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Nightcliff Jetty, Darwin, Australia

The Kimberley

Example 11 Day Cruise aboard Coral Adventurer
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The Coral Adventurer hosts this 11-day the wonders of Kimberley voyage. View the mysterious Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) and Wandjina rock art and learn about the ancient cultures of the Indigenous people. See crocodiles, humpback whales, rock wallabies, sea turtles, and birdlife as you cruise along the way. Also visit Lacepede Island Nature Reserve, significant breeding grounds for the Brown Booby, Roseate Terns, and Green Turtles before disembarking in Broome. 
King George River Gorge, Kimberley, AustraliaThe unusual red color of Broome, AustraliaRock formations along the coast of KimberlyLandscape of North AustraliaNightcliff Jetty, Darwin, Australia
Highlights
  • Experience the unique tidal phenomenon of the Horizontal Waterfalls
  • Visit Lacepede Island Nature Reserve and see Brown Booby, Roseate Terns, and Green Turtles
  • Witness Montgomery Reef rise out of the ocean with the falling tide
  • Marvel at the plunging 80 meter high King George Falls
Activities
Places Visited
Activity Level: Variable
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Darwin | Embark

Board Coral Adventurer at 8:00 am for your 9:00 am departure. Sail across the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, and this afternoon join the expedition team for an informative introduction to the Kimberley. Meet and mingle with fellow guests and crew at the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

Day 2: King George River & Falls (Oomari Falls)

Fed by the King George River draining across the Gardner Plateau, 80m tall King George Falls are the most impressive Kimberley waterfalls and the highest twin falls in Western Australia. Before reaching the mist-like spray rising from the base of King George Falls, cruise through steep-sided gorges carved by a flooded river system that carved a swathe through the Kimberley landscape 400 million years ago.
Early in the waterfall season, cruise around the base of impressive King George Falls while in later months we take the opportunity to view the honeycomb erosion patterns of sandstone cliffs up close.

 

Day 3: Vansittart Bay (Banjal)

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 Macassan fisherman harvesting sea cucumbers (also known as trepang). Nearby, on the Anjo Peninsula lays 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.

Day 4: Mitchell Falls, Winyalkan, and Swift Bay

Tumbling down the Mitchell Plateau in a series of tiered waterfalls and emerald green rock pools, the Mitchell Falls are the photogenic poster child for the Mitchell River National Park. Take a scenic helicopter flight (additional cost) to multi-tiered Mitchell Falls where emerald-hued rock pools cascade down the escarpment and ancient rock art galleries are concealed in caves behind curtains of water.
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 and was once an Aboriginal midden. Another option while anchored at Winyalkan Bay is a visit to a series of Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art galleries at Swift Bay.

 

Day 5: Prince Frederick Harbour and Bigge Island (Wuuyuru)

Prince Frederick Harbour is one of 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 the 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. We will take our 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.

 

Day 6: Prince Regent River and Careening Bay (Wunbung- Gu)

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 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. Reach King Cascade after cruising in our 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 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.

Day 7: Montgomery Reef (Yowjab)

Savor a truly unforgettable moment as Montgomery Reef ‘rises’ out of the ocean as the tide ebbs. Join Expedition Staff aboard the Xplorer 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.

Day 8: Doubtful Bay and Raft Point

Raft Point guards the entrance to Doubtful Bay, a vast body of sheltered water that harbors significant sites such as the ancient Wandjina rock art galleries located a short walk from the beach and are considered some of the finest in the Kimberley and we visit the rock art galleries when Traditional Owners are available to guide us. Doubtful Bay is the traditional country of the Worrora people who follow the Wandjina, their god, law-maker, and creator. Images of Wandjina are found throughout the Kimberley, recording their stories, knowledge, and culture in stone. Red Cone Creek flows gently downstream until it meets the small but impressive Ruby Falls. Named by local mariner Capt. Chris Trucker after his daughter, Red Cone Creek is carved through rock formations stacked atop each other like building blocks. These rock walls are great for climbing and clambering over before reaching a series of freshwater swimming holes and waterfalls. The falls may be a gurgling torrent or a gentle trickle, depending on the time of the year.
Other sites we aim to visit in Doubtful Bay include the mighty Steep Island and Ruby Falls at Red Cone Creek.

