HA240821: Kimberley Explorer: Expedition Cruising Australia's Iconic Kimberley Coast

KIMBERLEY EXPLORER

on board HERITAGE ADVENTURER

21 - 31 August 2024

Day 1
Wednesday 21 August 2024
Broome

A beautiful Australian day greeted us as our Kimberley Explorer voyage began in Broome, following a stunning full moon. Broome’s famous ‘Staircase to the Moon’ is a natural phenomenon that occurs when a full moon rises over the tidal flats of Roebuck Bay, creating the appearance of a staircase reaching all the way to the moon. A full moon also means an increase in tide variation, up to 10 metres, which we expect to experience in the coming days.

The Aboriginal Yawuru people are the Traditional Owners of Broome and its surrounds, a place with a rich and diverse history. In the mid-1800s Broome was renowned for its Mother of Pearl Shell, used around the world for buttons on clothing. In the 1950s, with the advent of plastic buttons, Broome diversified, using those same shells to seed pearls, into what is now a thriving international pearling industry.

The day was a leisurely one to explore this vibrant cosmopolitan town. The Broome coastline is home to thousands of migratory shorebirds and more than 35,000 Humpback Whales which, in winter months, migrate to the warm waters of the Kimberley to calve and to breed.

In the early afternoon, we made our way to the Mangrove Hotel to meet our Expedition Team, and then on board to board our new home for the upcoming adventure Heritage Adventurer. We settled into comfortable accommodations, explored the many observation points on board and then headed out on deck to watch Heritage Adventurer cast off its lines, pull away from the wharf, and point north toward adventure. Expedition Leader Steve introduced us to his team, while Hotel Manager Damien gave a rundown of the workings of life on board.

A delectable first dinner was a chance to meet fellow travellers, before settling down to a good night’s sleep as we motored across a glittering moonlit sea.

Day 2
Thursday 22 August 2024
Adele Island

This morning’s high tides worked in our favour, with our first Zodiac outing being to Adele Island, an often inaccessible and infrequently visited hook-shaped bay. Adele measures 3 kilometres x 1.5 kilometres and is fringed by sandbanks that extend 25 kilometres resting on a limestone platform. After a long run-in from Heritage Adventurer, it was Zodiac engines tilted up to make our way across shallow sandbanks. This low-lying island, harbouring a large, protected lagoon, felt like a miniature Galapagos with its staggering quantity of birdlife. Inquisitive Brown Boobies wheeled about our Zodiacs, and with each successive flyby, looked increasingly tempted to alight near our Zodiacs.

The island’s shoreline and its sheltered lagoon support a phenomenal number of migratory shorebirds including Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Greater Sand Plover, and Little Tern. Nesting birds include the Lesser Frigatebird, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Red-footed Booby, Eastern Reef Egret, Bridled Tern and Common Noddy. The sky was alive with these birds as well as Australian Pelicans. Surprisingly, although frigatebirds migrate vast distances to reach Adele Island, they cannot waterproof their feathers and avoid landing on water. They largely rely on kleptoparasitism to feed, and we saw this behaviour in action when, in mid-air, a frigatebird harassed a Brown Booby into regurgitating its hard-earned catch of fish, to steal the goods.

Adele Island is not only a designated Important Birding Area but also a haven for other iconic Kimberley wildlife. On our way into the lagoon, we spied turtles, small sharks and rays, and our first two crocodiles— one resting on the sandy outer shoreline, a second, larger one floating log-like at the head of the lagoon. Then, it slowly made its way out onto the grassy shore, within a jaw’s reach of a large fluffy booby chick. Those in the Zodiac saw the gruesome but incredulous moment when this apex predator lunged without warning to snatch, shake and despatch the unfortunate chick.

Adele Island has been home to another effective though unwelcome predator, that of the Polynesian rat, with its origins traced to Indonesia. In 2004 a rat eradication attempt was carried out on the island with 10,000 toxic baits; however, with limited accessibility and insufficient research carried out since then, the results remain ambiguous.

