HA230810: Kimberley Explorer: Expedition Cruising Australia's Iconic Kimberley Coast

KIMBERLEY EXPLORER

on board HERITAGE ADVENTURER

10 - 20 August 2023

Day 1
Thursday 10 August
Broome

We arrived at the Port of Broome, eager travellers from across many walks of life, excited for the first of many days in store for our Kimberley Explorer voyage cruising along the remote coastline of Western Australia. We were welcomed on board our new home away from home Heritage Adventurer by our Captain, Expedition Leader, the Expedition team and Restaurant team before completing our mandatory lifeboat drills. We then enjoyed some time poolside with drinks in hand getting to know each other, observing several dolphins as the sun slowly set over the horizon. Dinner was served on Deck 3 and the beginning of our adventure was underway.

Day 2
Friday 11 August
Hidden Island

We woke in the morning to enjoy the first of what would be many lovely breakfasts on board Heritage Adventurer followed by a Zodiac briefing and overview of the journey ahead. Our Expedition Leader Steve explained the nature of our expedition, how plans were adaptable and could even include new opportunities depending on tide and nature.

Lunch did not disappoint, and we prepared for our first big excursion.

Once our Zodiacs had been lowered, we set sail for our cruise around Hidden Island. We travelled a total of 20 kilometres with plenty to explore from amazing weathered rock formations that pierced the skyline to beautiful pastel red and purple sandstone that softened the landscape.

A crocodile resting on a sand bank was sighted as it sat silently basking in the sun. Rare birds such as Northern Rosella and Collared Kingfisher were spotted, and Thick-billed Heron flew alongside our Zodiac giving everyone a chance to see its large bill.

We ended our tour around the island on one of the best beaches on the planet - Silica Beach with some of the softest sand in the Kimberley and, as the sun set, we made our return to Heritage Adventurer.

During the evening we enjoyed the Captain's Welcome Drinks & Dinner paired with a glass of champagne to wrap an excellent first day of expedition.

Day 3
Saturday 12 August
Horizontal Falls & Talbot Bay

What an exciting experience to see Heritage Adventurer passing through 'The Narrows' of Talbot Bay at 0800 as most of us were finishing breakfast. This challenging narrow passage is one the Captain must skillfully navigate and so the Bridge was closed until our crossing was complete.

We had the pleasure of receiving a Welcome to Country by the Worrarra people which was a real privilege. They discussed their work as custodians of the land, shared their stories associated with the land, and how it was formed.

The rapid waters of Horizontal Falls are an incredible spectacle of the natural world. At once both powerful and intimidating, the transfer of water between tides has been compared to an Olympic size swimming pool passing through the eroded gap in the rock each second. Everyone had the chance to experience the energy moving through as we positioned our boats in the entrance of the gap. We carried on to Cyclone Creek for a few hours and we had spectacular views of several Birds-of-pray. Sea and Wedge-tailed Eagles, Osprey, Brahminy Kite and Whistling Kite showed really well and a Green Sea Turtle basking in the sun was also spotted on our return to Heritage Adventurer.

At 1700 Dave shared a very interesting tale of his journey around Australia where he visited Indigenous Australian tribes in his old 1960 Land Rover which once operated in Vietnam as an ambulance.

Day 4
Sunday 13 August
Montgomery Reef & Freshwater Cove

At 0800 our first shore party headed for Freshwater Cove, a short ride across the bay to a beach landing. Known by the local indigenous people as Wijingarra Bard Bard, they named Freshwater Cove after the Northern Quoll which, during the Dreaming, came from the water and shook his back, creating the freshwater holes and soaks still present to this day.

During our visit we were again privileged to receive a Welcome to Country by the traditional owners, acknowledging our arrival as guests, before we were then guided to a nearby cave featuring ancient Wandjina style rock art. Afterwards we were cleansed with a traditional smoking ceremony as we departed back to Heritage Adventurer where we enjoyed the sight of Humpback Whales breaching from the shore and Ospreys feeding along the high tide mark.

