Cruises > Australia’s Iconic Kimberley

About Your Trip

Australia’s Iconic Kimberley

Set sail for the wild and grandiose landscapes of Kimberley on this exceptional itinerary. In one of the most picturesque parts of the region, the Hunter River, you will see wild mangrove forests where estuarine crocodiles live along with many species of birds. The highlight of this cruise will undoubtedly be the exploration of the King George River and the majestic Twin Falls, the highest falls in Western Australia. You will also visit Collier Bay, where you will be able to admire Montgomery Reef, the world’s largest inshore reef with vast expanses of lagoons and plentiful marine life. Your ship will take you along one of the most spectacular coastlines in Australia. With their falls, abrupt gorges, savannah, calm waters and desolate mountain chains, the wild lands of the Kimberley promise an exceptional adventure.

Why not extend your cruise experience and let our Travel Designers tailor an itinerary to suit your needs? Contact us on sales@thetravelsuite.ie or call 01 905 9008 or if you prefer Book an Appointment.

 

All offers are subject to change and availability.

More About This Cruise

What to Expect

Cruise Features

PONANT Le Lapérouse

Overview

Environmentally friendly, fitted with innovative equipment and complete with lounges designed to be largely open to the exterior, this new and intimately sized yacht offers a unique type of cruise experience. Onboard this ship sailing under the French flag, you’ll experience the incomparable pleasure of a cosily intimate cruise offering the possibility of exploring an ever-increasing range of destinations in an ethnic chic ambiance. The Blue Eye, a multi-sensorial underwater lounge, offers a unique experience unlike anything else in the world.

Dining

An essential component of French culture, gastronomy naturally has a place of honour onboard this ship. The Le Nautilus, found towards the rear of the deck, is a panoramic restaurant large enough to accommodate all passengers at one sitting. This space is open to the exterior and serves buffets of salads, desserts and cheeses. The discreet and attentive staff provide a table service for hot meals. Grill Restaurant, an exterior restaurant on deck 3 offers a relaxed ambiance and atmosphere, with views out over the pool deck and grilled meats and a variety of salads and desserts on offer.

Entertainment

Le Lapérouse features a number of spaces designed and arranged to serve your needs and requirements whilst at the same time preserving the privacy of each passenger. The Blue Eye is a multi-sensorial underwater lounge. The hydraulic platform makes swimming and bathing in the sea and various nautical sports, such as kayaking and paddleboarding easily accessible. The shop sells a line of clothing, jewellery, beauty care products, postcards and various accessories. The main lounge is able to accommodate all passengers at once for moments of shared conviviality, and as a venue for both daytime and evening shows and entertainment. The theatre has cutting edge audio and lighting technology, and an LED stage background wall enabling the projection of ultra-high resolution media. The pool deck has a swimming pool offering panoramic views, a pleasant, attractive sun deck and an exterior bar and lounge equipped with armchairs and sofas. The panoramic lounge features a library, internet space, bar and live entertainment on certain evenings, and direct access to the panoramic terrace.

Health and Fitness

Enjoy a moment of tranquillity at the spa or around the pool or work-out in the fitness room. The ship has a variety of well-designed spaces to offer you space for relaxation to enhance your journey. The wellness area contains a spa in partnership with SOTHYS™, a KÉRASTASE/L’Oréal Paris hair salon, a free access sauna and a gym.

DAY 1

Broome

Located in the northwest of the Kimberley region and in 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 centre, and the famous Japanese Cemetery, dates back to 1896, and has a 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 sand banks at low tide, like a staircase climbing up towards the sky, a unique spectacle provided by nature.

Arrive: 01/10/2023 – Depart: 01/10/2023

 

DAY 2

Lacepede Islands

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.

Arrive: 02/10/2023 – Depart: 02/10/2023

 

DAY 3

Collier Bay

Lying to the east of the Buccaneer archipelago, the ancient landscapes of Collier Bay have been shaped by the massive tidal movements the region is renowned for, creating a photographer’s paradise. With a tidal range exceeding 14 metres, recorded near Yule entrance at the southern end of the bay, they are among the largest in the world. This massive daily movement of water creates unique phenomena that occur nowhere else in the world. Nestled in the centre of the Bay is Montgomery Reef, the world’s largest inshore reef system. As the tide falls a raging torrent of water cascades off the top of the reef, creating turbulent ‘rivers’ and mini waterfalls. At the Southern end of the Bay, Talbot Bay is home to the world’s only ’Horizontal Falls’ described by Sir David Attenborough as “One of the greatest wonders of the natural world.” Hidden in the many caves and grottos of this ancient landscape are a multitude of ancient Rock Art galleries. Here you can find spectacular examples of the Wandjina and Gwion Gwion styles.

Arrive: 03/10/2023 – Depart: 04/10/2023

 

DAY 5

Careening Bay

Careening Bay was named by Lieutenant Phillip Parker King after his ship, HMC Mermaid, was careened there during his third voyage of discovery in 1820. King surveyed the western coast to complete the map initiated by Flinders 20 years earlier. The Mermaid had been leaking badly and King needed to find a shallow sandy bay where he could careen his boat to undertake repairs. At a high tide, on a warm September afternoon, he ran the Mermaid onto the sands. For ten days the Mermaid crew worked hard before refloating the vessel. The ship’s carpenter carved the name of the vessel and the year into a conspicuous boab tree. The famous boab tree is now 3 metres wide and National Heritage listed. A reminder of a by gone era of exploration!

Arrive: 05/10/2023 – Depart: 05/10/2023

 

DAY 6

Hunter River

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 metres high before giving way to extensive mud banks and mangrove forests home to numerous bird species and the iconic saltwater crocodile.

Arrive: 06/10/2023 – Depart: 06/10/2023

 

DAY 7

Swift Bay

The Bonaparte Archipelago, is a stunningly rugged maze of islands stretching almost 150 km along Western Australia’s remote Kimberley coast. Its colour and scale conspire to take ones’ breath away. Its distant location has meant it has remained an unspoilt 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.

Arrive: 07/10/2023 – Depart: 07/10/2023

 

DAY 8

Vansittart Bay

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 favour 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 colonisers of the Australian continent. As it is, these are the oldest detailed depiction of human figures in the world.

Arrive: 08/10/2023 – Depart: 08/10/2023

 

DAY 9

King George River

The journey up the King George River is nothing short of breathtaking. The 80-metre-high sides of the gorge display varying degrees of weathering of the ancient Warton sandstone. The colours and textures of the gorge change with the light as you travel further up the river creating a continual 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 (80 m or 260 ft). Fed by wet season run-off the level of water cascading over the falls varies from year to year.

Arrive: 09/10/2023 – Depart: 09/10/2023

 

DAY 11

Darwin

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 Parliamant House opened in 1994, a magnificent example of tropical architecture or Admiralty House declared heritage place, a tropical-style home elevated on stilts that has survived two cyclones and numerous air raids.

Arrive: 11/10/2023 – Depart: 11/10/2023

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