An afternoon back onboard our trusty expedition vessel delivered the first in our educational series with an Introduction to the Kimberley by Tina and a photography presentation by Steve. Another gorgeous Kimberley sunset lay in wait, with the Captain’s Welcome Drinks and a sumptuous dinner to polish off a superb first day out in the wilderness.

Day 3
Friday 23 August 2024
Talbot Bay: Horizontal Falls, Dugong Bay, Cyclone Creek

It was an exciting start to the morning as we headed to Horizontal Falls to experience the increased tidal flow. Due to the influence of the recent full moon, the outgoing ebb tide had picked up, which resulted in an incredible Zodiac experience as the tides squeezed water between McLarty Ranges, two narrow gorges of 10 and 20 metres in width, into Talbot Bay. David Attenborough describes Horizontal Falls as ‘one of the world’s greatest natural wonders’ and it certainly lived up to its name. The flow of water eroded the depth of the two gorges as much as a fast-flowing river cuts through the landscape, to depths of 40 and 25 metres successively.

Soon after breakfast, we ventured back into Horizontal Falls, to experience the Falls nearing low tide. The swirl of water attracted petite Blacktip Reef Sharks, cruising the shallows in search of a fishy breakfast. We cruised to the southern end of Talbot Bay and into Cyclone Creek for a wonderful morning of exploration: witnessing an array of geological processes, mangroves lining creek edges, our first acquaintance with agile wallabies perfectly camouflaged amongst the rocks, and in quieter waters, encounters with brightly coloured Flame-backed Fiddler Crabs that make their home in burrows in the mud.

After an exciting and hot morning, we were glad to return to the air-conditioned comforts of Heritage Adventurer. Some enjoyed a relaxing afternoon on board, featuring a thought-provoking presentation by Lou on Climate Change while others took to Zodiacs once more to explore Dugong Bay’s lush islands and channels rich with birdlife.

Following our choice of afternoon activities, we indulged in the setting Kimberley sun for dinner and a drink with our fellow adventurers.

Day 4
Saturday 24 August 2024
Collier Bay: Montgomery Reef, Raft Point

It was an early start to the day to make the most of the tide, but once out in Zodiacs, with the Kimberley horizon raising its magnificent red dawn curtain, excitement mounted at the prospect of experiencing Montgomery Reef on a huge 9.5-metre outgoing tide. It's this tidal phenomenon, and the wildlife it attracts, that makes the world’s largest inshore reef—an ancient terrestrial tableland visible for only a few hours a day—so unique. While the foundation rock is ancient, the reef was established only 6,000 years ago when sea levels approached their current height. Remarkable when we consider that the aboriginal history of the Kimberley area extends back 60,000 years, including Indigenous groups who once lived on Montgomery’s Islands and used the reef as a foraging ground.

Mostly coral-coated, Montgomery Reef measures 25 kilometres by 13 kilometres. We navigated our Zodiacs through ‘the river’—a narrowing channel dividing two edges of the reef. Here, we experienced the rush of white water that cascaded from the reef as a torrent. Eastern Reef Egrets and other shorebirds took the opportunity to snaffle up small fish stranded in rock pools on the reef, while Green Turtles patrolled the channel to feed, popping up their heads before quickly disappearing. It felt surreal to watch and listen to the fall of water cascading over the reef front’s small steps, created by a surface layer of Rhodoliths (Greek for red rocks) comprising marine sediments such as calcareous coral, shell and algae.

Back on board Heritage Adventurer, Tina gave a lively presentation on turtles, and after another delicious lunch, we were ready for an afternoon outing at Raft Point.

