HA230820: Kimberley Explorer: Expedition Cruising Australia's Iconic Kimberley Coast

KIMBERLEY EXPLORER

on board HERITAGE ADVENTURER

20 - 30 August 2023

Day 1
Thursday 20 August
Darwin

We arrived at the Port of Darwin to a warm sunny afternoon and catch our first glimpse of Heritage Adventurer, our trusty expedition vessel and new home away from home to explore the remote regions of Western Australia's Kimberley coast.

Upon our boarding we were greeted by our ship Captain and Expedition Leader. After some light refreshments, we participated in the mandatory safety drill donning our big orange life jackets and mustering by the pool in the sunshine. As our drill ended and life jackets were put back into their respective cabins, we returned to the pool as we set sail out of Darwin.

The day was spent taking in the views of the city in the day's waning light, chatting with fellow passengers, and sharing our excitement about all the adventures that lay ahead!

We convened in the lounge at 1830 to hear introductions of our Expedition Team members, featuring a diverse range of experts from different walks of life.

Day 2
Monday 21 August
King George River

It was a bumpy start to our voyage this morning as we sailed across the Bonaparte Gulf, aptly nicknamed the Blownapart Gulf for its sometimes challenging waters, as we as Heritage Adventurer steamed towards the entrance of King George River.

At 1100 we enjoyed a presentation from Tina all about The Wonders of the Kimberley, an overall intro to the region. It covered everything from early explorers and who named many of the places we'd soon visit, to the pearling and mining of the area, to geology, flora and fauna, and everything in between-a great primer to set the stage for what's to come in these coming days!

After lunch we had a voyage overview with our Expedition Leader Steve on the places we would visit, our briefing for this afternoon's excursion, as well as the mandatory Zodiac briefing which explained the safety protocols, the processes for entering and exiting the Zodiacs from the ship's gangway, and shore landings. Now we were really ready to get going! And with that, we found our way to our mud rooms on Deck 3, donned our life jackets for the first time with Kay and Andrew helping everyone get sorted before piling into our Zodiacs for our first Zodiac cruise.

Then it was across Koolama Bay and up the King George River we went! What a fantastic start for our first excursion: crocodiles, Black-necked Storks dancing in the shallows and catching fish, White-bellied Sea Eagles soaring overhead, and a handful of Humpback Dolphins all right at the river mouth within the first few minutes of our arrival! Not to mention the immense beauty of the surrounding sandstone cliffs... King George River is always an impressive way to start or end a voyage with its incredibly scenic geology towering above us, the kind of place that makes you feel very small.

We zipped past mangroves and came to a spot where the walls of rock seemed to close in to only a few hundred metres across, and this is where we really took our time idling along the walls, craning our necks, twisting around in the Zodiacs to get every angle of the immensity of the place.

Our guides shared so much knowledge with us, it was a lot to take in! If this was any indication of what's to come in this voyage, we were certainly in for a treat. Once we reached the twin falls, we were able to touch the noses of the Zodiacs right up to the base of the falls. While those of us who wanted were properly soaked under the falls, others simply reached out their hands to feel the temperature.

Back on board, we enjoyed the Captain's Welcome and Cocktails in the Bar & Lounge, everyone having dressed for the occasion. Already, folks were seated with new-found friends and the chatter in the room was audibly higher, a testament to the fantastic afternoon of newfound delights. Our first full first day and we were all ready for bed.

Day 3
Tuesday 22 August
Vansittart Bay

It was a very pleasant start today as we arrived at Vansittart Bay by breakfast and had been evenly split into groups for our shore excursion. We loaded into the Zodiacs and were whisked a short distance to shore where our guides were ready and waiting for us. "Welcome to mainland Australia, Vansittart Bay here on the Anjo Peninsula!", one of them announced.

We were directed to a marquis set up for shade, with several beach chairs set up, an area to change shoes if need be. Once ready we set off over the small sand dune, down to a salt pan mudflat where we observed mangroves all around the perimeter. The tide had long since dropped leaving the mudflats dry and crumbly underfoot. Our guides walked along with us as we explored the myriad of Elegant Fiddler Crab holes and piles of their feeding evidence.

Much to our delight we saw many Mudskippers along a shallow trickle of water snaking along one side of the flats. Many sat motionless for our close-up photographs, while others remained elusive from their nesting burrows as we tried to point them out quickly enough to each other. We encountered tracks from wild cattle, and Straw-necked as well as Glossy Ibis ambling along the mudflat looking for food.

Once we reached the bush on the other side, we walked only a dozen metres or so before we came across a World War II Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) plane wreck laying among the sparse Paperbarks and Acacias, and we learned of the story involving its crash, the survival of its crew on board, and its connection to the war.

