Your once-in-a-lifetime Kimberley cruise begins in Broome late this afternoon, as you make your own way to the Mangrove Hotel for your 3:30pm rendezvous with fellow adventurers. At 4pm, step aboard the Coral Adventurer and settle into your stateroom, your plush home at sea for the next 10 nights.
Gather on the Bridge Deck Lounge as the ship sets sail at 5pm and the rust-red cliffs of Broome fade into the distance. Sip a welcome drink with your expedition team, captain and crew, as you get your first taste of life onboard and the days of wonder that lie ahead.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
All-Inclusive Coral Adventurer Expedition Cruise
Wake up to the vast Indian Ocean as you anchor near the Lacepede Islands, a remote nature reserve renowned for its thriving seabird colonies and nesting green turtles.
Cruise through the protected lagoons by Zodiac and Xplorer (tender vessels), keeping watch for brown boobies, roseate terns and soaring sea eagles. The islands are a paradise for wildlife lovers – and your expert guides will bring their stories vividly to life.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Today takes you into the heart of the Buccaneer Archipelago – an otherworldly maze of 800 islands, their ancient rocks among the oldest on Earth. Navigate Cyclone Creek to view twisted geological formations, then sail past Koolan Island’s striking cliffs before arriving at Nares Point for sunset drinks amid the remote beauty of Talbot Bay.
The highlight? A thrilling Zodiac (tender vessel) ride through the natural phenomenon of the Horizontal Falls, where powerful tides surge through a narrow gorge creating a sideways waterfall effect. It’s a rare and exhilarating spectacle, unique to this untamed corner of Australia.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Today, you’ll venture into Doubtful Bay, a deep inlet framed by ochre cliffs and home to some of the Kimberley’s most sacred Indigenous sites. Arrive at Raft Point (Ngumbree), the dramatic headland that marks the entrance to this historic bay, and explore ancient Wandjina rock art galleries with your expedition guides. This is Worrora Country – a land rich in storytelling, where creation spirits have been etched in stone for millennia.
Later, travel by tender into the mangrove-fringed Red Cone Creek, where a short scramble over sandstone ‘building blocks’ leads to Ruby Falls – a tiered freshwater pool ideal for a cooling swim. If time and tides allow, your day may finish with a scenic cruise up the mighty Sale River.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Witness one of the Kimberley’s most extraordinary natural events as Montgomery Reef emerges from the sea with the falling tide. Covering over 300 square kilometres, the reef appears to rise from the ocean in a cascade of rushing water, revealing a rich ecosystem of tidal pools, exposed coral, and feeding seabirds.
Glide along its edges in small expedition vessels as turtles, rays and reef sharks swim in the shallows beside you. Your guides will share the scientific and cultural significance of Yowjab – a reef that feels more like a living, breathing entity than a geological formation.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Navigate the remarkable Prince Regent River, a rare geological fault line that runs ruler-straight through towering sandstone cliffs. Your destination is the dramatic King Cascade, where spring-fed water tumbles down fern-covered rock terraces into the river below – one of the Kimberley’s most photogenic waterfalls.
Later, step ashore at Careening Bay to visit the historic Mermaid Boab Tree, carved with ‘HMC Mermaid 1820’ by the stranded crew of Lieutenant Phillip Parker King over 200 years ago. Still standing sentinel over the bay, this iconic tree is listed on the National Register of Big Trees and is a living monument to early exploration history.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Sail into one of the Kimberley’s most visually arresting landscapes today – Prince Frederick Harbour. Framed by weathered escarpments and dotted with mangrove-lined islets, the harbour teems with wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for white-bellied sea eagles circling above, or mudskippers and mangrove crabs flitting across the exposed tidal flats.
Navigate Porosus Creek aboard a tender for an intimate look at the region’s wildlife-rich mangroves. Later, disembark on remote Lumbarrni Island, where rock shelters conceal ancient Indigenous artworks – a timeless gallery etched into the stone by the First Peoples of this land.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Today, opt for an exhilarating helicopter flight for an aerial view of Punamii-Uunpuu – Mitchell Falls and the surrounding escarpment. A multi-tiered spectacle plunging through layered sandstone into emerald-green pools, where sandstone terraces offer sweeping views across this ancient land (additional cost).
On foot, explore Winyalkan, a site of natural beauty carved by millennia of erosion. Later, visit Swift Bay, where rock overhangs reveal some of the Kimberley’s finest examples of both Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) rock art — striking symbols of stories passed down through generations.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Optional helicopter flight over Mitchell Falls is approximately A$890 per person. Subject to a minimum of 12 passengers. Helicopter flights are booked once onboard, with a 24hr cancellation policy.
Arrive in Vansittart Bay and step ashore on Ngula – Jar Island, a site of deep cultural significance. Here, in sheltered rock galleries, discover fine examples of Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) art, estimated to be up to 20,000 years old.
A short journey inland leads to a different kind of historical marker — the wreckage of a US Air Force C-53 Skytrooper from World War II, lying preserved in the red earth of the Anjo Peninsula. This site offers a striking contrast between the ancient and modern histories of this storied region.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Your final full day aboard brings one of the Kimberley’s most iconic sights: King George Falls (Oomari), the highest twin waterfalls in Western Australia at 80 metres tall. Cruise through the towering, ancient gorge carved by the King George River — its vertical sandstone walls a textbook in geological time.
In waterfall season, feel the cooling spray as you approach the base by Zodiac. Outside of the wet, marvel at honeycomb weathering in the rock and the grandeur of the dry cascades. This is a fitting final flourish to your wild Kimberley adventure.
As the sun sets, gather on board for Captain’s farewell drinks, to toast a journey shared with fellow explorers through one of the most remote and remarkable regions on Earth.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
Arrive at Darwin’s Fort Hill Wharf by 9am and disembark at 9:30am, your transfer will take you to your Darwin hotel.
With the entire day before you, you could prearrange a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park or a saltwater crocodile cruise on the Adelaide River (additional costs apply), or take it easy with a stroll through Darwin’s art-clad laneways.
Please note: The Coral Expeditions Kimberley Cruise itinerary is flexible and designed to take advantage of changing weather and tidal conditions. This itinerary showcases a selection of the key destinations you may visit.
BONUS post-cruise stay
Darwin is yours to uncover with a full day at leisure. Perhaps you’ll choose to take it easy with a stroll through Darwin’s art-clad laneways, then, as the sun descends over this breathtaking harbour city, why not enjoy a pizza under the stars at Cucina Sotto Le Stelle or a beer at the waterfront Precinct Tavern?
BONUS post-cruise stay
Your adventure comes to an end today as you check out of your hotel.