A highlight of this excursion was Steep Island. Appropriately named, showing off its cliffs of heavily fractured towering Warton Sandstone with iron oxide ‘skin', overlaying a horizontal formation of dark red-brown ferruginous sandstone and a quarry of gargantuan boulders broken from the cliffs above. Some were lucky to see a Whistling Kite at close quarters; others had spectacular encounters with Humpback Whales that frequent this bay. A cathedral-like cave at Steep Island beckoned in Zodiacs one by one, its domed roof carved out by thousands of years of powerful wave action.

Across at Reef Point, we admired a beautiful stand of Boab Trees of all shapes and sizes, perfectly suited to a soil type eroded from Carson Volcanics basalt. Rock Wallabies made a fleeting appearance, then with the late afternoon sun tracking low, we cruised back to Heritage Adventurer to close out a mighty day of Kimberley adventuring with a fantastic dinner.

Day 5
Sunday 25 August 2024
Langgi Bay; at sea enroute to Ashmore Reef

It was a special privilege to be invited to Langgi Bay, a place of deep spiritual significance to Aboriginal people, and to experience a 'Welcome To Country' by locals Warren, Neil, Gideon and Wisey. These men and their families spend part of the year at a traditional camp a few kilometres further down the coast at Wiggingarra Butt Butt (Freshwater Cove). We learned from Warren that his people are part of the Worrorra tribe, the Wandjina being their supreme deity and the basis of their belief system. Warren outlined the dreamtime story of Wandjina who created Mother Earth, then plants, animals, and finally humans, entrusted to care for the land.

The Worrorra people do not regard themselves as owners of the country; rather, they believe that the country owns them. The men personally greeted each group, and Warren took time to give an eloquent and meaningful talk on Aboriginal beliefs, culture, and the dual system of skins that determines who may marry whom. We were invited to step through smoke in a cleansing ritual, and a ‘Welcome To Country’ with our faces dabbed with ochre.

The very low tide revealed a vista of pinnacle rocks at the top of the beach, some human-like in form. For the Aboriginal community, these pinnacles represent sacred warriors that form part of the Wandjina story and embody the cycle of life. At high tide, only the tallest of these rock formations shows above water, and by the time we farewelled Langgi Bay, the incoming tide had already risen to the base of these ancient rock warriors.

Just a few hundred metres from Heritage Adventurer, we were treated to a spectacular performance of tail slapping by a mother Humpback Whale and her calf. It seemed clear that the little one was putting all its energy into practising and learning from its mother. There are various speculations as to why whales have these noise-making behaviours, including breaching and flipper slapping, with a consensus that the thunderous noise they make is part of their communication with other whales, whether it be a breaching male announcing its size in a show of strength, or a calf frolicking while learning from its mother.

In the afternoon we set course for Ashmore Reef, 200 nautical miles to the northwest. The reef is far closer to Timor than to Australia. Our afternoon on board was an opportunity for a snorkelling briefing in preparation for Ashmore Reef; Geologist Bryan imparted his knowledge in a presentation that covered plate tectonics, stromatolites—Earth’s oldest living organisms, the five formations of Kimberley rock dating back to 1.8 billion years, the different modes of deformation and subsequent erosion.

Once the sun dropped behind the ocean, we congregated in the bar for presentations. Travelling with us we have three impressive young women who are part of the True Young Explorers scholarship program: Naomi Huynh, Jess Whitworth and Noor Soboh. Tonight, we heard from Noor and her introduction was followed by a presentation on Humpback Whales.

Please note: Due to the sacred nature of Langgi Bay we were asked not to share any photos of the actual site.

Day 6
Monday 26 August 2024
Ashmore Reef

Named by Captain Samuel Ashmore in 1811, and located closer to Indonesia than Australia, Ashmore Reef is a glittering jewel comprising of three small islands and 540 square kilometres of surrounding coral reef, designated as Ashmore Reef Marine Park. Each year these productive waters and island breeding grounds attract around 100,000 migratory seabirds that follow the East Asian-Australasian Flyway from the northern hemisphere, arriving to breed and rear their chicks during the southern winter months.