Our afternoon excursion to Montgomery Reef was nothing less than spectacular as the 'rising' reef rang the dinner bell for the surrounding wildlife. The number of Green Sea Turtles were easily in the hundreds. Trevallies (a type of fish) darted under our Zodiacs with an array of other colourful fish species. A Beach Stone-curlew stood still waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting crab while Caspian and Gull-billed Terns flew overhead. The reef, full of cascades as the water displaced over the edge, had everyone mesmerised. Gray-tailed Tattlers fed along the water's edge catching anything the tumbled down the banks of this enormous reef while a Blacktip Shark showed briefly before returning to its hunting.

Day 5
Monday 14 August
Hunter River & Porosus Creek

Heritage Adventurer set anchor in Prince Frederick Harbour this morning and our excitement grew in anticipation of our adventures at Mitchell Falls and Porosus Creek. Those of us who arranged for a helicopter tour started at 0630 for an epic open doors helicopter adventure taking in amazing views of Mitchell Falls from high above.

Our Zodiac tours started at 0800 en route to Porosus creek. We travelled through the dense mangroves looking for all the wonderful species that inhabit these incredibly important habitats. Bottlenose Dolphins greeted us at the entrance to the creek and a Sea Eagle posed on a branch for some great photo opportunities.

Several crocodiles were observed along the edge of the mangroves and a Grey Goshawk wrangled through the trees. Back at Heritage Adventurer by 1100, we enjoyed a few hours rest before our next return to the water.

At 1400 we headed for Hunter River, by now the tide had retreated and the mudflats were on display. Mudskippers and Flame-backed Fiddler and Broad-fronted Mangrove Crabs made for a spectacle and the Striated Herons took full advantage of this opportunity. A Blue-winged Kookaburra caught a snake which we were delighted to see, while two elusive Chestnut-headed Crakes gave subtle views. We saw several Sea Eagles and Brahminy Kites as well before it was time to return to our trusty expedition vessel.

The Captain repositioned Heritage Adventurer to the entrance to Porosus Creek for a speedier return trip. We completed the day with a BBQ dinner which was a massive hit as we dined on deck 6 and watched the sun set.

Day 6
Tuesday 15 August
Careening Bay & Bigge Island

Careening Bay at high tide allowed for an easy disembarking first thing this morning during our 0700 departure from Heritage Adventurer. We set up in front of the cycads, ancient trees related to ferns and allies.

We made our way to the famous Boab tree from Phillip Parker King's HMS Mermaid expedition where an engraving by one of King's carpenters still remains. Thought to be at least 1,000 years old, this tree has seen many visitors over the years. Carson Volcanics surrounds the bay with basalt boulders littering one side of the beach. We all went for a short walk to witness the speculator constructions that the male Greater Bowerbirds have made to entice a female: twigs and shells all placed with the sole objective to win the heart of a mate. We departed the island by 0900 back to Heritage Adventurer and made for Bigge Island.

At 1030 Phil gave us a very informative talk on the history of Phillip Parker King to compliment what we had just witnessed from visiting the Mermaid Boab Tree.

Shortly after lunch had finished we arrived near Bigge Island where we boarded our Zodiacs and later journeyed to a secret cave where our special guest Michael Butler gave an entrancing rendition on his vidaki/digeridoo. The light and atmosphere within the cave was one more step towards our connection with country.

Our return to Heritage Adventurer was greeted by a Humpback Whale breaching and once the anchor was drawn we set sail for Ashmore Reef.

Michael Butler's talk on the history and relevance of the yidaki to Indigenous Australians was made all the more special with an auction of two very rare yidaki to raise money for the local people of Broome to support mental health initiatives within the indigenous communities.

Another fabulous dinner brought the day to an end, and everyone was left wondering what tomorrow would bring after the debriefing at 1800.

Day 7
Wednesday 16 August
Ashmore Reef

This morning we arrived west of Darwin on the edge of Australia's continental shelf, closer to Indonesia than Australia, to our destination at Ashmore Reef.