But that still wasn't all: we learned about Weaver or Green Ants as we observed several of their nests in an Acacia tree and found flowering Trigger Plants, Fringe Lilies, Sundews, a lone and beautiful Boab tree, a termite mound and more. We could have stayed longer just looking at the wonderful flora and fauna around us, enjoying the chance to wander, stretch our legs, enjoy Terra Firma.

Back on board it was lunch time as we set off for Ashmore Reef, hundreds of kilometres from the Australian coast and much closer to Indonesia (Timor) than to Australia.

During the afternoon at sea Steve gave a detailed and informative presentation on the Darwin and Broome attacks during World War II, full of information that not even many Australians had ever heard before.

A few of us also joined Allie who lead a recycled craft project: using many large plastic rice bags, we cut them in strips and made woven baskets and bows to repurpose and recycle them into something useable and beautiful! It was a great activity to exercise our creative minds.

Afterwards it was time for the snorkel briefing with Phil for those interested in doing so at Ashmore Reef. Allie, Jessa, Cathy and Andrew fitted everyone with masks, snorkels and fins by the pool. Though we had no takers to test them out in the pool, many had already enjoyed a swim as we cruised the open seas, enjoying the sun and warm breeze.

As the sun went down Allie ushered many of us in the Bar & Lounge to Deck 8 to soak in the panoramic vistas of the open ocean, with the deep orange sun tucking below the horizon setting the sky alight in pastel hues- a perfect photo opportunity for friends and couples smiling big!

The day flew by, and already we're getting our 15 minute reminder on the PA from Kay about our daily recap and briefing in the lounge. This evening we heard more about the Boab from Tina, Green Ants from Jessa, and about the Sundews and Trigger Plants from Andrew: all fabulous presentations with lots of information and passion shared!

Given the relaxing afternoon at sea, and a later start tomorrow morning, many of us lingered a little longer after dinner in the dining room and bar enjoying easing into Heritage Expeditions authentic expeditions cruising lifestyle.

Day 4
Wednesday 23 August
Ashmore Reef

We enjoyed a relaxing sleep-in this morning and later found Heritage Adventurer at the international waters surrounding the massive Ashmore Reef and it's tiny sandy islets.

By about 0900 the Expedition Team had loaded into Zodiacs with our snorkel gear and ladders to scout the snorkelling area and assess conditions such as depth, current, and sea state.

By 1000 the first groups were off to start their snorkel adventures and finish with a Zodiac cruise of West Island. Followed by those going for the Zodiac cruise only. Everyone had a fantastic time looking for turtles and rays zooming about just under the waters' surface.

Our snorkellers had rave reviews to share, with pleasant water temperatures on top of seeing beautiful corals, Lemon Sharks, Giant Clams, Feather and Blue Stars, myriad fish and at least one sighting of a far-away turtle who stayed among the deeper waters. Those who thought they'd only go for a quick dip stayed out much longer than anticipated once they experienced the joys and wonders of the reef ... but be careful not to smile too much or your mask will leak!

Back on board our Zodiacs, while waiting for everyone to be reunited with their original drivers, the Brown Boobies hung around on the moored Indonesian boat, buzzing our heads to take a closer look as they sat bobbing on the water or on buoys. Their curiosity seemed to delight everyone no end as they stared us right in the eye while flying above our heads. As we made our way closer to West Island it was even more delightful to see so many birds flying overhead!

From Boobies and Frigatebirds, to Tropicbirds and Egrets, and numerous Terns and Noddies the cacophony of all these different birds was as good as the sight of them all flying overhead - like a mesmerising, though much less pecky, scene directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

After lunch on Deck 6 aft, expedition guide Niall led some further bird watching as we departed the reef, with a great turnout from those who returned from the Zodiac cruises as newly keen birders! It's hard not to get into the spirit with so many wonderful and curious birds flying so close to observe.

In the afternoon we enjoyed a presentation from Tina on The Marine Turtles of the Kimberley, as we were lucky enough to spot many of their tracks in the sand on West Island.

Afterwards it was a relaxed afternoon on board as we sailed back towards Australia, and we all seemed keen to catch the sunset each evening from the outer decks, just before the nightly recap and briefing ... it's certainly spectacular to see nothing around you but ocean and witness the closing of another day below the ocean's horizon.

Day 5
Thursday 24 August
Bigge Island & Careening Bay

Today we found ourselves at Wary Bay on Bigge Island, where we had our first chance to see the Wandjina style rock art. We arrived to a beach landing next to blocks of sandstone from the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges, the oldest layer of sedimentary rock in the Kimberley.

