Cruise The Kimberley From Broome to Darwin

Arrive at the Broome Civic Center at 2pm and meet the Coral Expeditions team. Take a complimentary transfer to Deep Water Port, and then board the Coral Expedition Ship at 4pm to leave at 5pm.

In the evening, meet your fellow travelers, the crew, and the captain of the ship.
Spend the next 10 nights on the Coral Discoverer, Coral Adventurer, or Coral Geographer.

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Head to the Lacepede Islands. Located on the Kimberley Coast, the Lacepedes has thousands of nesting turtles, and is the world’s largest breeding colony for the brown booby seabird, with around 180,000 pairs onsite.

If weather and tide conditions permit, you will explore the Lacepedes lagoons by Zodiac and Xploder tender vessels.

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Described by Sir David Attenborough as ‘one of the greatest natural wonders of the world,’ Horizontal Falls is a unique natural phenomenon. It is the result of the ocean waters pushing through a narrow gorge, causing water to build up on one side and push out from the other at a rapid pace, similar to a waterfall.

Today, you will ride through Horizontal Falls on a Zodiac vessel. Riding over the rapids in an inflatable vessel makes for an exciting experience.

From there, proceed to Talbot Bay, located in Buccaneer Archipelago. The rocks on the 800 or so islands are considered to be more than 2 billion years old. You will also get to see the unique rock formations at Cyclone Creek, and then enjoy drinks at sunset at Nares Point.

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Head to Raft Point first, the site of ancient indigenous rock art. If a Traditional Owner guide is present, they will show the galleries in person.

Then head to Doubtful Bay, which is home to more indigenous rock art from the Worrora people. You’ll see images of Wandjina, a powerful Rain Maker spirit, scattered across Kimberley.

You may also visit other sites on Doubtful Bay, such as Ruby Falls and Steep Island.

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Named by the famous explorer, Phillip Parker King, Montgomery Bay is a biologically diverse coral reef, covering about 154 square miles of land mass.

During low tide, Montgomery Reef’s peculiar details come to life; small sandstone islets, lagoons, and a mangrove island in the center. But the real highlight is the outgoing tide, where whitewater rapids and waterfalls are created, and the reef rises from the ocean.

You’ll witness this spectacle from your Xplorer and Zodiac vessels, and the Expedition Team will share their knowledge about the area. Near the end of the day, the water will rise, and the reef will disappear below the ocean floor.

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Today, you will visit King Cascade, one of the most popular waterfalls in Kimberley. The waterfall is about 165ft in height, and water tumbles down a series of terraces, which are enhanced by patches of natural vegetation such as grass, moss, and ferns. You will reach King Cascade in an Xplorer vessel via the Prince Regent River.

Afterwards, make your way to Careening Bay, a site made famous by explorer Phillip Parker King. After being stranded for 17 days, King’s carpenter carved the phrase ‘HMC Mermaid 1820’ into a nearby boab tree, which still stands (with the inscription) to this day.

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Head to Prince Frederick Harbour, located in southern York Sound, which is home to white-bellied sea eagles, kites, and ospreys. You may also encounter mangrove crabs and mudskippers during low tide.

From there, take the Xplorer vessels to Porosus Creek, featuring artistic mangrove creeks visible at low tide.

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Pass through a series of rock pools and waterfalls in Mitchell Plateau to reach Mitchell Falls. Then, enjoy a scenic helicopter ride (pay locally on the day), watching the rock pools from up above.

From there, visit the Mitchell River National Park, which is home to various birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. The sandstone terraces are the perfect vantage point for scenic views, as well.

You can also take an optional trip to Hathaway’s Hideaway, named after the wife of Peter Satori, one of the first white explorers to discover the area in the 1990s. The area is comprised of a unique cave system inhabited by bats and geckos, and also contains signs of human occupation.

At night, watch the sunset cascade over the Indian Ocean.

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Head to Vansittart Bay, which is home to indigenous rock art galleries, rumored to be about 20 thousand years old. You will also visit Jar Island, featuring Gwion Gwion artworks and pot shards left behind by Macassan fisherman.

Then proceed to the Anjo Peninsula, where the wreckage of a surprisingly well-reserved US Air Force C-53 Skytrooper aircraft exists.

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Head to the King George River, source of the nearby King George Falls, the tallest twin waterfalls in Western Australia. If the waterfall season is early, you may cruise around the base of the falls.

Spend the last evening aboard the ship enjoy farewell drinks with the captain and crew.

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Arrive at Fort Hill Wharf in Darwin at around 8:30am. Disembark from the ship, and say farewell to the crew, the captain, and your fellow travelers. Then transfer to the CBD hotel or the airport, depending on where you go next.

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