HA240724: Kimberley Explorer: Expedition Cruising Australia's Iconic Kimberley Coast

KIMBERLEY EXPLORER

on board HERITAGE ADVENTURER

24 July - 2 August 2024

Day 1
Wednesday 24 July
Darwin
Arriving in the city of Darwin, a former frontier outpost, on a warm afternoon we joined our new home away from home Heritage Adventurer at Fort Hill Wharf. After settling into our accommodations and exploring the many luxurious spaces on board, we met our fellow travellers and had a drink in the lounge or at the pool bar. Before departure, we all participated in a lifeboat drill, which involved learning how to don lifejackets. Once completed, we left the harbour at 1700. Many of us stood on the decks and watched as we left the city of Darwin and modern civilisation behind us heading for the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and Western Australia.

Before our first dinner aboard, we were introduced to the Expedition Team in the lounge and then signed up to our groups for shore landings and Zodiac cruises.

Dinner was a delicious three-course meal in the restaurant with plenty of choices for everybody. Heritage Adventurer then sailed into a calm night at sea, and we all put our clocks back 1.5 hours to Western Australia time, which meant we got a sleep in tomorrow morning, but many people were looking forward to catching the sunrise at sea as we cruised towards the Kimberley Coast.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 2
Thursday 25 July
King George River
We woke to a warm day, an overcast sky and a calm sea as we continued to cruise towards the Kimberley Coast. Many people were escaping winter further south and enjoyed the feeling of a morning coffee while sitting outside in the warmth. After breakfast, Expedition Guide David gave a fascinating lecture about the geology of the Kimberley and explained how the King George River is mainly Wharton Sandstone that is almost 2 billion years old, which makes it a lot harder and resistant to erosion compared to younger sandstones such as Sydney Sandstone. We also learned about fractures, folding and weathering, and how everything in the Kimberley revolves around rocks!

Soon enough we spotted the Western Australia coast on the horizon. Lunch was served in the Bistro and Restaurant, and we anchored in Koolama Bay at 1330. We had our first taste of the Zodiacs, and everyone gathered at the gangway eager to get started. We travelled in the Zodiacs for 1 nautical mile to the entrance of the King George River. Our guides told us the story of the MV Koolama, an Australian ship that was bombed in WW2 by the Japanese and beached here in Koolama Bay, and the epic story of survival that followed. Once over the sandbar and into the river, we stopped at a rock face and observed two Short-eared Rock-wallabies, distinctive for their long, curved tail.

It was hard to know where to look as we cruised down the river and were surrounded by massive cliffs of layered sandstone, with all sorts of interesting rock formations. We could see the tide line, a clear layer of dark rocks above the water surface, the colour caused by cyanobacteria. Above that is a layer of white caused by salt spray, then many shades of red and orange rock, which is determined by the level of iron oxide in the rock. We passed by cliff faces made up of balancing rocks and huge tumbled blocks of sandstone that had fallen after the base of the cliffs had eroded.

We cruised past areas of mangroves and some of us spotted our first crocodile further up a mud bank almost hidden in the mangroves. The river narrowed as we headed further upstream, and we came to a gorge with cliffs that looked like city high-rise buildings. We stopped and had a close-up look at the tafoni honeycomb weathering, caused by salt crystals saturating the sandstone.

We also found a tiny moss and fern garden clinging to the cliff, with just enough water to keep it alive. But the highlight was the twin falls at the very end of the waterway. At the base of each waterfall is a huge amphitheatre, with sheer cliffs around 80m high. Being the dry season there is not a great deal of water flow, but it was clear to see the stained cliffs and more honeycomb tafoni weathering showing just how far up the cliffs the spray gets during the wet season.

Some keen people decided for a refreshing dunk under the waterfall in the Zodiacs, while everybody else looked on enjoying the show. After having a good look around the falls, we cruised back down the river and again spotted the crocodile on the mudbank. This time it was in clear view at the water's edge.

We returned to Heritage Adventurer at sunset, in time for a delicious Captain's Dinner and introduction to the Ship's Officers looking after us on our journey.

Day 3
Friday 26 July
Vansittart Bay and Jar Island
We woke up in Vansittart Bay, and after enjoying breakfast, were taken by Zodiac to a nearby beach, where the Expedition Team had set up a marquee and chairs. They guided us over a 7-metre-high dune along a sandy path to a salt pan. Along the way, we were introduced to the story of Phillip Parker King and learned more WW2 history of the area. Stepping out onto the salt pan we saw many Elegant Fiddler Crabs and Yellow-clawed Fiddler Crabs.