Soon we were led along the beach just below the high tide line, as our guides informed us so that we would avoid the body pits left behind by nesting Flatback Sea Turtles. We came across some tracks as evidence of their egg laying in these pits, and learned more about them - as well as tested our newfound knowledge from Tina's presentation yesterday. We were taught how to identify Northern Quoll, Rock-wallaby and turtle hatchling tracks as well as a Goanna, and many Hermit Crab tracks...so much to see on these sandy shores! Around the beach we went, stopping to learn about the geography, Spinifex Ants, various trees and shrubs, beach rock and mangroves, and so much more.

The highlight of our visit came at the end of the walk among the vertical caves where we saw wonderful Wandjina and post-contact rock art, and learned more about it from our guides who were there to interpret.

Back on board, Phil give a presentation on Phillip Parker King, the Greatest Australian Navigator, a preview for our afternoon excursion to Careening Bay (not to mention the influence of King throughout our voyage on the Kimberley coast)

Our visit to Careening Bay was a fantastic and very relaxed excursion onshore. Here, we were able to explore at our own pace to discover what the beach had to offer while expedition staff were stationed at key highlight areas to give some valuable insight. This included everything from the geology of the boulders found on the beach with Phil, to endemic cycads with Andrew, the famous Mermaid boab tree with Tina, beautiful flora and a Bowerbird's bower with Jessa and Niall, and of course any birds and insects sighted along the way. Back on board in time for sunset cocktails, we wrapped up another delightful day of discovery on the Kimberley coast, but not before we ended with the famous Bowerbird's call as demonstrated by Jessa as she called "Cathy!" and proceeded to strut her Bowerbird stuff to the audience, all in an evening's learning!

Day 6
Friday 25 August
Swift Bay

This morning it was clear from the weather conditions that our morning adventures to Swift Bay would have to wait 'til the afternoon once the winds had settled. So back on board the team came, and the winds continued to whip up the waters all around us as we repositioned the ship further into Swift Bay for our afternoon excursion.

Instead we were treated to a presentation from photography legend Ewen Bell on the ins and outs of photographing birds. It was a good mix of technical know-how for those with more than an iPhone for a camera, as well as tips and tricks for dealing with often difficult subjects such as birds. We engaged with lots of questions, and it was an easily-digestible presentation for the morning.

After lunch the weather had cleared and it was excursion time! For the active walkers among us, we set off in 2 different groups to an art site with more fantastic examples of Wandjina rock art, amidst a charcoal and shell midden - you could see who among us was really angling for better views of the art from our charcoal-dusted knee caps! The active walkers also took a short shuttle between landings to a site where they clambered up some rocks and a steep slope of another midden this time to check out a wall of Gwion Gwion rock art, next to a cave with all sorts of bugs and even a resident tarantula!

Once we were back on board some of us took the opportunity to have a dip in the pool, a refreshing way to beat the Kimberly heat, and by the evening's recap everyone was mingling and happily chatting in new friend groups in the lounge.

Day 7
Saturday 26 August
Hunter River, Mitchell Falls & Porosus Creek

Porosus Creek certainly lived up to it's name today! Crocodylus Porosus, or the Saltwater Crocodile, is most likely to be spotted here during our voyage and today was no exception. Some of yesterday's winds seemed to follow us to Prince Frederick Harbour, but thankfully not enough to keep us from our Zodiac cruise. Meanwhile, some of us took up an exciting opportunity to take a helicopter flight to see the Mitchell Falls from way up high, taking in some stunning views and photographs of Hunter River along the way.

Those who didn't fly up to Mitchell Falls instead took off on our Zodiacs and bashed through the waves - a thrilling experience enjoyed by most. But once we turned the corner from Hunter River into Porosus Creek, we saw our first - and well-camouflaged - crocodile tucked into the pneumatophores (or aerial roots) of the apple mangroves. Fantastic! It didn't end there as more than a handful of crocodiles were spotted by every Zodiac throughout the morning. Not only that but we saw many Mudskippers, too numerous to count! They delighted everyone with their flicks of tails skipping along the mudflats.

Our Zodiac drivers kept us moving along the mudflats to see more of Porosus Creek, but with the rising heat and dropping tides it felt like a great time to return back to Heritage Adventurer.

As we explored later in the afternoon, some of us who went up the Hunter River, to a spot known as Bill's Creek, heard a cacophony of noise coming from the mangrove canopy as we cruised by - unmistakably bats and sugar gliders hopping along the canopy! It was exciting to see the bats quite active through the thicket of kapok mangrove leaves. Numerous bird sightings, beautiful mangroves, a warm morning, vast expanses of low tide mudflats, and towering cliffs surrounding us on all sides...it really is a spectacular location with a little something for everyone to enjoy.

