Australia's Iconic Kimberley: Darwin - Broome

Darwin is located in Australia’s Northern Territory which is also known as the “Top End”. It is the capital city and the most populated town of the Northern Territory. Darwin is a beautiful tropical city, a melting pot of people and cultures, over 50 different cultures live and work side by side that prides itself in its unique and friendly laid-back lifestyle. Come discover the town’s still recent history through its emblematic buildings such as the new Parliament House opened in 1994, a magnificent example of tropical architecture, or Admiralty House declared heritage place, a tropical-style home elevated on stilts that have survived two cyclones and numerous air raids.

Enjoy a leisurely day at sea to take advantage of the luxurious onboard services or enjoy a cool drink by the pool. Enjoy time to reflect on your experiences or share photographs with fellow guests. Your expedition team offers an enrichment program focusing on Australia, its history, and flora and fauna. Perhaps take the opportunity to be out on deck sunbathing or sampling culinary specialties prepared by our Chef and Galley Team.

The Indonesian officials will perform the necessary clearance formalities. Stopover at Pulau Meatimiarang is for technical clearance purposes only. There is no opportunity for guests to go ashore.

Wyndham is the northernmost town in Western Australia and many ways is the gateway to the Kimberley. It is surrounded by some of the most spectacular landforms, rivers, and wetlands in the Kimberley, including the spectacular Ord River, the manmade Argyle Dam, and Purnululu National Park, home to the Bungle Bungle ranges. The wildlife is very rich, offering a great opportunity for bird-watching and spotting Freshwater crocodiles. During this stop, have the choice between 3 excursions: a cruise undertaking the remarkable Ord river wildlife, a scenic flight over the east Kimberley including the Bungle Bungle Ranges or a day exploring El Questro station including Emma Gorge and Zebedee springs.

The journey up the King George River is nothing short of breathtaking. The 80m high sides of the gorge display varying degrees of weathering of the ancient Warton sandstone. The colors and textures of the gorge change with the light as you travel further up the river creating a continually changing scenery that is simply stunning. The journey culminates at the King George twin falls; the highest single-drop falls in the whole of the Kimberley (80m or 260ft). Fed by wet season run-off the level of water cascading over the falls varies from year to year. The Expedition Team escorts you in either the Zodiacs or ship tenders to the foot of the twin falls and explains all about the stunning geological formations of the canyon.

Jar Island contains ancient rock art galleries depicting the Gwion Gwion style unique to the Kimberley region. Mainly neglected by, or unknown to, the early European researchers of Aboriginal culture in the Kimberley in favor of the dominant and more dramatic Wandjina art, Gwion Gwion art has in recent years gained world prominence. It is generally thought that this art may extend back to over 30,000 years before our time and represents the first wave of seagoing colonizers of the Australian continent. As it is, these are the oldest detailed depiction of human figures in the world. Join your Expedition Team ashore for a short walk, past some fascinating rock formations, to the site of the Gwion Gwion art galleries.

The Bonaparte Archipelago is a stunningly rugged maze of islands stretching almost 150 km along Western Australia's remote Kimberley coast. Its color and scale conspire to take ones’ breath away. Its distant location has meant it has remained an unspoiled and remarkably pristine location to explore and experience. Phillip Parker King named “Swift's bay" after Jonathon Swift (1667-1745) the author of Gulliver’s travels. The ‘T’ shaped bay is composed of heavily fractured sandstone providing an abundance of rock shelters. On the walls of these shelters are examples of both Wandjina and Gwion Gwion style rock art. Join the expedition team ashore for a guided walk to several rock art galleries depicting these unique rock art styles.

Arguably one of the most scenic parts of the Kimberley coast, Prince Frederick Harbour and the Hunter River are lined with ancient rainforest pockets, pristine mangroves, and mosaic sandstone cliffs. They are considered to be some of the most pristine mangrove forests in the world, containing up to 18 different species, supporting a rich and diverse fauna. The sandstone escarpment at the river mouth, known as “Kampamantiya” rises over 200 meters high before giving way to extensive mud banks and mangrove forests home to numerous bird species and the iconic saltwater crocodile. Your expert Expedition Team shares their knowledge with you as you explore this pristine mangrove environment by Zodiac® keeping a constant lookout for wildlife. Also, have the opportunity to reach the Mitchell Falls by helicopter from Naturalist Island beach. 

Collier Bay is located on the rocky and deserted coast of one of the most remote regions of the Kimberley, which visitors can only approach by ship. The tidal movements, amongst the largest range of anywhere on the planet, create amazing phenomena as seawater comes in or out: the “Horizontal Waterfalls”, a waterfall up to 4 meters high between the narrow passages of the vertiginous cliffs in Talbot Bay or Montgomery reef, a spectacular example of the impact of these tides cascading in mini-waterfalls as the entire reef appears to rise from the turquoise-blue waters of the bay. Containing large areas of shallow lagoon, seagrass beds, and corals, Montgomery reef is Australia’s largest inshore reef. In this majestic landscape, you enter an aboriginal area. Some outstanding open-air painted caves galleries alluding to their myths of creation can be observed after a hike on the hills. 

As we are at the mercy of weather and tide conditions in this region, the activities mentioned are only possible experiences and can’t be guaranteed.

The Lacepede Islands are Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) and have been named by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The breeding colony of Brown Boobies is possibly the largest in the world. Up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here. Other birds breeding on the islands include Masked Boobies, Australian Pelicans, Lesser Frigatebirds, Eastern Reef Egrets, Silver Gulls, Crested, Bridled and Lesser Crested Terns, Common Noddies, Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers. Join your expedition team for a guided Zodiac® tour to view the prolific wildlife. Due to the sensitive nature of the environment, landings are prohibited on the Lacepede Islands.

Located in the northwest of the Kimberley region and the far north of Western Australia, the town of Broome is reputed for its history and its glorious pearling era. The fascinating Chinatown district which is the historic city center and the famous Japanese Cemetery, which dates from 1896, allows you to discover the city’s past marked by the immigration of numerous Chinese and Japanese workers, attracted by the prosperous pearl industry at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. Broome is also famous for the “Staircase to the Moon”, an optical illusion created by the Moon reflecting on the sandbanks at low tides, like a staircase climbing up towards the sky, a unique spectacle provided by nature.

After breakfast aboard the Le Soleal, disembark at Broome.