Our guides told us the story of the crashed C53 aircraft – a transport plane in WW2 that was involved in evacuating people from Java and Timor as the Japanese swept south in February 1942. Not far into the bush, once we had crossed the salt pan, we came across the C53, still in remarkably good condition. We had a leisurely exploration of the area and on the way back, our guides pointed out a few features of the tropical savanna landscape around us. We saw Green-head Ant nests, our first Boab tree, Pandanus, and Termite mounds, and enjoyed taking a closer look at all the details around us.

After a delicious lunch on board Heritage Adventurer, we relocated to Jar Island. Thijs gave a lecture about why there are such huge tides in the Kimberley, which gave us a great insight into some of the things we had started to notice in the places we visited.

We landed on the beach at Jar Island and enjoyed a walk along it, then a few hundred metres inland to the first rock art site, where our local guides pointed out the Gwion Gwion art and helped us understand what we were looking at. We saw the different types of Gwion - Tassel, Dynamic Action, and Straight Part. Everyone seemed to be lost in their thoughts as they took a closer look and tried to fathom its age and think about the lives of the people who created it. We noticed that one painting was in full sunlight, the red ochre used to paint it had bonded so well with the sandstone that it had basically become rock. Some of the art had surprisingly fine detail, such as fingers on hands.

We enjoyed the walk through this rugged landscape, passing Porcupine Grass and Beach Spinifex, and walking over the colourful rocks. Once everyone was back on board we departed for Ashmore Reef, which isn't far from Indonesia. Before dinner, we enjoyed a series of recaps. Expedition Leader Steve talked about the bombing of Broome in WW2, and what was happening in the Kimberley at the time.

Geologist David gave a talk on Green-head Ants, and how some of the staff had already had unfortunate encounters! We learned that there is a product for sale in Northern Australia called Green Ant Gin, so some of us will be seeking that out the next time we go shopping.

Afterwards, we relaxed with another top-class dinner in the restaurant before settling into bed.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 4
Saturday 27 July
Ashmore Reef
We woke to a beautiful day as we continued towards Ashmore Reef. After breakfast, Toby gave a lecture about Ashmore Reef, which prepared us for what we would see.

We arrived at Ashmore Reef at midday, and the reality was far better than what we heard. Some of us went snorkelling, and the rest enjoyed a Zodiac cruise to West Island to enjoy a close-up view of the reef. We observed migratory birds and some nesting birds – Brown Boobies, Masked Boobies, Lesser Frigatebirds including chicks on the nests and Bridled Terns. Once everybody was back on board Heritage Adventurer, we departed Ashmore Reef and enjoyed a stunning circumnavigation of the reef along the way. The Expedition Team pointed out ‘Pistachio clouds’ – green-tinged clouds above the reef. The Pistachio green colour is caused by the reflection of the shallow water at the reef and was one way that early mariners could tell when they were closing in on a reef.

Tina and Phil recapped the reefs, and the birds we saw on our Zodiac cruise and Steve gave us the briefing for tomorrow's exciting adventures. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at sea as we returned towards the Kimberley Coast© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© Heritage Expeditions

Day 5
Sunday 28 July
Swift Bay
In the morning, we were returning to the Kimberley Coast after yesterday's great adventure at Ashmore Reef. Phil presented about Phillip Parker King, as we learned how this area was discovered and named. Mid-morning from the Bridge, our Captain spotted a Humpback Whale, which many of us were fortunate to see. This was right on cue, as Toby was about to begin his lecture on Humpback Whales.

After lunch we anchored in Swift Bay, then prepared to go ashore – some signed up for the optional helicopter trip to Mitchell Falls, and the Expedition Team ensured that everyone could go to a Wandjina art site.

After a Zodiac cruise ashore, our guides led us to the shade of a big natural rock shelter, where we saw some great examples of Wandjina rock art and learned about the importance of Wandjina to Indigenous people in the Kimberley. Many of us also visited the second rock art site, which featured Gwion Gwion art, and we crawled into a huge cave to witness this amazing archaeological site.

The day ended with a stunning beach bar as the sun set, before we returned to Heritage Adventurer in the dark. We had our usual recap with Rose discussing Kimberley plants and Thijs with the Dreamtime of the Indigenous people of Australia, followed by Steve briefing us for tomorrow.

After another fantastic dinner, it was time to head to bed to prepare for tomorrow’s adventure.

© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 6
Monday 29 July
Hunter River/Porosus Creek
Dawn found us enjoying a scenic ship cruise heading into the Hunter River, taking advantage of the many observation points on Heritage Adventurer.

