Australia's Kimberley Islands Adventure Cruise

Welcome to Australia! Broome is a coastal town in Western Australia, where the red desert meets the turquoise sea. It’s a place of rich history, cultural diversity, and natural wonders. Arrive early and explore the legacy of the pearling industry or marvel at the dinosaur footprints that date back millions of years. You’ll have the opportunity to drop your luggage at our hotel hospitality room prior to boarding your ship. The included transfer from the hotel to the ship will be at approximately 3:30 pm on embarkation day and embarkation will commence at 4 pm.

As we set sail from Broome, for the next three days we will be on the migratory path of Australia’s West Coast population of humpback whales moving to warmer waters for calving season. Over the coming days, we will keep a keen eye out to maximize opportunities to witness this seasonal migration.

Our expedition itinerary will evolve due to water, wind, and wildlife conditions, but rest assured: every day, our regional experts will determine the best places for us to go to maximize our Kimberley experience. Adventure awaits!

The Lacepede Islands are a protected class-A nature reserve and are significant as a seabird nesting rookery for brown boobies, lesser frigates, and many species of migratory shorebirds. Other species often sighted at the Lacepedes include Australian Pelicans, egrets, and gulls. The four low-lying islands are also an important breeding and nesting habitat for green turtles. If weather and tide conditions are suitable, you will explore the lagoons by Xplorer and Zodiac tender vessels.

The Horizontal Falls are one of the Kimberley’s biggest attractions. Naturalist David Attenborough described the Horizontal Falls as "one of the greatest natural wonders of the world". This natural phenomenon is created as the ocean’s tide thunders through a narrow gorge in the McLarty Ranges, creating a rushing horizontal waterfall of swiftly flowing seawater. Riding through the bottleneck in one of our fast-paced Zodiac adventures is one of the highlights of our Kimberley expedition. Talbot Bay is at the heart of the Buccaneer Archipelago, where rocks on the 800 or so islands are estimated at over 2 billion years old. At Cyclone Creek, you will see evidence of massive geological forces in the impressive rock formations, before enjoying a vista-deck BBQ dinner as the sun sets over the stunning Kimberley scenery.

The sites we will visit in Doubtful Bay and Montgomery Reef will be determined by the power of the Kimberley ocean tides. Regardless of where we go and when, we are sure to see spectacular scenery, with towering sandstone cliffs and the natural wonder of the world’s largest inshore algal reef. Activities may include sunrise Xplorer cruises and Zodiac rides to get a closer look at the wonders of this unique part of our planet.

Montgomery Reef is a biologically diverse area covering over 116 sq mi (300 sq km) and was named by Phillip Parker King. Twice daily, as the sea recedes in mammoth 36 ft (11m) tides, Montgomery Reef rises from the Indian Ocean in a cascade of rushing water revealing a flat-topped reef pockmarked with rock pools and rivulets. As the reef emerges, you’ll get up close in Xplorer and Zodiac inflatable tenders to witness the spectacle as the Expedition Team share their knowledge on the formation of the reef and the myriad wildlife. Opportunistic birds and sea turtles take advantage of the emerging reef, feeding on marine life left exposed in rock pools. The ocean is awash in a swirl of eddies and whirlpools as the moon’s gravitational force takes hold. Then, a few hours later the entire water-borne drama is reversed as the tide comes in and Montgomery Reef disappears below sea level.

The sites we will visit in Doubtful Bay and Montgomery Reef will be determined by the power of the Kimberley ocean tides. Regardless of where we go and when, we are sure to see spectacular scenery, with towering sandstone cliffs and the natural wonder of the world’s largest inshore algal reef. Activities may include sunrise Xplorer cruises and Zodiac rides to get a closer look at the wonders of this unique part of our planet.