We enjoyed the best of both worlds as the tide had risen enough in the afternoon to explore further than we had with the lower tides in the morning, so all in all it was a fantastic day as always in Prince Frederick Harbour.

With the ship having repositioned from beside Naturalist Island for the close proximity for the heli-shuttle runs, to further up the Hunter River at the mouth of Porosus Creek, it meant a much more enjoyable run back in the afternoon on calmer seas.

The afternoon was a quick turnaround with everyone back on board by 1545, and at 1630 Phil gave a presentation on The Geology of the Kimberley - a big topic indeed, which set us up nicely for our destination tomorrow. After a big day, and with Steve giving a Zodiac time of 0600 tomorrow, it was not a night where most of us lingered around the dining room tables after dinner. Time for a good nights' sleep in preparation for another big day here in the Kimberley!

Day 8
Sunday 27 August
Talbot Bay

What an incredible and massive day today was. A huge effort put forth by the expedition, bridge and deck team to make it all happen: starting with a 0530 breakfast as the sun rose, to loading into our Zodiacs just after 0615, it was off to explore uncharted territory!

Dugong Bay lies just at the entrance to Talbot Bay, begging to be explored all season long. So with Zodiacs filled with willing participants ready to explore the unknown, teams of two set off in different directions once inside Dugong Bay to see what could be found. According to Niall, more species of bird were found here than anywhere else on this coast that he'd seen. It was islands dotted throughout, with incredible geology of folds, buckles, and uplifting of the rocks. It was waterfalls to be found, perfect tides for exploring mangroves, and generally revelling in the collective awe of exploring new places.

It was also the longest Zodiac cruise on record for some of our guides, clocking in at just over 4-hours with 30-nautical miles covered. We launched our Zodiacs while Heritage Adventurer drifted just past 'the narrows' as we came into Talbot Bay, and we made a long sprint back from Dugong Bay to where our trusty expedition vessel was anchored off Slug Island, across from the Horizontal Falls.

The winds had picked up to make the ride back a little choppy, all part of the sense of adventure! Once back on board by about 1030 it was a quick turnaround for bathroom breaks, grab a quick cookie from the tea station, and get back on the Zodiacs for a zip out to the Horizontal Falls themselves. This was to get a view of them at max ebb, and while the waters appeared fairly calm with hints of whirlpools starting to form we received fantastic views through the first to the second gaps of the falls.

Day 9
Monday 28 August
Freshwater Cove & Montgomery Reef

We adjusted our original plans to visit the traditional owners of Freshwater Cove today and enjoy an incredible day of whale watching like no other.

Around the time this decision was being broadcast over the PA system, a pod of eight Humpback Whales made their appearance right next to the stern of our ship! What an amazing opportunity to see them so close up! They swam by surfacing and breathing many times in a synchronistic pattern together, and swam across from port to starboard at a slow pace. Several times could a rainbow be seen in the spray of their blows. As they slowly swam off, those who were patient enough saw them swim a nautical mile away or so, and then turn back towards Heritage Adventurer. They returned for an encore performance as they swam right next to the stern of our expedition vessel before heading into the far distance in the other direction, all the while surfacing slowly while you could see the heart shape in their blows that is so common due to their 2-hole blowholes.

We later positioned a handful of nautical miles south where we made anchorage and embarked on our Zodiacs, this time for another exploration! New areas to explore still in the Freshwater Bay area, our guides once again excited for these uncharted waters. As our Zodiacs made their way from ship to coastline, more whales were spotted. No sooner had all Zodiacs gathered to watch the slow and gentle breaths of these Humpbacks did one suddenly burst out of the water in a full-body breach! It was a jaw-dropping experience, our hands in the air and eyes wide to each other, we were incredulous at our good fortune to see this behemoth rocket-launch itself out of the water not once but three times in succession a staggering 50-metres off the bow of at least a couple of our Zodiacs. A thrill that kept everyone buzzing and grinning for the rest of the Zodiac cruise as we continued exploring the serene and turquoise waters of the nearby mangroves.

There were several sightings of Eastern Curlews, and many groups of Whimbrels flying among the foliage of the mangroves. The areas we explored were relatively calm but soon became choppy and reminiscent of yesterday's traverse from Dugong Bay by the time we returned to Heritage Adventurer.

After lunch and a short reposition it was time to explore Montgomery Reef.