The reef sits on the edge of the continental shelf, where water depths and temperatures plummet, creating upwellings that make these shallower waters thrive with populations of fish, sharks, sea snakes, Dugongs, and of course, a magnificent coral reef.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by sublime conditions, with not a hint of breeze on the water, and a low tide which offered crystal clear views of the coral reef whether cruising in Zodiacs or frolicking with a snorkel and mask. Green Turtles lay their eggs on West Island, the largest island of the trio, and in the surrounding water, we were treated to sightings of some very large turtles. Other island residents include terns, boobies, tropicbirds, noddies and frigatebirds. Several stingrays skimmed the sandy bottom of the shallow lagoon, while boobies made good use of the two refuge vessels—one Australian, the other Indonesian—anchored at the reef. Those with binoculars took in the marvellous sight of thousands of birds hovering above West Island’s vegetation, where these birds build their nests.

The reef has a long Indonesian history of fishing and collecting trepang, also called bêche-de-mer or sea cucumber. These are sliced, smoked, dried, and eaten as a delicacy. Indonesian fishermen still maintain rights to access the Marine Reserve on condition that they use traditional vessels and fishing techniques. They are permitted to use the island to visit graves, access fresh water from the island’s natural aqueduct, and seek shelter from danger. In the old days, without navigational instruments, Indonesian fishers would leave their island of Rote, line up their course with a particular tree on the island, and sail south. If they did not reach Ashmore Reef within a few days, they would simply turn around, return home and begin again. Nowadays, visitors, including our fleet of Zodiacs on the water, remain under the watchful eye of the Australian Border Force whose patrol boat is stationed off the reef 300 days of the year to monitor and deter illegal activity.

The clarity of water we experienced was truly remarkable, especially given that the reef is frequently subject to wind. We could not have been more fortunate in having today to explore a unique location in its finest conditions.

What was it about water and sun that left us famished on return to Heritage Adventurer? We enjoyed another fantastic lunch, then settled down to afternoon naps, a phone photography workshop with Steve, and a presentation from Phil on the extensive Australian coastal explorations of Philip Parker King between 1818 and 1822. Meanwhile, our trusty expedition vessel returned southeast toward the Kimberley Coast.

Day 7
Tuesday 27 August 2024
Prince Frederick Harbour: Porosus Creek, Crystal Beach

Prince Frederick Harbour is a substantial bay, 25 kilometres long by 12 kilometres wide, fed with fresh water by the Hunter River and Roe River, with the region surveyed and named by explorer Phillip Parker King in 1820.

First away this morning were our optional helicopter sightseers who Zodiac cruised to the nearby Naturalists Island to meet their helicopter for a thrilling ride to Mitchell Falls. At Mitchell Falls, they experienced the magic of the Kimberley plateau and its iconic waterfall. Meanwhile, for those heading out on a Zodiac cruise, we were thrilled by the sight and sound of a young Osprey waiting on a tree branch for the return of its parent, its calls growing frantic when it spotted the parent flying in. They both made their way to their nest, a substantial collection of sticks built high up on the sandstone cliffs on a rocky ledge.

Our Zodiacs made their way up the Hunter River and hung a left at Porosus Creek, named for Crocodylus porosus, the Saltwater Crocodile. Eight kilometres long, Porosus Creek is lined with estuarine mangal, the collective term for the varied species of mangroves. Inland, mangroves give way to terrestrial eucalypt woodland and massive bluffs comprising of Wunaamin Miliwundi Sandstone (previously known as King Leopold Sandstone), through which run Quartz veins, along with striking black sills and dykes of Hartz Dolerite. With the low tide, the mudflats were alive with Mudskippers, endearing amphibious creatures who use their pectoral and tail fins to skip, walk and climb out of the water.

Two Zodiacs enjoyed watching an Osprey pluck a fish from the water, while others observed the distinctive and majestic Brahminy Kite in the mangroves, along with a Striated Heron fossicking at the shoreline. After a hot and exciting morning out on the water, we were happy to return to the air-conditioned comforts of Heritage Adventurer.

