Australia   Contact Us |

20 Day Kimberley Cruise & Luxury Lodge Adventure 2022

Darwin - Broome - Kununurra

10 nights of luxury cruising on the Coral Adventurer or Coral Discoverer Cruise Ship in a Promenade Stateroom

Cruise through the most unique sights of the Kimberley region!

5 nights luxury all-inclusive Berkeley River Lodge stay - One of Australias most remote and luxury lodge

4 nights  premium accommodation in Darwin, Broome & Kununurra 

Snorkeling equipment, zodiac cruising, guided excursions & so much more!!

 

From $25,000 pp twin share

Book Now

Description


If you were thinking luxury in 2022,  this could just be the deal for you! 

Your journey will begin in Darwin at the Hilton hotel, with a one-night stay. You will then make your way to the port to board your luxury cruise. You will meet your fellow passengers and crew at the Captains Welcome Drinks. 

While on your cruise your voyage will take you to King George River and Falls, Mitchell Falls, Prince Frederick Harbour, Montgomery Reef, Doubtful Bay, Horizontal Falls, and The Lacapede Islands. 

You will bid farewell to your captain and crew with a farewell drink and dinner. You will disembark in Broome and stay at a lovely 4 star hotel.  Spend the next few days at leisure, bask in some sunshine, learn about Broome, and wine and dine. 

Your journey isn't over just yet! Fly to Kununurra and check in to one of Australias' most remote and luxury lodges, the Berkeley River Lodge. The lodge is completely all-inclusive, and you have the opportunity to decide what excursions you would like to enjoy with your personal concierge upon arrival.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Itinerary Downloadable Itinerary


Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20

Day 1

Arrive in Darwin

Your luxury adventure starts today! Make your own way to Hilton Darwin (or similar) where you will spend the night. . The rest of your day is at leisure.

Day 2

Depart Darwin 

Meet at Darwin Cruise Terminal at 7:00 hrs for pre-cruise check-in. Board your Coral Expeditions ship at 8.00 am where there is time to settle into your cabin before our 9:00 am departure. Spend a luxuriant sea day at leisure as we cruise across Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and sail into Western Australian waters.

Take the time to become acquainted with all the facilities onboard and join our Expedition Team in the Lounge for an insightful introduction to the Kimberley. As dusk falls meet your fellow travelers, the Captain, and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks

Day 3

King George River and Falls

 

Fed by the King George River draining across the Gardner Plateau, 80m tall King George Falls are the most impressive Kimberley waterfalls and the highest twin falls in Western Australia. Before reaching the mist-like spray rising from the base of King George Falls, we cruise through steep-sided gorges carved by a flooded river system that carved a swathe through the Kimberley landscape 400 million years ago.

Day 4

Vansittart Bay

 Vansittart Bay is home to many cultural and historically significant sites like the remarkable Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) Aboriginal rock art galleries estimated to be up to 20,000 years old. Jar Island is so-named after the pot shards found here, brought to the island by Macassan fisherman harvesting sea cucumbers (also known as trepang). Nearby, on the Anjo Peninsula lays the well-preserved wreckage of a US Airforce C-53 Skytrooper aircraft, the result of a pilot losing his bearings flying from Perth to Broome in 1942 and putting down on a salt pan near present-day Truscott Airbase.

Day 5

Mitchell Falls, Winyalkan & Swift Bay

Tumbling down the Mitchell Plateau in a series of tiered waterfalls and emerald green rock pools, the Mitchell Falls are the photogenic poster child for the Mitchell River National Park. Take a scenic helicopter flight (additional cost) to multi-tiered Mitchell Falls where emerald-hued rock pools cascade down the escarpment and ancient rock art galleries are concealed in caves behind curtains of water. Mitchell River National Park is inhabited by significant numbers of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and bird species which are lured by a year-round water source. Sandstone terraces beside tiered rock pools make a terrific viewing platform from which to savor the serenity of this ancient landscape. An alternative option to Mitchell Falls is exploring the sandstone caves of Hathway’s Hideaway. This mass of weathered tunnels, arches and columns form a labyrinth-like maze and was once an Aboriginal midden. Another option while anchored at Winyalkan Bay is a visit to a series Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art galleries at Swift Bay.

In the evening we will enjoy watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean while indulging in a gourmet BBQ.

Day 6

Prince Frederick Harbour

Prince Frederick Harbour is one of the Kimberley’s most spectacular locations at the southern end of York Sound. The harbour is dotted with islands lined with mangroves and monsoon rainforests, set against a backdrop of the ochre-hued escarpment. White-bellied sea eagles and other birds of prey are often seen here, and at low tide, expansive mudflats reveal large populations of mudskippers and mangrove crabs. We will take our Xplorer tender vessels on a cruise up Porosus Creek to view some striking rock formations.

Day 7

Prince Regent River & Careening Bay

King Cascade is a classically beautiful terraced waterfall and is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the Kimberley. Falling from a considerable height and around 50m across, water tumbles down a staggered terrace of Kimberley sandstone. Layer upon layer of ochre-hued and blackened rock sprouts grasses, mosses and ferns in a sort of lushly vegetated hanging garden. We reach King Cascade after cruising in our Xplorer tender vessels down the steep-sided Prince Regent River which is a remarkable anomaly as the river runs dead straight along a fault line. Lt. Phillip Parker King named nearby Careening Bay after he beached his leaking vessel HMC Mermaid to effect repairs. While stranded on this remote coastline for 17 days the ship’s carpenter carved HMC Mermaid 1820 into the bottle-shaped trunk of a boab tree near the beach. 200 years later, the Mermaid Boab Tree has since split into two trunks and sports a mammoth girth of 12m. Significantly, the bulbous tree is listed on the National Register of Big Trees and the carpenter’s careful inscription now stands almost as tall as a person.

Day 8

Montgomery Reef

Montgomery Reef is a biologically diverse area covering over 300 sq km and was named by Phillip Parker King. Twice daily, as the sea recedes in mammoth 11m tides, Montgomery Reef rises from the Indian Ocean in a cascade of rushing water revealing a flat-topped reef pockmarked with rock pools and rivulets. As the reef emerges, we get up close in our Xplorer and Zodiac inflatable tenders to witness the spectacle as our Expedition Team share their knowledge on the formation of the reef and the myriad wildlife. Opportunistic birds take advantage of the emerging reef, feeding on marine life left exposed in rock pools. Turtles, dolphins, dugongs and sawfish too are also attracted to feeding opportunities as the ocean recedes.

The ocean is awash in a swirl of eddies and whirlpools as the moon’s gravitational force takes hold. Then, a few hours later the entire water-borne drama is reversed as the tide comes in and Montgomery Reef disappears below sea level.

Day 9

Doubtful Bay

Raft Point guards the entrance to Doubtful Bay, a vast body of sheltered water which harbours significant sites such as the ancient Wandjina rock art galleries located a short walk from the beach and are considered some of the finest in the Kimberley and we visit the rock art galleries when Traditional Owners are available to guide us. Doubtful Bay is the traditional country of the Worrora people who follow the Wandjina, their god, law-maker and creator. Images of Wandjina are found throughout the Kimberley, recording their stories, knowledge and culture in stone. Red Cone Creek flows gently downstream until it meets the small but impressive Ruby Falls. Named by local mariner Capt. Chris Trucker after his daughter, Red Cone Creek is carved through rock formations stacked atop each other like building blocks. These rock walls are great for climbing and clambering over before reaching a series of freshwater swimming holes and waterfalls. The falls may be a gurgling torrent or a gentle trickle, depending on the time of the year.

Other sites we aim to visit in Doubtful Bay include the mighty Steep Island and Ruby Falls at Red Cone Creek.

 

Day 10

Horizontal Falls and Buccaneer Archipelago

The Horizontal Falls are one of Kimberley’s biggest attractions and are a result of the mammoth 11m tides the Kimberley is renowned for. Naturalist David Attenborough described Horizontal Falls as ‘one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.’

The Horizontal Falls are created as the ocean thunders through a narrow gorge in the McLarty Ranges. Water builds up on one side and is forcibly pushed through the bottleneck, creating a rushing horizontal waterfall of swiftly flowing seawater. Riding the rapids on our Zodiac inflatable tenders is one of the highlights of our Kimberley expedition cruises.

Talbot Bay is at the heart of the Buccaneer Archipelago, where rocks on the 800 or so islands are estimated at over 2 billion years old. At Cyclone Creek, you will see evidence of massive geological forces in the impressive rock formations and cruise through the Iron Islands, past Koolan Island, before enjoying sunset drinks at Nares Point.

 

Day 11

The Lacepede Islands

The Lacepede Islands are a protected class-A nature reserve and are significant as a seabird nesting rookery for brown boobies and roseate terns. Other species often sighted at the Lacepedes include Australian Pelicans, frigate birds, egrets and gulls. The four low-lying islands are also an important breeding and nesting habitat for green turtles. If weather and tide conditions are suitable, we will explore the lagoons by Xplorer and Zodiac tender vessels.As our incredible Kimberley adventures draw to a close, on our last evening aboard we enjoy the Captain’s farewell drinks amongst new-found friends.

Day 12

Arrive in Broome 

Our incredible adventure along the Kimberley Coast concludes in Broome this morning at 8:00 am.  Bid farewell to new-found friends, the Captain, and crew.  It's now time to make your own way to Pearle Cable Beach  (or similar) where you will be staying for the next two nights. 

Day 13

Broome 

At Leisure in Broome - Overnight Pearle Cable Beach.

Day 14

Arrive in Kununurra

This morning is at leisure in Broome - Relax by the poolside or get in a last-minute Camel Ride on the Beach. This afternoon you will be flying to Kununurra, ready for your next land-based adventure! On arrival in Kununurra please make your own way to the Kimberley Grande Hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. 

Overnight - Kimberley Grande Hotel

Day 15

Arrive in Berkeley River Lodge

This morning is at leisure in Kununurra. This afternoon you will be transferred to the airport to board a charter flight to Berkeley River Lodge at 2.00pm.  In one of the last true wilderness areas on earth, between Timor Sea sunrises and Berkeley River sunsets, the ultimate Kimberley adventure and refined indulgence await. Australia's most remote mainland luxury lodge experience, only accessible by air, getting to the Berkeley River Lodge is half the adventure. Leave modern life far behind and relax into the rhythms of nature in your luxurious villa floating atop the coastal dunes.  Dedicated and experienced staff are available on-site to guide you on river cruises, 4WD tours, sunset drinks, fishing expeditions, hiking and animal watching, and skilled chefs will cater all of your meals, including a five-course degustation dinner each night.  If that's not enough, your private glass-fronted villa with the occasional seating and daybed on your deck beckons you to laze away an afternoon, then enjoy cheese platters and drinks on your balcony as the sun sets over the Timor Sea

Day 16

Berkeley River Lodge

Enjoy the spectacular facilities offered at this luxurious lodge.  Choose to hop on a river cruise, sign up for Bush & Beach 4WD adventures or guided creek walks! 

Accommodation: Berkeley River Lodge in a Villa 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 17

Berkeley River Lodge

Enjoy the spectacular facilities offered at this luxurious lodge.  Choose to hop on a river cruise, sign up for Bush & Beach 4WD adventures or guided creek walks! 

Accommodation: Berkeley River Lodge in a Villa 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 18

Berkeley River Lodge

Enjoy the spectacular facilities offered at this luxurious lodge.  Choose to hop on a river cruise, sign up for Bush & Beach 4WD adventures, or guided creek walks! 

Accommodation: Berkeley River Lodge in a Villa 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 19

Berkeley River Lodge

Enjoy the spectacular facilities offered at this luxurious lodge.  Choose to hop on a river cruise, sign up for Bush & Beach 4WD adventures, or guided creek walks! 

Accommodation: Berkeley River Lodge in a Villa 

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 20

This morning after breakfast, you will check out of your villa and board a charter flight back to Kununurra. You will then join a flight with Air North to Darwin to end the tour. 

Inclusions & Exclusions


Inclusions

Our Expeditions include

  • 1 night in a King room at the Hilton Darwin including Breakfast
  • 2 nights at at the Pearle of Cable Beach (Or similar) 
  • 1 night in a Pool view or Terrace room at the Kimberley Grande
  • 5 night stay at the Berkeley River Lodge including charter flights to/from the lodge. 
  • All meals, chef-prepared onboard featuring regionally inspired “small batch” cuisine (On cruise) 
  • Morning and afternoon tea daily (on cruise)
  • Tea and coffee are always available
  • Showcase wines, selected beers, juices, house spirits, and soft drinks served with lunch and dinner. (Cruise and Berkeley River Lodge)
  • Daily room servicing and evening turndown service
  • Use of Xplorer, Zodiac tender vessels for excursions and sightseeing
  • Tours (may vary between ships)
  • Daily lectures and briefings from expert guides
  • All entrance fees to national and marine parks and ports
  • Use of comprehensive range of library and video resources
  • Port taxes and government charges imposed by government authorities*
  • Flight from Broome to Kununurra
  • Flight on the last day of your trip from Kunuurra to Darwin

 

Single Supplement: available on request

Exclusions

  • Meals not mentioned
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses
  • Optional activities
  • Departure/return flights

 

Looking for flights?

Contact one of our friendly travel specialists today on 1300 893 404 or email at [email protected]

 

Accommodation

Hilton - King room Darwin (or similar)

Pearle of Cable Beach - room type TBA 

Kimberley Grande Resort - Terrace room (or similar)

Berkeley River Lodge - Kimberley Villa (All inclusive) 

Coral Adventurer - Promenade stateroom. Spacious Promenade Deck  staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature picture windows for expansive ocean views, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.

 

Cruise Ship Info 

Coral Adventurer - March and April departures

Coral Geographer - July, August and September departures

 

Important info - 

It is a requirement of the cruiseline that you must get a PCR Test for Covid  prior to departure.  

 

Want to upgrade to a Balcony or Suite on your cruise? Ask our team today!

 

NOTE - The below itinerary is indicative. No two cruises with Coral Expeditions will be the same, with each expedition crafted by our experienced Masters and Expedition Leaders. Throughout the expedition we may make changes to the itinerary as necessary to maximise your expeditionary experience. Allowances may be made for seasonal variations, weather, tidal conditions and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel. Coral Expeditions suggests that you do not arrive on the day of embarkation or depart on the day of disembarkation due to any changes that may occur in scheduling”

Processing...