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The Kimberley - Cruising to the Australian Outback

An 11-day exploration voyage to the Kimberley has so many highlights, it's hard to know where to begin. Your expedition cruise begins from either Darwin - the capital city of The Northern Territory, or Broome - famous for its beauty and cultured pearls. Both are unique frontier centers and are the gateways to the magnificent Kimberley wilderness.

Aboard the custom-made Coral Princess, you can rest assured that you will be receiving the best service while experiencing the wonderful remote access a ship this size can permit. Commissioned in July 1988, the ship is 35 meters in length and accommodates just 50 guests. Experienced, highly informative Expedition Leaders and Guest Lecturers will supervise the expedition itinerary maximizing the experiences offered on our shore excursions. Sensitive arrangements are also made allowing guests to absorb the cultural remnants of one of the world's most ancient people, the Australian Aborigine.

A specially designed excursion vessel allows you to explore the gorges of the Mitchell, King George, Prince Regent and Hunter Rivers. For the more adventurous, optional helicopter flights to the Mitchell Plateau are also available. The abundance of bird life and native wildlife including the salt-water crocodile make every moment of the expedition unique. The hundreds of islands in The Buccaneer Archipelago, the tidal phenomena at Montgomery Reef and the extraordinary horizontal waterfalls near Talbot Bay ...The Kimberley has it all.

Day 1 - Embark, Broome

4:30pm Board Coral Princess for a 6:00pm departure. This evening meet your fellow travelers and friendly crew at the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party. Enjoy cocktails as you depart Broome and cruise north towards Cape Leveque.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: dinner

Day 2 - Lacepede Islands

Today, cruise through Pender Bay and visit the Lacepede Islands. These islands are situated well off shore and are known for the turtle nestings and booby and frigate bird colonies.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - Crocodile Creek and Horizontal Falls

This morning travel ashore aboard Explorer, our specially designed excursion vessel. Visit Crocodile Creek where there is time to explore and enjoy a cooling dip in the fresh water pools. At Talbot Bay, the region’s 12 meter tides create an amazing spectacle, the unique Horizontal Falls. Board the inflatable zodiacs for an exhilarating, up-close view of this natural phenomenon.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - Montgomery Reef and Aboriginal Art

Cruise through the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to over 800 islands, before arriving at Montgomery Reef. See the reef ‘rise’ out of the ocean as the tide ebbs, before joining a reef walk and marine life study. Later, travel ashore at Raft Point and visit a secluded and very interesting aboriginal rock art gallery. With our lecturer, view Wandjina art and the mysterious Bradshaw Paintings (Gwion), thought to be the world’s oldest indigenous art, dating back over 20 000 years. Enjoy time to discover one of the bay’s many uninhabited islands and enjoy a cooling dip in the freshwater pools.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - King Cascades and Camp Creek

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. The more adventurous may wish to join a nature walk, keeping an eye out for native Kimberley birdlife.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6 - Careening Bay

Careening Bay was named by Phillip Parker King after his ship, ‘HMC Mermaid’, was careened during his first voyage of discovery in the Kimberley. Our lecturers lead us to the site of a large boab tree baring the inscription ‘HMC Mermaid – 1820’, still clearly visible almost 200 years later. This afternoon we cruise through Kuri Bay, home of the south sea pearl industry.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7 - Prince Frederick Harbor and Beach BBQ

Cruising into Prince Frederick Harbor we anchor at Naturalist Island. 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 we indulge in a gourmet Aussie Beach BBQ.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8 - Bigge Island and Low Rocks

Discover rarely seen Aboriginal art on Bigge Island. Our lecturer will be on hand to interpret this amazing rock art gallery which dates back thousands of years. Later, visit the sea bird rookeries on Low Rocks.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9 - Vansittart Bay

Enjoy a full day to explore beautiful Vansittart Bay and its many islands and secluded coves.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 10 - King George Falls and Tranquil Bay

Today will be spent exploring the mighty King George River. Aboard Explorer, discover scenic gorges, and in the inflatable zodiacs cruise close to the base of magnificent King George Falls - the tallest waterfalls in Western Australia towering some 80 meters above the river below. Later, visit Tranquil Bay for beach walking and exploration. This evening say farewell to new-found friends as we enjoy the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party.

Accommodations: Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11 - Disembark - Darwin

Our unforgettable cruise along the Kimberley coast concludes in Darwin this morning after an early breakfast; disembark at 8:00am.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

Reverse Itinerary:
Day 1: Depart Darwin
Day 2: King George River
Day 3: Bigge Island and Aboriginal Art
Day 4: Prince Frederick Harbor
Day 5: Careening Bay
Day 6: Prince Regent River and King Cascades
Day 7: Kuri Bay and Raft Point
Day 8: Montgomery Reef and Horizontal Falls
Day 9: King Sound and Crocodile Creek
Day 10: Lacepede Islands
Day 11: Depart in Broome

Itinerary Notes: This itinerary is an indication of the reef, islands and coastal areas we visit. While every effort will be made to follow this itinerary we do reserve the right to vary this itinerary to make allowances for weather and tidal conditions and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel.

Included: Included in your cruise fare are accommodations as booked, cruise transportation, all meals onboard, 24-hour room service, entertainment and educational programs, use of all of our onboard facilities, including our comprehensive range of library and video resources, use of snorkeling equipment such as masks, fins, flotation vests and wetsuits plus a free scuba skills lesson.

Exclusions: Fares do not include items of a personal nature, including but not limited to: travel and medical insurance, laundry charges, shopping onboard, bar expenses, hair dressing and massage treatments, optional shore experiences, medical treatment, telephone and internet charges, plus a Government Environmental Management charge of $16.50 per person - payable on board.

Families & Children: Minimum age 8 years old; however we do not recommend children under 12 years of age participate given the nature of these programs.

Arrival & Departure: The Kimberley 11-day cruise begins in and ends in either Darwin or Broome. Embarkation time is 4:30pm on day of departure. Disembarkation is after breakfast on final day at 8:00am. Please schedule flights accordingly.

Payment & Cancellation: To secure your reservation a deposit of 10% of the fare is due within 7 days of placing your booking. Final Payment is due 60 days prior to departure.

Notification of cancellation must be received in writing. At the time we receive your cancellation the following penalties will apply:
Up to 60 days prior to departure - forfeit your deposit of 10% of the fare.
30 to 59 days prior to departure - forfeit 50% of the fare.
1 to 29 days prior to departure - forfeit 100% of the fare.
A $200.00 per person fee may be charged by Coral Princess Cruises for any amendments not requiring a date change after booking is confirmed.

Prices for the Kimberley Cruise aboard the Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer are in Australian Dollars. For today's exchange rate visit USD to AUD. We will accept payment in U.S. Dollars based on the exchange rate the day you make your payment.

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Any medical condition, advanced pregnancy or disability must be advised to AdventureSmith Explorations when a request for accommodation is made. Guests should be sure to bring onboard sufficient supplies of any prescription medication they may require.

Pricing Notes: Prices for the Kimberley Cruise aboard the Coral Princess or Oceanic Discoverer are in Australian Dollars. For today's exchange rate visit USD to AUD. We will accept payment in U.S. Dollars based on the exchange rate the day you make your payment.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com