Our Mitchell Falls explorers returned beaming from their experience, topped off with the most spectacular ride home over the Mitchell Plateau and Mitchell River.

Our afternoon Zodiac cruise around Prince Frederick Harbour offered a refreshing breeze and featured a landing at beautiful Crystal Beach on the southern shore of the Hunter River. We had time to stretch our legs and take in the scenery around us before returning to Heritage Adventurer for another delicious dinner.

Day 8
Wednesday 28 August 2024
Montague Sound: Swift Bay

The story of Wandjina is the story of creation, also known as Lalai or Dreamtime, in aboriginal culture. At Swift Bay, our day was dedicated to two marvellous Wandjina Rock Art sites, and a third site of even more ancient art, that of Gwion Gwion, formerly referred to as Bradshaw paintings.

In the morning, we cruised along a turquoise bay and through a rocky narrowing to a tranquil white beach. Here, amid the regal sandstone landscape, we headed through boulders and along a well-trodden path to a large rock overhang, filled with depictions of many Wandjinas, along with turtles, crocodiles, a painted hand, and other scenes. Wandjinas are rain gods or rain spirits, who arrived at rock shelters to rest, creating self-images that remain to this day. The Wandjinas of Swift Bay are in the Namarali style, with elaborate circular headdresses and radiating lines that depict clouds, lightning, thunder and rain. A few days ago, we learned from the Worrorra people of Freshwater Cove that Namarali is the name of their important Wandjina which, each year, brings replenishing rain and new life to the region throughout the wet season.

Across the Kimberley, 100,000 rock art sites have so far been recorded, though many would no doubt have been submerged beneath a rising ocean that occurred 6,000 years ago. While the Wandjina Rock Art is up to 4,500 years old, in the afternoon we visited a Gwion Gwion site on the eastern side of Swift Bay, with paintings that date back to at least 17,000 years. Back then, ocean levels were so much lower that these rock art sites were 150 kilometres inland from the coast.

The Gwion Gwion Art encapsulates six distinct phases, and rather than being images of Creation Gods, they offer a snapshot of Aboriginal culture and the people themselves—akin to ancient social media—showing people in costumes, headdresses and adornments, participating in rituals and hunting practices. We have no way of knowing when one period transitioned into the next, but ageing the Gwion Gwion Art was made possible by dating Quartz crystals held within the structure of honeycombed wasp nests growing over the rock art, thus gauging a minimum date of the artwork beneath. After visiting a beautiful Wandjina site in the same vicinity, we were treated to Gwion Gwion depictions of people from the Kimberley Dynamic Figure Period and Straight Part Figure Period. These included the first appearance of spear throwers or woomeras, perhaps new technology of the time.

With the sun tracking low and golden, it was a scenic ride back to Heritage Adventurer where a delectable al fresco barbecue and live music on the decks awaited us.

Day 9
Thursday 29 August 2024
Vansittart Bay, Jar Island

Vansittart Bay is where, on 26 February 1942, a USA C25 Skytrooper made an enforced landing after flying off course, failing to land at Broome and running out of fuel. With wheels up, the American Captain brought the aircraft down across a salt pan behind the beach, the plane crossing the pan and careering off into vegetation. Here, its portside wing collected a Boab Tree and the wing was sheared off. The plane spun around and finally came to rest. Remarkably, none on board were killed.

This historic site was our morning destination, where we learned the story of this blighted flight mission which occurred one week after Darwin was bombed by enemy forces. The C35, reported missing in action, was spotted two days later by a search plane, but the crew had to wait several more days before a Qantas Empire Airways float plane was sent to rescue them. Our walk across the salt pan was a nature study of thousands of Elegant Fiddler Crabs. These creatures, the males sporting one feeding claw and one oversized fighting claw (the claw’s other primary function is to attract females), burrow into the mud plain which, at a very high tide, is immersed in water.