Montgomery Reef, like so much around the Kimberley coast, is tidally dependent. We arrived in time to see just over the top of the reef as the tide finished dropping, get a great perspective of how vast this inshore reef is, and understand what it is that makes it so special. With its countless cascades spilling off the reef into the 'river' up which we travelled, we could feel the power of the flows of water in our Zodiacs.

The stars of the day may well have been the turtles though. Despite the churning up of the water due to the outpouring of the tide, the waters remained relatively calm and clear enough to see so much below the surface. It was great visibility to spot so many turtles that we lost count! Every single person today had the chance to observe many of them swimming underwater, to see the colours of their shells, the shapes of their heads, the smooth movement of their flippers as they drifted. While often they are fleeting glimpses when their heads pop up, today was a real treat to be able to see much more and perhaps even be lucky enough to snap a few photos!

Along with the various birds feeding on the reef, mainly Egrets and Herons, we saw fish making their mad dash down the slopes of the reef as it drained into deeper waters. Some saw a Stoke's Sea Snake, others a Blacktip Reef Shark - all in all it was a wonderful experience. To think it could get any better, our guides dropped us off on a sandy cay as a total surprise on our way back to the ship... cocktails on a beach! Watching the sun set over the ocean surrounded by new friends - it was nothing short of perfection. Well done team!

Day 10
Tuesday 29 August
Adele Island & At Sea

The weather Gods were on our side today giving us calm seas, a gentle breeze to keep us cool, and beautiful encounters with wildlife - we were finishing on a high note today as we Zodiac cruised Adele Island.

The tide started low but steadily rose for the duration of our excursion, and the water levels meant we had excellent visibility of so many turtles swimming in the shallows! We cruised slowly once we neared the shores of Adele Island enough to see flocks of birds, particularly the Brown Boobies, fly out giving us great views. What a delight! We attempted to round the shores of Adele through a wide pass only to be cut short by the shallow depths and very sandy bottom. Our skilled Zodiac drivers ensured no one actually bottomed out or got stuck at any point.

We happily floated and marvelled at the numerous turtles that drifted slowly or zoomed on by. It was decided the pass was still too shallow so we took the longer way around a massive sand bar and continued on our circumnavigation of Adele. It was a good thing we did because the turtle numbers only increased! What a fantastic start!

Once we had rounded to the other side of the sand bar we were then met with various stingrays scampering across the underwater sands, the crystal clear vision from our Zodiacs made them easy to spot including small Reef Sharks. Normally the main attraction are the birds of Adele but because of the very low tides and calm seas we were afforded so much more!

Once we reached the lagoon of Adele Island we saw crocodile tracks in the sand, Boobies nesting in the grass, a huge group of pelicans soaring way high up in the sky, Cormorants and more Brown Boobies on the shore, Pied Oystercatchers, numerous Terns and Noddies, Plovers, Pratincoles, and of course very shallow depths. With the tide nearly at its max height we decided to exit the lagoon.

There was quiet chatter, contemplative moments, and the odd calls on our guides' radios commenting on various bird sightings. It was a beautiful and serene place to float upon. Once back outside the lagoon we continued the circumnavigation of the Adele Island this time taking in many of the birds on the sandy shores, before it was time to high tail it back to Heritage Adventurer. The waters, being so many shades of tropical greens and blues, had everyone in a reflective and joyful mood being our last excursion of the voyage. What a fantastic ending!

Once back on board we had a little rest time before lunch. Our guides were busy packing away mudrooms, while we relaxed on deck watching the wide-open ocean.

Then came the call for a presentation in the lounge about various Heritage voyage destinations given by various members of the expedition team. After that was tea time which led straight into the voyage quiz led by Allie and her "guest panel of judges".

The winning team name was the Bouncing Boobies... many laughs were had as we tried to recall all the things we had learned during the voyage, including ones about our Expedition Team. Who IS miss Bing Bong and what WAS Cathy's response to Jessa's Bowerbird strutting?

From Cyanobacteria to the names of the sandstone in the Kimberley our knowledge was definitely put to the test. All in good fun of course and what a way to end the afternoon before we all went to get dressed and ready for the Captain's Farewell Dinner. Cathy's slideshow was a big hit, a wonderful collection of memories for all to enjoy for years to come.

Day 11
Wednesday 30 August
Broome

After last night's excellent evening of celebration for our Kimberley Explorer voyage, we awoke in the Port of Broome. A tropical delight in its own right, with many things to see and do, it was time to enjoy one last breakfast together prepared by our amazing restaurant team and say our farewells. While our adventures in the Kimberley may be over, may our love and appreciation for this incredible region, it's wilderness and wildlife, wonderful cultural experiences, and beautiful landscapes remain in our memories and hearts for years to come.