We started our Zodiac cruises at 0800, supplied with plenty of water as the weather was warm, and headed up Porosus Creek. It was low tide at 1000, which coincided with the best viewing for crocodiles, some counting 11 individuals along the way with a sighting of a very pale-coloured crocodile. Other animals included Mudskippers jumping and flopping around the shoreline and Fiddler Crabs, both yellow and red, peeking out of their burrows. The rare Chestnut Rail was spotted fleetingly as well as Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea Eagles.

Back on board Heritage Adventurer for lunch, we had the choice of the main dining room or the Bistro. The afternoon excursion was a Zodiac cruise exploring Prince Frederick Harbour, meandering through the islands and the creek enjoying the different geological formations including 'Thor’s Hammer'. We got up close and personal with the quartz rock layers which crumble easily, caves and the mighty mangroves with plenty of life along the way including a Kingfisher and crocodile in the water.

Back on board we were delighted with an insight into The World of Crocodiles by Miriam and Mudskippers by Julia, with some fun videos of the Mudskipper's dance moves. Steve briefed us for tomorrow’s excitement of Montgomery Reef, before a delicious dinner was enjoyed.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 7
Tuesday 30 July
Montgomery Reef and Freshwater Cove
We woke to another overcast day, but before long the clouds parted and a pretty sunrise through the clouds was enjoyed as we cruised towards Montgomery Reef. A few people were up early on the observation decks observing Humpback Whales breaching in the distance.

We timed our arrival at Montgomery Reef perfectly with the tide. Upon arrival, we couldn't see the reef, until we headed out in the Zodiacs, and the tide began to ebb. Then the reef was slowly revealed, seeming to rise out of the ocean before us; a truly breathtaking sight. We cruised up a channel that cuts into the reef, known as ‘The River’, and started to see turtles all around us. The run-off from the reef became more obvious as the tide ebbed, and we got up close to look at the cascading water. Although Montgomery Reef looks like rock, we learned from our guides that it's very much alive - 400 square kilometres of reef with a length of around 25km and a width of 13km. Like many places in the Kimberley, it was given its English name by Phillip Parker King on one of his surveying voyages in the Kimberley – he named it after the ship's surgeon.

Montgomery Reef is the largest inshore reef in the world. At high tide, it is covered by the sea, with sometimes 5 metres of water above it. As the tide drops, the lagoon on top of the reef continues to empty and is still pouring off the reef as the tide begins to flood again.

Many of us saw sea snakes, and stingrays, and everybody saw turtles as we were surrounded by them and never tired of watching them surface, look at us, and dive again. We made it as far into the reef as it is possible to go by Zodiac, where the river narrowed, and became more turbulent with the sheer volume of water pouring off the reef. Then we drifted back downstream in the current, again enjoying the spectacle of hundreds of cascades coming off the reef as we slowly made our way back to Heritage Adventurer for another delicious lunch.

During lunch, Heritage Adventurer sailed across to Freshwater Cove. After lunch, we listened to Nathan Russ, one of the owners of Heritage Expeditions, give a talk about the history of Heritage and how his family have worked to make it what it is today.

We anchored off Freshwater Cove and went ashore. Freshwater Cove is an area owned by an Indigenous family of the Wunambal Gaambera. We were greeted by Raylani, Naomi, Gideon and Neil and given a 'Welcome to Country'. We were guided 1 kilometre inland to one of their Rock Art sites, where Neil shared the stories of the Wandjina Art in the rock shelter, and we were able to ask questions and take time to enjoy looking at this historical art. We returned to the beach observing wildlife along the way – some spotted a Red-tailed Black Cockatoo as Neil told us about the wildlife in the area. Stepping back onto the beach we walked through the smoke of a small fire tended by Gideon, for a smoking ceremony to ensure that we left safely. The family also has an open building with their artwork on display and for sale. We said goodbye, and headed back to Heritage Adventurer, watching another beautiful sunset along the way. For dinner we enjoyed a delicious BBQ out on the deck in the warm night air, surrounded by stunning views.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 8
Wednesday 31 July
Talbot Bay/Horizontal Falls and Cyclone Creek/Dugong Bay
The early risers were treated to a spectacular sunrise on the deck around 0600 as they enjoyed a morning coffee, the sun illuminated the clouds in the sky, and we made our way to Talbot Bay. Some saw a Humpback Whale breach, and all enjoyed watching the sun light up the landscape around us. We passed by Koolan Island on the way into Talbot Bay, which is still a working Iron Ore mine. We enjoyed the scenic sights around us from the observation deck as our Captain navigated us through the narrows and past ‘Razor Rock’.

Soon we were in Talbot Bay and passing Slug Island, anchoring near Horizontal Falls. There was plenty of time for a delicious breakfast before we boarded our Zodiacs for a morning cruise. We stopped first on the coast to watch a White-bellied Sea Eagle soaring above us. Then we went around a corner and saw the gap of Horizontal Falls. A breathtaking sight to behold.

