Kimberley & Australia - Darwin to Perth Cruise

Day 1 - Darwin, Australia

Arrive: Sun 03 August 2025 / Depart: Sun 03 August 2025 at 19:00

"Australia's capital of the north is a uniquely tropical city, and a historically isolated outpost of this vast, diverse country. Reaching up towards the equator, a full 2,000 miles from Sydney and Melbourne, the city was named in honour of Charles Darwin by the British settlers who established a frontier outpost here. With a unique history, beautiful islands nearby, and a palette of sizzling Pacific flavours, colourful Darwin is an enchanting and exotic Australian destination. Crocodiles patrol the jungled waterways and tropical rainforests around Australia's gateway to the Top End. Explore via airboat to look down on the veiny waterways of the mist-laced Kakadu National Park. The sounds of chattering birdlife and the gentle splash of fountains and waterfalls will fill your ears in George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens. Soak it all in, before kicking back and relaxing with a picnic and a crackling barbecue. The sunshine and famous tropical pink sunsets mean many visitors naturally gravitate to the city's soft sands to relax at spots like pretty Mindil Beach, as evening approaches. The adjoining market is filled with souvenirs and crafts stands and is the perfect great place to enjoy some fiery Asian flavours. Stroll the stalls, grab some food, and crack open an ice-frosted beer as the sunset show begins. It may be remote, but Darwin found itself on the front line during the Pacific War, as the Japanese air force unloaded their bombs onto the city in 1942. This relaxed unassuming city has a deeply resilient backbone, however, and you can explore the museums to learn more of the war's impact on Darwin, as well as the devastating effects of one of Australia's worst natural disasters, Cyclone Tracy in 1973."

Day 2 - Koolama Bay, Western Australia

Arrive: Mon 04 August 2025 at 12:30 / Depart: Mon 04 August 2025 at 18:30

Koolama Bay is found at the mouth of the King George River. Named after the ship that had been beached here after a Japanese aerial attack during World War II, Koolama Bay is the starting point for a Zodiac cruise to reach the King George Falls, one of the Kimberley’s most magnificent natural wonders. At 260 feet (80 m), the twin cascades are among the highest in Australia.

Day 3 - Vansittart Bay, WA

Arrive: Tue 05 August 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Tue 05 August 2025 at 18:30

Vansittart Bay is located near the northern tip of Western Australia. The bay was named by Phillip Parker King during one of his four surveys of Northern Australia during the early 19th century. Interesting parts of the bay include Jar Island and the opportunity to view Bradshaw (Gwion Gwion) and Wandjina styles of rock art. For these two different rock art styles there are two sites in close proximity. An area with an example of a more recent history is the Anjo Peninsula.

Day 4 - Swift Bay

Day 5 - Hunter River, Western Australia

Arrive: Thu 07 August 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Thu 07 August 2025 at 18:30

The Hunter River is home to an immense mangrove system surrounded by soaring red sandstone cliffs. Narrow mangrove channels shelter numerous bird species, mudskippers, fiddler crabs and the infamous saltwater crocodile; the most aggressive crocodile species known to man. Naturalist Island at the mouth of the river has a stunning stretch of sandy beach that makes a perfect landing site for small helicopters that can pick up visitors wishing to explore some of the Kimberley’s vast interior. View less The highlight inland is the famous Mitchell Falls where four tiers of waterfalls plunge into deep pools that flow out into the mighty Mitchell River. The headwaters of the falls are cool and a dip in the fresh water is a welcome reprieve from the heat of the heartland.

Day 6 - Ashmore Reef

Arrive: Fri 08 August 2025 at 13:30 / Depart: Fri 08 August 2025 at 18:00

The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is an uninhabited external territory of Australia consisting of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs, and the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea generated by the islands

Day 7 - Adele Island, WA

Arrive: Sat 09 August 2025 at 12:30 / Depart: Sat 09 August 2025 at 18:30

Adele Island is an island located in the Indian Ocean approximately 104 kilometres North of Ardyaloon off the Kimberley coast in Western Australia

Day 8 - Montgomery Reef, Western Australia

Arrive: Sun 10 August 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Sun 10 August 2025

Montgomery Reef, which is some 300 square kilometres in size, can show an amazing tidal change of up to 4 metres. When the tide drops, the reef seems to rise out of the water. At low tide a river is exposed that allows access to an amazing semi-submerged world. When the tide continues to ebb, Zodiacs will be used to make the way to the edge of the reef where one is surrounded by cascading waterfalls up to 3 metres high.

Day 8 - Freshwater Cove

Day 9 - Talbot Bay/Horizontal Waterfalls, WA

Arrive: Mon 11 August 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Mon 11 August 2025 at 18:30

Talbot Bay is famous for the Horizontal Falls which have been described as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world“. The region’s tides of close to 36 feet create an amazing spectacle when the water tries to enter or leave Poulton Creek through two very narrow openings located one behind the other in the McLarty Ranges. Water builds up faster on one side than it can flow through the gaps, leaving or entering depending on the tide.

Day 10 - Lacepede Islands

Arrive: Tue 12 August 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Tue 12 August 2025 at 13:30

The Lacepede Islands, sometimes referred to simply as the Lacepedes, are a group of four islands lying off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia.

Day 11 - Rowley Shoals

Arrive: Wed 13 August 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Wed 13 August 2025 at 11:30

Some 300 kilometers northwest of Broome, the Rowley Shoals consists of the three reefs Imperieuse, Clerke and Mermaid. The first two reefs form the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and have sandy cays that will still be visible at high tide. Bedwell Island, a small sandy cay inside Clerke Reef, is home to one of Western Australia’s two colonies of Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Other birds nesting on the island are Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, White-bellied Sea-Eagles, Eastern Reef-Egrets and terns. View less The Mermaid Reef Commonwealth Marine Reserve is slightly further northeast and is the closest to land.

Day 12 - Expedition Dampier Archipelago

Day 13 - Montebello Islands , Australia

Arrive: Fri 15 August 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Fri 15 August 2025 at 18:00

Day 14 - North Muiron Island

Day 15 - Cape Peron, Shark Bay

Day 16 - Abrolhos Islands, Australia

Arrive: Mon 18 August 2025 at 13:00

Three island groups make up the Houtman Abrolhos Islands. The Wallabi, Easter and Pelsaert groups stretch across 100 kilometers from north to south with a total of 122 islands. Named Houtman after the Dutch captain who first described them in 1619, the Portuguese word “Abrolhos” refers to the reefs and dangers they posed to unsuspecting seafarers –sometimes taken to mean “open your eyes”. The Houtman Abrolhos are known for cray fishing and pearling activities, as well as for their bird and marine life. The islands and their surrounding reef communities form one of Western Australia’s unique marine areas of tropical and temperate sea life.

Day 17 - Abrolhos Islands, Australia

Depart: Tue 19 August 2025 at 12:00

Three island groups make up the Houtman Abrolhos Islands. The Wallabi, Easter and Pelsaert groups stretch across 100 kilometers from north to south with a total of 122 islands. Named Houtman after the Dutch captain who first described them in 1619, the Portuguese word “Abrolhos” refers to the reefs and dangers they posed to unsuspecting seafarers –sometimes taken to mean “open your eyes”. The Houtman Abrolhos are known for cray fishing and pearling activities, as well as for their bird and marine life. The islands and their surrounding reef communities form one of Western Australia’s unique marine areas of tropical and temperate sea life.

Day 18 - Fremantle

Arrive: Wed 20 August 2025 at 07:30 / Depart: Wed 20 August 2025

Coming in at number seven on Lonely Planet’s list of best places to live, Fremantle has finally begun to shake off the shadow of neighbouring big brother Perth. With just 20 kilometres separating the two cities, Perth, with its happy hippie vibe has long been the big pull for visitors to the region. But Fremantle’s colourful past and bright future gives Perth as good as it gets. The coastal city has undergone a complete revamp since the America’s Cup thrust Fremantle into the spotlight in 1987. Over AUS$ 1,3 billion has been poured into revamping the city, and the fruits of the city’s labour are ripe for picking. Investment in the arts has brought Fremantle to the fore of thriving urban culture, while generous grants for small businesses has led to groovy live-music rooms, hipster bars, boutique hotels, left-field bookshops, craft-beer breweries, Indian Ocean seafood shacks amid the buskers and beaches. If that doesn’t not sound like your glass of beer, we guarantee a stroll along the wooden riverside walkway will change your mind. The city also enjoys another, rather different status. Fremantle was one of Australia’s penal cities, vestiges of which can still be found in Fremantle Prison. Almost 10,000 convicts were condemned to life imprisonment here between 1850 and 1868, but the prison remained in use until 1991. Today, the memorable sandstone building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and at just 15 minutes from port is well worth a visit. Just don’t forget your get out of jail free card.