Day 9: Horizontal Falls | Buccaneer Archipelago

Meander through the almost 1,000 islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago, and visit Talbot Bay. Experience what David Attenborough names as “one of the greatest natural wonders in the world”, the Horizontal Falls. Ride the power of the tide as it rushes through the narrow cliff openings. Explore the stunning white sand of Silica Beach.

Day 10: Lacepede Islands

Visiting the Lacepede Islands is dependant on weather and tides. This series of low islands consist of coarse sand and coral rubble lying atop a platform reef, and supports up to 18,000 breeding pairs of Brown Boobies and Roseate Terns. Explore the island’s lagoon, and observe the myriad other creatures often seen here, such as the frigate birds, egrets, and the nesting areas of the Green Turtle. 

Day 11: Broome | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
Disembark in Broome this morning at 8:00am.

Ship/Hotel

Coral Adventurer

Coral Adventurer

Coral Adventurer

This brand new 120-passenger ship cruises the stunning Kimberly Coast and New Guinea with expansive teak decking, spacious dining rooms and lounges, stylish interior and exterior teak furnishings and revitalized décor.
Coral Adventurer
Coral Adventurer
Coral Adventurer

Dates & Prices

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Deals

Save AUD $2000 25785
Book your Kimberley 2025 and 2026 cruise now until March 29, 2025, and get  AUD $2000 travel credit per person. This offer is applicable for new twin sharing bookings only and is subject to availability  Additional restrictions may apply. Please contact us for details.
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Per person starting at
$8,435 2-3 travelers
Important Fare Information: Rates displayed are based on the current exchange rate from the Australian Dollar, and therefore may fluctuate
Coral Adventurer
Coral Deck Stateroom
Identical to the Promenade Deck Staterooms except for their location one deck below. These staterooms have twin portholes rather than picture windows.
Coral Adventurer
Promenade Deck Stateroom
Located below the Explorer deck and furnished with a junior King size bed which can be separated into two singles. A wardrobe, desk, and armchair are included.
Coral Adventurer
Explorer Deck Balcony Stateroom
Comfortably furnished with a junior King size bed which can be separated into two singles. A wardrobe, desk, and armchair are included.
Coral Adventurer
Bridge Deck Balcony Stateroom
Comfortably furnished with a junior King size bed which can be separated into two singles. A wardrobe, desk, and armchair are included.
Coral Adventurer
Bridge Deck Balcony Suite
Suites are equipped with a lounge area, minibar, and personal coffee machine. They have special King sized beds which can be separated into two singles.

Notes

Important Fare Information:
Rates are posted based off of the current exchange rates from Australian Dollars. Please contact us for current exchange rates
Included
  • 10 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches, 10 Dinners
  • 10 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • All entrance fees to National Parks, ports, traditional owner fees and charges imposed by governing authorities
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Selected wines, selected beers and house spirits, juices, and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner
  • Captain’s welcome and farewell events, and open bridge access
  • Use of Xplorer, Zodiacs and kayaks
  • All excursions with our Expedition Team
  • Daily lectures and briefings with Guest Lecturers
  • Use of all onboard facilities, incl. a reference library
  • Your expedition photos captured during the voyage
  • Post-cruise transfers (in most destinations)
Excluded
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Laundry Service
  • Entry visas/Travel permits
  • Alcoholic drinks including beer and wine outside of lunch and dinner service
  • Internet 
  • Pre-cruise transfers
  • Pre and post cruise flights/charter flights
  • Pre and post cruise accommodation
  • Items of a personal nature such souvenir purchases
  • Optional Extras (in some destinations)

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