomena at the Montgomery Reef and the extraordinary horizontal waterfalls near Talbot Bay.

The Kimberley has it all. Join The Kimberley expedition cruise to the remotest parts of the Australian Outback in style and comfort with Coral Princess Cruises.

Coral Princess is a 35 metre luxury catamaran designed for maximum stability and guest comfort. The ship is fully air-conditioned with on-board accommodation for 48 guests. Accommodation is spacious and individually air conditioned with private bathrooms and a choice of full size single and double beds.

Itinerary

Day 1:    Depart Darwin

10:00am: Board Coral Princess – Oceanic Discoverer for an 11:00am departure. Departing Darwin Harbour we cross Cambridge Gulf and sail into Western Australian waters. This evening meet your fellow travellers and friendly crew as we enjoy the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Cocktails.

Day 2:    King George River

Today we discover the first of the Kimberley’s ‘big’ rivers, the mighty King George. Aboard Explorer, our specially designed excursion vessel, we’ll explore 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.

Day 3:    Bigge Island and Aboriginal Art

This morning we visit the sea bird rookeries on Low Rocks, followed by a stop at Cape Voltaire for a swim and beach exploration. This afternoon we discover the amazing rock art gallery on Bigge Island.

Day 4:    Prince Frederick Harbour

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 5:    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 into the very scenic Prince Regent Basin.

Day 6:    Prince Regent River and King Cascades

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 in the fresh water pools. The more adventurous may wish to join a nature walk, keeping an eye out for native Kimberley birdlife.

Day 7:    Kuri Bay and Raft Point

Today we cruise through Kuri Bay, home of the south sea pearl industry. Travelling ashore at Raft Point we visit a secluded and very interesting Aboriginal rock art gallery to 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 8:    Montgomery Reef and Horizontal Falls

Today we cruise through the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to over 800 islands, and experience two of the unforgettable highlights of the Kimberley Coast. See Montgomery Reef ‘rise’ out of the ocean as the tide ebbs, before joining a reef walk and marine life study. In Talbot Bay, the region’s 12 metre tides create an amazing spectacle, the unique Horizontal Falls. Board the zodiacs for an exhilarating, up-close view of this natural phenomenon.

Day 9:    King Sound and Crocodile Creek

Cruising through King Sound we witness the effects of the iron ore mining operations on Koolan and Cockatoo Islands. We visit Crocodile Creek to enjoy exploration and fresh water swimming.

Day 10:                 Lacepede Islands

Cruising Yampi Sound we visit the Lacepede Islands. These islands are situated well off shore and are known for the turtle nestings and booby and frigate bird colonies. This evening we farewell new-found friends as we enjoy the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party.

Day 11:                 Depart in Broome

8:00am. Our unforgettable cruise along the Kimberley coast concludes in Broome this morning.

This itinerary is an indication of the destinations we visit and activities on offer. While every effort will be made to follow this itinerary we do reserve the right to vary this itinerary to make allowances for weather, tidal conditions and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel.

Further Information

What's Included

View Coral Princess Layout
View Oceanic Discoverer

Accommodation charges on board, services of expedition staff including lectures, briefings, slide/film presentations and other group activities. Group transfers during the cruise, all meals, 24 hour tea/coffee station, landing fees

What's Not Included

Pre and post flights and transfers, personal items such as telephone, facsimile charges, laundry, bar charges, travel insurance.

Optional Cost

Helicopter flights to Mitchell Falls: approx. $450 per person

Notes

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 the itinerary to make allowances for weather and tidal conditions and any other event that may effect the operation of the vessel.