Discover the remarkable Kimberley Coast aboard the Coral Expeditions I. Explore a land steeped in ancient Aboriginal culture, amazing natural landscapes, and abundant wildlife in this 11-day South Pacific cruise. Discover the majestic King George River, the mysterious Bradshaw (Gwion) paintings, the beautiful King Cascades, the remarkable Montgomery Reef, and much more!
Highlights
Cruise close to the base of magnificent 80 m tall King George Falls
Trek across salt flats to view the WWII wreckage of a US Air Force DC3
View Wandjina art and the mysterious Bradshaw Paintings at Raft Point
Explore the amazing marine birdlife on Lacepede Islands' nature reserve
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Board the Coral Expeditions I this morning to depart on your Australian small ship cruise. Departing Darwin Harbor, cross Cambridge Gulf and sail into Western Australian waters. This afternoon join Expedition Staff for an informative introduction to the Kimberley before meeting fellow travelers and friendly crew at the Captain’s Welcome Cocktails.
Discover the first of the Kimberley’s ‘big’ rivers, the mighty King George. Aboard the Explorer, a specially designed excursion vessel, explore scenic gorges, and in inflatable zodiacs cruise close to the base of magnificent King George Falls, the tallest waterfall in Western Australia towering some 80 meters above the river below. Later, visit Tranquil Bay for beach walking and exploration.
Join the Expedition Leader on a walk across salt flats to view the wreckage of a US Air Force DC3 which crash landed on the beach during WWII. Later, visit Jar Island and discover the island’s outstanding rock art gallery. Guest Lecturers point out fine examples of the Kimberley’s mysterious Bradshaw Paintings (Gwion), dating back some 20,000 years.
After anchoring in Winyalken Bay, travel ashore aboard the Explorer to explore the maze of natural sandstone caves known as Hathaway’s Hideaway. Later, helicopters are 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 you indulge in a gourmet Aussie Beach BBQ.
Discover the rock art gallery on Bigge Island, featuring fine examples of both Wandjina and Bradshaw art. Then, explore Careening Bay which was named by Phillip Parker King after his ship ‘HMC Mermaid’ was careened during his second voyage of discovery in the Kimberley. Lecturers lead to the site of a large boab tree bearing the inscription “HMC Mermaid – 1820”, still clearly visible almost 200 years later.
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 freshwater pools.
Savor a truly unforgettable moment as Montgomery Reef ‘rises’ out of the ocean as the tide ebbs. Join Expedition Staff aboard the Explorer and zodiacs to experience this natural phenomenon up close and discover the reef’s diverse marine life including turtles, manta rays, and reef sharks. Later, cruise through scenic Doubtful Bay.
Cruising through Kuri Bay, home of the south sea pearl industry, travel ashore at Raft Point and visit a secluded and very interesting Aboriginal rock art gallery to view Wandjina art and the mysterious Bradshaw Paintings (Gwion). Later, explore Red Cone Creek and enjoy a cooling dip at Ruby Falls.
Cruise through the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to over 800 islands. In Talbot Bay, the region’s 12 meter tides create an amazing spectacle - the unique Horizontal Falls, described by legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough as “one the greatest natural wonders in the world”. The amazing power of the falls is revealed when the region’s 12 meter tides turn, forcing millions of liters of water to rush through the narrow gaps between cliffs. Board the zodiacs for an exhilarating ride through the falls. Later, explore Silica Beach on Hidden Island with its stunning white sands and crystal-clear waters.
Cruise through Pender Bay and, subject to weather and tides, visit the Lacepede Islands, a series of low islands consisting of coarse sand and coral rubble lying atop a platform reef. This nature reserve has been identified by Bird Life International as an Important Bird Area as it supports up to 18,000 breeding pairs of brown boobies and roseate terns, possibly the largest such population in the world. Board the zodiacs and explore the island’s lagoon, keeping an eye out for many species of marine birdlife including Australian pelicans, frigatebirds, egrets, gulls and terns. The islands are also renowned as Western Australia’s most significant breeding grounds for the green turtle, often seen nesting on the islands. This evening say farewell to new-found friends while enjoying the Captain’s Farewell Cocktails.
Day 11: Disembark in Broome
1 Breakfast
This unforgettable cruise along the Kimberley Coast concludes in Broome this morning. Disembark at 8 am and if not transferring directly to the airport, choose to visit the world-famous Cable Beach or stroll the historic streets of Chinatown in central Broome.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Notes
Solo Travelers:
A 50% single supplement is charged or select the “Single Guest Match” program. Single Guest Match is available for guests who have flexible travel dates and are willing to share a cabin with another guest of the same gender. Passengers are placed on a standby list and notified if a match becomes available. Once confirmed, they are charged at the twin-share rate (no single supplement). Cabin category requests are accepted.
Important Fare Information:
Rates are posted based off of the current exchange rates from Australian Dollars. Please contact us for current exchange rates.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
9 hours ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.