All around the falls are tall sandstone cliffs, but here in Talbot Bay, the sandstone is no longer horizontal, but has been subjected to so much force that some layers are vertical. Then we explored Cyclone Creek further. As we entered the creek, a gorge opened up ahead of us and we weaved our way through it. We noticed more tides flowing through this gorge, but it isn't as narrow as Horizontal Falls, so it wasn't as fast-flowing.

We carried on up the creek observing Kimberley Rose trees, which flower in the dry season, and are easy to spot with their bright red flowers. Stopping at a mud bank, we enjoyed watching bright red Fiddler Crabs which disappeared into their burrows as we approached. Along one side of the river, we could see the bank was made up of a conglomerate of ancient river rocks – evidence of a once fast-flowing river. Further along, we explored the mangroves and looked for more wildlife, observing Ospreys and Brahminy Kites. We returned down Cyclone Creek and stopped again at Horizontal Falls to see the change in the tide. The water was flowing through much faster on our second stop and we enjoyed witnessing this spectacle from the Zodiacs as our drivers sat us in the water flow.

We returned to Heritage Adventurer for the usual array of delicious choices for lunch, before heading out for the afternoon's adventure. Some of us went in the Zodiacs for a long cruise exploring Dugong Bay. We travelled 28 nautical miles and explored this huge wilderness. We got close to the mangroves, seeing massive individual trees, and found a gorge with a dried waterfall. Rose spotted a small crocodile which submerged as we got closer. Our journey back to Heritage Adventurer was during an awe-inspiring sunset, with the sky glowing red and orange around us.

Soon after, we got ready for dinner and enjoyed recaps and a talk from Rocky on Raptors. While we ate dinner, we enjoyed a scenic ship cruise past Koolan and Cockatoo Islands.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 9
Thursday 1 August
Hidden Island
The regular early morning coffee drinkers among us were again treated to a spectacular sunrise on the Aft Deck and outside the Lounge and Bistro, as we headed into the Buccaneer Archipelago.

After breakfast, we anchored off Hidden Island. We had the option of going for a short but challenging walk on Hidden Island, or a Zodiac cruise to the beach. The team set up the marquee and chairs ashore, and Barman Richard also came ashore to serve drinks on the beach.

The walkers were treated to some amazing views from higher up as they negotiated their way through Spinifex and over the jumble of rocky terrain. It gave them a new appreciation for how the Indigenous people in the Kimberley lived, and just how hard it must have been to get anywhere fast. Enjoying the hot weather and sunshine, we stepped ashore onto the beach from the Zodiacs and immediately noticed how fine the sand was. Pure white, just like powder snow, it squeaked underfoot. On the beach, we were able to get in the water. Not to swim, as we didn't want to make any splashing that could attract unwanted reptiles, but most people enjoyed wading in the water for quite some time. The cool water was a luxury, and Silica Beach would have to be one of the most scenic places for a dip. The team stationed a lookout up on the rocks above us, and multiple Zodiacs patrolled just off the beach. Some of us also had a quiet walk around the beach exploring as far as we could, and found some shade to sit in under the rocks. The walkers then arrived on the beach and enjoyed a wade as well.

There was plenty of time to enjoy our beach morning, and everybody returned to Heritage Adventurer for lunch feeling very refreshed and happy. After lunch, we went on a Zodiac cruise around the interesting bays and inlets on the northern side of Hidden Island. Everybody was able to see several Osprey nests and many Ospreys. We also enjoyed the landscape of jumbled rocks and isolated beaches, along with the interesting geology all around us. Some of us observed a Mullet fish in the water and enjoyed superb views of Reef Egrets and a Great-billed Heron.

We returned to Heritage Adventurer and headed across a flat calm sea as we made our way towards Cape Leveque before arriving at Broome. As the sun set, we enjoyed whale watching from the observation deck, and everyone headed out on deck to enjoy the sightings.

We had our farewell from the Captain and Expedition Team before dinner, and this included an amazing slide show of the voyage that had been put together by Julia. Dinner again exceeded expectations, and everyone relaxed and chatted about the fantastic voyage we had and reflected on the time spent on the Kimberley Coast.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions

Day 10
Friday 2 August
Broome
The early risers were treated to a delightful display of many breaching Humpback Whales as the sun rose, followed by a tasty breakfast and then on to our disembarkation. Our Kimberley Explorer voyage ended, as farewells and ‘see ya laters!’ were completed before coaches whisked us away to Broome and the airport.© J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions