FOLLOW THE VOYAGE:

The Kimberley Cruise

Darwin to Broome | 3 May to 13 May 2024 | Coral Discoverer

Jump To: Day 2 | Day 3| Day 4| Day 5| Day 6| Day 7| Day 8| Day 9| Day 10

Day 2: King George River, 4 May 2024

Our day at Koolama Bay, King George River, began with a hearty breakfast before we set off under favorable conditions for the falls. Upon entering the gorge, Goyma shared fascinating insights about the area’s geology, flora, and fauna before we embarked on our exciting Zodiac runs to the falls. With the falls boasting a strong flow, we relished our first opportunity to experience a Kimberley shower before returning to the ship. Following lunch onboard, we engaged in a short documentary recounting the Koolama incident. The afternoon was brimming with onboard activities, including Goyma’s insightful presentation on Aboriginal Kinship. Later, we savored a wine tasting session and canapés with Josh, culminating in a delightful dinner.
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Day 3: Vansittart Bay, 5 May 2024

We began the day with a presentation from Jamie on Phillip Parker King before setting off for the C53 plane wreck. Once at the site, Jamie provided us with insights into the wreck and how it ended up in Vansittart Bay. There was an opportunity for bird watching, and Goyma discussed bush tucker under a boab tree. After lunch, we headed to Jar Island West and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon visiting the Gwion art site. Later, after dinner, we capped off our fantastic day with the movie ‘Red Dog’!
Vansittart-Bay

 


Day 4: Winyalkan, 6 May 2024

We began the day with a 7:00am breakfast before our first heli group set off to view Mitchell Falls, while those going in the afternoon went on a cruise down Wollaston Creek to find some Gwion Rock Art we hadn’t seen. The site was a bit difficult to access due to the high tides. However, the zodiacs worked well to get us in and all guests got to see a wonderful Gwion gallery and relished in the exploratory nature of the activity. We looked at the Kangaroo Art on the way back before returning to Coral Discoverer. After lunch we visited Wollaston Artsite. In the afternoon we set off to Verandah Beach for Sunset drinks and Goyma enlisted some assistance from a guest and crew for traditional dance. After dinner we watched the documentary ‘ Kimberley – Land of the Wandjina’.
Winyalkan-


Day 5: Prince Frederick Harbour, 7 May 2024

After sunrise at the Nine Pin, we cruised up Porosus Creek where we saw crocs and Kingfishers before returning to the ship. After lunch, we cruised to Thors Hammer before seeing more crocs at the nearby mangroves. In the afternoon we enjoyed drinks on the sundeck and dinner before the documentary ‘BBC Coast The Norther Kimberley’.


Day 6: Careening Bay & King Cascade, 8 May 2024

Our morning at Careening Bay started with great conditions and a rising tide for our visit to the Careening Bay. After an intro from the expedition team, we split the groups once on the beach. Goyma took a group to the cycads and looked for stingrays chasing the rising tide, while Jamie took a group to the Mermaid tree. Back onboard Goyma gave his interactive presentation ‘Bush Foods of Northern Australia’. After lunch, we set off for King Cascade and had great conditions and a big spring tide as we cruised to the falls. We saw Dolphins on the way and once at the falls, we enjoyed another Kimberley shower from Xplorer before afternoon tea. On the way back to Coral Discoverer we had glass-out conditions and explored a side creek before arriving back to the ship. After sundeck drinks and dinner, we enjoyed the movie ‘The Water Diviner’ to finish a great day!

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Day 7: Montgomery Reef & Red Cone Creek, 9 May 2024

Our day at Montgomery Reef began early with a 6:00 am breakfast and a sunrise cruise. We enjoyed watching the sunrise from the inlet before our tender runs commenced for a closer look at the now-emerging reef and marine life. Afterwards, we enjoyed an early lunch before going to Red Cone Creek for a refreshing swim. Back onboard the Coral Discoverer, we enjoyed drinks and dinner before the documentary ‘Kimberley – From Heart’.

Montgomery-Reef-and-Red-Cone-Creek

 


Day 8: Talbot Bay, 10 May 2024

It was a morning full of excitement with the first activity of the day being zodiac runs to see the Horizontal Falls up close. After lunch, we headed to Cyclone Creek and enjoyed raptors, and with the big tide got all the way to the back of Talbot Creek. In the afternoon we enjoyed BBQ on the sundeck followed by a salsa lesson and the movie ‘The Dressmaker’ to finish another great day!

Talbot-Bay

 


Day 9: Hidden Island – Whirlpool Pass & Silica Beach , 11 May 2024

Today we enjoyed a later start with an 8:00 am breakfast followed by Jamie giving his presentation ’15 days of war in the Kimberley’.  Afterwards, we departed for Whirlpool Pass where we enjoyed learning about the whirlpools and spotting birdlife. In the afternoon we headed to Silica Beach for champagne and canapes before returning to the ship for dinner and a tightly fought battle of Trivia with 1 point between 1st & 3rd to finish a great day!

Silica-Beach


Day 10: Lacepede Islands, 12 May 2024

For our final day in the Kimberley, we visited the Lacepede Islands. Taking advantage of the large tide, we crept all the way into the back of the lagoon where we spotted a crocodile, a plethora of birdlife, and turtles before heading back to the Coral Discoverer. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a viewing of all the photos taken throughout the voyage, followed by Captain’s farewell drinks and canapés before dinner. A perfect end to a great trip!

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Winter & Whales Season Now Sailing

We still have a limited number of staterooms available between June and September 2024. Escape to the warmth of the Kimberley this winter and join us on an unforgettable journey through this awe-inspiring coastal wilderness. Witness the spectacle of the annual humpback whale migration, where around 40,000 humpback whales find sanctuary to birth and nurture their calves, creating one of the planet’s most remarkable natural events.

Contact our reservations team on 1800 079 545 or via email [email protected] to learn about our standby specials.

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