After a safety briefing and equipment fitting, everyone was ready for their own adventure with groups setting out for short Zodiac cruises and snorkelling or embarking on a longer Zodiac cruise to observe the birds that nest on the sandy West Island.

Three low-lying tropical islands surrounded by lagoons and coral reefs formed a captivating backdrop on arrival. The large number of birds here meant that Ashmore Reef Reserve was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in October 2002.

We enjoyed a cacophony of birdlife while cruising these waters including White and Red-tailed Tropicbirds which showed well. Plenty of Terns including Sooty and Bridled Terns, with young birds also present. Brown Noddies lined the beach as the tide was dropping, which our drivers were mindful of as we continued.

Our snorkellers had an incredible time soaking in the underwater world renowned for its rich biodiversity, with turtles, dugongs, a multitude of coral, fish and invertebrates making their homes on Ashmore Reef. It was great to see diverse coral and giant clams thriving on the reef, while numerous Green Sea Turtles and Stingrays were spotted from our Zodiacs. While predominantly an underwater experience, on the surface numerous inquisitive Boobies put on a show, swooping in to check the snorkellers out. Phil had a once in a lifetime experience with a Brown Booby who found his head to be the perfect perching site. Our visitor stayed on for a while, letting all the passing Zodiacs capture the special encounter.

Ashmore Reef clearly is a remote jewel of Australia and with its calm clear waters we had the best conditions possible to make our day one that will never be forgotten.

To cap of an excellent day, on departure we spotted a Whale Shark feeding among a feeding frenzy of Brown Noddies before the island disappeared into the distance.

Day 8
Thursday 17 August
Swift Bay

The morning began with a Zodiac cruise through the high tide waters of Swift Bay to visit two unique rock art galleries. The rocky islands around Swift Bay were also home to Osprey who had made their nest at a high lookout point where chicks near fledging were observed in the nest as nearby adults were hunting for fish.

After a short walk we arrived at the first rock art gallery featuring Wandjina paintings and several animals including a large white crocodile, five Oystercatchers, a Stingray, and fish traps. A deep shell midden was also found below all the rock art showing how long people would have gathered here, eating and sharing stories. The site itself offered shade and everyone found themselves marvelling at the rock art while cooling down. Our guides shared stories about what is known on this type of rock art, including the unique three figures with large ears. Some stories suggest these figures are Agula or devil spirits and everyone wondered if these three figures may have been part of a mischievous story.

A quick climb to the second site revealed another type of rock art, the more ancient Gwion Gwion art. The slender figures painted on the walls showed just how long people had been gathering in this area with other sites using a similar art style being carbon dated to at least 17,000 years old. Adjacent to the rock art was a narrow entrance into a cave. Once inside the cave, everyone observed large dragonflies flitting through beams of sunlight. The bravest of us followed our guides into the darkest crevice of the cave where several cave crickets and Trap-jaw Ants could be found. At the very end of the chamber, arachnid fans enjoyed observing a beautiful female tarantula sitting at the entrance of her silken burrow.

The afternoon was dedicated to a true expedition where pairs of Zodiacs scouted Katers Island. After spotting several interesting birds including Crested Terns, White-faced Herons, and Pied Imperial-pigeons, each set of Zodiacs made a landing on a new beach. The first group spent time observing Spinifex Ants with their unique chambers protecting their Mealybugs and lots of Hermit Crabs making the rocks on the beach look alive with each moving shell while the second group discovered a large crocodile sunning itself among the rocks rounding out another unforgettable day of adventure.

Day 9
Friday 18 August
Jar Island & Vansittart Bay

Today's expedition took us to a new rock art gallery as Heritage Adventurer neared the waters of Jar Island. After our guides were sent ahead to scout for crocodiles and the condition of the walk, everyone was brought ashore. We ventured over the sand dunes and through the sandstone maze to a low-lying mangrove that was exposed in the morning's low tide. Trails through the mud led to piles of Whelks waiting for the tide to return. Several Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa sp.) were also seen visiting the flowers of two Cheesefruit trees (Morinda citrifolia), but Green Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) were nesting in these trees and could be seen chasing off the bees whenever they landed near a flower or fruit.

We then visited a nearby Gwion Gwion rock art gallery with several straight figures, some bent knee figures, and instances of people wearing ceremonial dress. Among these ancient rock art paintings were Mud Wasp nests which have been used at other sites to carbon date the paintings. Some Paper Wasps and large dragonflies were also flying around the site with a deep shell midden underfoot. A Kimberley Rock Monitor also crawled out near the rock art gallery as the last group departed.

Near the beach several Torresian Imperial-pigeons shone in the light with their white feathers. A Common Sandpiper bobbed along the beach and several Sooty Oystercatchers were seen on the rocks near the shore hunting out mussels to eat.

After lunch aboard Heritage Adventurer, our Zodiacs were lowered for a landing at an important historical site: the final resting place of the Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) that crash landed in 1942 in Vansittart Bay. The remains of this WWII aluminium plane were surrounded by bushland that has since regrown including the carnivorous Sundews (Drosera sp.) and Native Apple (Syzygium eucalyptoides) which is an important bushfood and source of slow burning timber. In the eucalypt trees and shrub wattles of the area, bundles of stitched together leaves could also be seen. The clever little animals behind these arboreal nests were found crawling along the trunks of the trees and shrubs. They were the Green Ants or Weaver Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) who use silk produced by their larvae to stitch together leaves and make nurseries and farming areas among the tree canopies.

After marvelling at the plane and small wonders around it, everyone gathered around a large Boab (Adansonia gregorii) tree. Guests tried to measure its girth by linking arms around it and it took nearly four people to close the loop! A couple of large termite mounds were also visited and they sparked conversations around the ecological importance of these small, soft-bodied insects. The walk back to the beach from the plane wreck took everyone through a salt flat with the colourful bodies of Elegant Fiddler Crabs (Uca elegans) and the large pale claws of the males glinting in the light.

After an incredibly full day of wilderness and wildlife encounters, on top of a stunning rock art gallery and a tour of fascinating WWII history, we returned to Heritage Adventurer and enjoyed a wonderful dinner by the restaurant team followed by drinks at the bar as we continued sailing towards our next destination.

Day 10
Saturday 19 August
King George Falls

An early morning wakeup call saw us loading into our Zodiacs for a very special day as we watched the sunrise, making the sandstone cliffs glow red along the King George River. We stopped at the start of King George River Gorge to talk about the history of the Koolama, a small steamship that sustained bomb damage in 1942. The high cliffs that funnelled us to the falls are made up of Warton Sandstone dating back 1.82 billion years. The sandstone is prone to weathering, evident along the gorge walls with tafoni weathering present and the cliff toe exposing beautiful variation in the sandstone's colour.

We encountered a Rock-wallaby, crocodile, a flock of 10 Darters over the falls. A Peregrine Falcon, the world's fastest bird, was also observed hunting over the steep cliff faces.

After lunch we sat down to enjoy the Expedition Team's brief overview of their experiences working in some of the world's most exciting landscapes that Heritage Adventurer travels to throughout the year. Later in the afternoon Michael Butler then gave his final presentation on Indigenous Australian communities and the combined way forward for humanity by understanding the land practices that have sustained life for so long in the challenging environment that is the Kimberley.

Our day would soon wrap with our photographer Cathy who presented a wonderful slide show that highlighted exciting memories from our voyage, followed by a final address by both Expedition Leader Steve and the Captain. It was a wonderful way to recap our adventures before enjoying drinks at the bar as we sailed for Darwin.

Day 11
Sunday 20 August
Darwin

There was something delightfully familiar, but also new, about our view during breakfast this morning as we looked out over Darwin, capital city of Australia's Northern Territory, known for it's wide range of multicultural cuisine, outdoor markets, waterside attractions and a warm holidays all year-round. As we enjoyed one last breakfast, swapped contact details and farewelled new friends it was time to disembark Heritage Expedition's magnificent 'Grande Dame of Expedition Cruising' Heritage Adventurer. Our Kimberley Explorer voyage may have concluded but many more adventures await - safe travels!