Montgomery Reef is a biologically diverse area covering over 116 sq mi (300 sq km) and was named by Phillip Parker King. Twice daily, as the sea recedes in mammoth 36 ft (11m) tides, Montgomery Reef rises from the Indian Ocean in a cascade of rushing water revealing a flat-topped reef pockmarked with rock pools and rivulets. As the reef emerges, you’ll get up close in Xplorer and Zodiac inflatable tenders to witness the spectacle as the Expedition Team share their knowledge on the formation of the reef and the myriad wildlife. Opportunistic birds and sea turtles take advantage of the emerging reef, feeding on marine life left exposed in rock pools. The ocean is awash in a swirl of eddies and whirlpools as the moon’s gravitational force takes hold. Then, a few hours later the entire water-borne drama is reversed as the tide comes in and Montgomery Reef disappears below sea level.

King Cascade is a classically beautiful terraced waterfall and is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the Kimberley. Falling from a considerable height and around 164 ft (50m) across, water tumbles down a staggered terrace of Kimberley sandstone. Layer upon layer of ochre-hued and blackened rock sprouts grasses, mosses and ferns in a sort of lushly vegetated hanging garden.

You’ll reach King Cascade after cruising in Xplorer tender vessels down the steep-sided Prince Regent River which is a remarkable anomaly as the river runs dead straight along a fault line.

Lt. Phillip Parker King named nearby Careening Bay after he beached his leaking vessel HMC Mermaid to effect repairs. While stranded on this remote coastline for 17 days the ship’s carpenter carved HMC Mermaid 1820 into the bottle-shaped trunk of a boab tree near the beach. 200 years later, the Mermaid Boab Tree has since split into two trunks and sports a mammoth girth of 39 ft (12m). Significantly, the bulbous tree is listed on the National Register of Big Trees and the carpenter’s careful inscription now stands almost as tall as a person.

Prince Frederick Harbour is one of the Kimberley’s most spectacular locations at the southern end of York Sound. The harbor is dotted with islands lined with mangroves and monsoon rainforests, set against a backdrop of ochre-hued escarpment. White-bellied Sea Eagles and other birds of prey are often seen here, and at low tide, expansive mudflats reveal large populations of mudskippers and mangrove crabs. You’ll take Xplorer tender vessels on a cruise up Porosus Creek to view some striking rock formations. Bigge Island’s Indigenous name is Wuuyuru, and the Indigenous Group of the area is the Wunambal people.

Tumbling down the Mitchell Plateau in a series of tiered waterfalls, the Mitchell Falls are the photogenic poster child for the Mitchell River National Park. Take a scenic helicopter flight (additional cost) to see the emerald-hued rock pools cascading down the multi-tiered escarpment. Mitchell River National Park is inhabited by significant numbers of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and bird species which are lured by a year-round water source. Sandstone terraces beside tiered rock pools make a terrific viewing platform from which to savor the serenity of this ancient landscape. An alternative option to Mitchell Falls is exploring the sandstone caves of Wollaston Bay or Wollaston Creek. This mass of weathered tunnels, arches and columns form a labyrinth-like maze. Another option while anchored at Winyalkan Bay is a visit to the Wollaston Bay ancient indigenous rock site, a large collection of Wandjina art. In the evening, we will watch the sunset while enjoying drinks on the beach and toasting to another wonderful day in the Kimberley!

Vansittart Bay is home to many cultural and historically significant sites like the remarkable Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) Aboriginal rock art galleries estimated to be up to 20,000 years old. Jar Island is so named after the pot shards found here, brought to the island by Makassan fishermen harvesting sea cucumbers (also known as trepang). Nearby, on the Anjo Peninsula we will have the opportunity to visit the well-preserved wreckage of a US Airforce C-53 Skytrooper aircraft, the result of a pilot losing his bearings flying from Perth to Broome in 1942 and putting down on a salt pan near present-day Truscott Airbase.

This morning you will witness why this area is one of the most geologically spectacular and highly photographed locations in the Kimberley. We will arrive at the mouth of the King George River system, where we will cruise beneath towering sandstone cliffs that end at the basin of Oomari Falls, the ancestral homeland of the Kwini people. Lined with mangroves, these steep-sided gorges were carved by a river system that shaped the Kimberley landscape 400 million years ago. You’ll view the honeycomb erosion patterns of sandstone cliffs as we get up close to rock faces that have been 1.8 billion years in the making.

Today we disembark our ship. Head to the airport or extend your stay in Darwin, where ancient Aboriginal culture melds with a modern city lifestyle overlooking the Timor Sea.