Kimberley Coast

Enjoy the best of the dramatic Kimberley Coastline on these 11-day cruises.

28 May to 7 June 2012
8 to 18 June 2012

BROOME TO BROOME
* Voyage 1: 28 May to 7 June 2012- 11 days 
* Voyage 2: 8 to 18 June 2012 - 11 days
Aurora Expeditions also offers an 11 day voyage from Broome to Darwin, departing 18 June 2012
Cost: From $6990 ex Broome; includes a donation to the Australian Geographic Society
Who: Aurora Expeditions
Contact: 1800 637 688

Follow our adventurous expedition leader, Mike Cusack, on a pilgrimage back to the place where he and his wife, Susan, spent 12 months living in the Kimberley wilderness as part of Australian Geographic 'Year in the Wilderness' challenge. Exclusive to Aurora Expeditions' Kimberley voyages, our 'expeditioners' have the unique opportunity to join Mike on a wilderness walk into the Kimberley's harsh wilderness and immerse themselves in this big and powerful landscape. Aurora Expeditions' voyages attract small groups of like-minded, enthusiastic people, passionate about experiencing the Kimberley's history, plants and wildlife. Our expedition staff put your safety, comfort and understanding of the Kimberley above everything else. We allow you to enjoy the journey in your own way, whether it be hiking up a sandstone escarpment to search for rock art galleries, swimming in a cool freshwater pool, or sitting quietly to photograph wildlife.

Day 1
Beach camels, pearl diving sagas and dinosaur footprints are put behind us as we board Coral Princess, to set sail late afternoon.
 
Day 2
After a relaxed morning at sea, early afternoon finds us in the Lacepede Islands, low sandy isles alive with tens of thousands of seabirds. It's a privilege to visit one of the Indian Ocean's largest breeding colonies of frigate birds, brown boobies, crested terns and sandpipers. Green and flatback turtles also visit the islands.
 
Days 3-4
Buccaneer Archipelago, a startling maze of some 800 iron-red islands reflected in glassy seas, takes us to the geological wonder of Talbot Bay. We cool off at memento-rich Crocodile Creek, then glide past acres of pearl farms before an adrenalin run through the Horizontal Waterfalls. Montgomery Reef awaits, with cascading waterfalls and channels full of turtles, manta rays and sharks.
 
Days 5-6
Mystical Wandjina spirits, rock cod, dugongs, crocodiles and snakes feature in Raft Point's breathtaking - and some of the Kimberley's most revered - rock art galleries. Abandoned farms in Doubtful Bay and Camden Harbour reveal the hardship of pioneering life, while the knife-slice of Prince Regent River Gorge offers freshwater swimming holes and glorious King Cascade.
 
Day 7
Prince Regent Wild River and Nature Reserve, the remote heart of the Kimberley, is home to more than half the region's mammal and bird species. We explore the coastal fringe of mangrove stands and soaring cliffs, perhaps spotlighting saltwater crocodiles in a landscape little changed for thousands of years. At Careening Bay we search for explorer Phillip Parker King's Mermaid tree.
 
Day 8
Bigge Island, our northernmost point, where Garry Darby introduces us to an astounding range of rock art, from the mysterious Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) figures, more than 17,000 years old, to the Wandjinas warning of spiritual sites with upturned arms, and post-contact art depicting figures smoking pipes and wearing trousers.
 
Day 9
Heading south through the Camden Sound Whale Sanctuary, we may be lucky enough to spot humpback mothers and calves; aiming to make a landing at Langgi's natural stone sculpture gardens in northern Collier Bay.
 
Day 10
Overnight we cruise into Yampi Sound, home to some of the world's richest iron ore deposits, including those mined on nearby Koolan and Cockatoo Islands. Photographers delight in the stunning maze of red islands reflected in turquoise seas.
 
Day 11
Back in Broome by early morning, we enjoy a complimentary transfer to the hotel or airport to begin our journey home