The site of the plane wreck was also a chance to experience a different bush type, including Boab Trees, Melaleuca (paperbark), Screw-pine Pandanus, and an array of wildflowers. This lush outcrop is indicative of soil that lies close to the water table. Back at the beach, a four-metre resident crocodile made several appearances in the water off the far reef; we kept a close eye on his movements.

In the afternoon we went ashore at Jar Island, also in Vansittart Bay. The island was named by Phillip Parker King after finding an earthenware jar ashore, likely used by Macassan fishers who used these vessels to store and transport trepang/sea cucumber. Here we trekked a pathway through the spinifex and visited two remarkable Gwion Gwion Rock Art galleries to see examples of the Early Tasselled Figure Phase, Dynamic Figures and a gallery that included depictions of fish, an echidna and a snake. Jar Island boasts a beautiful beach. With temperatures dropping and a cooling breeze, we were happy to kick back in a beach chair and take in the sights before returning to our trusty expedition vessel for dinner and a drink in the bar with our fellow guests.

Day 10
Friday 30 August 2024
Koolama Bay: King George River

An early morning greeted us as it was Zodiacs away for a cruise across Koolama Bay and through the river mouth of King George River. At last night’s recap, Robyn told us the story of MV Koolama, for which the bay is named. It was here in February 1942 that MV Koolama sought refuge after being bombed and disabled enroute to Wyndham.

Despite many early explorations in the 1600s and 1800s, King George River was explored and given its European name relatively recently, in 1911, by Charles Price Conigrave, an ornithologist explorer who named the river in honour of Britain’s King George V, being the year of his coronation. We could understand how earlier explorers who surveyed the coast missed seeing the entrance to the river mouth, which is tucked away under a rocky headland at the end of a long beach. From a distance, the river is impossible to see. We made our way through the river mouth and stopped at an Osprey nest to admire the collection of sticks and branches which make up this substantial nest. As we learned from Rocky, raptors often line these woody nests with eucalyptus leaves, to inhibit parasites. The Woollybutt is one such eucalypt that grows prolifically throughout coastal Kimberley.

The early morning light illuminated the Warton Sandstone cliffs, showing off joints and fractures. We could also see where water cascades down the vertical face of cliffs, leaving in its trace a black stain from cyanobacteria. We stopped to admire the Tafoni erosion closer to the waterline, which is caused by the expansion of salt crystals gradually scouring away grains from the sandstone which, over time, results in honeycomb patterns of erosion.

Along the 15 navigable kilometres of this glorious waterway, the river transcended into deep gorges with towering cliffs, culminating in the Twin Waterfalls. This being the end of the dry season, they were barely trickling, but still, we could see from the black staining and erosion the power of water that cascades from these high reaches. The waterfalls are also an important part of Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories.

We were treated to some delightful wildlife: a Brahminy Kite soared overhead, a Mertens’ Water Monitor remained at eye level on a ledge beside the trickle of water and allowed us close views and a tree snake lazed beneath a damp rock overhang in an area of lush greenery we colloquially call ‘The Hanging Gardens.’

By 1100 we were all back on board the comforts of Heritage Adventurer for a delicious lunch. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a presentation from Robyn on the epic story of two German Aviators and their 1932 struggle for survival in the Kimberley. The evening offered us a chance to hear from Captain Tomasz Kaminski and to enjoy photographer Steve’s marvellous slideshow of our voyage.

Day 11
Saturday 31 August 2024
Darwin

This morning, we arrived in Darwin to end our Kimberley Explorer expedition and disembarked Heritage Adventurer. The last 10 days had been a remarkable range of experiences in the Kimberley, from Aboriginal Rock Art to stunning geology, to crocodiles and Rock Wallabies, to a unique inland reef, and sublime snorkelling on a pristine coral reef.

The Heritage Expeditions Team has loved travelling with you and sharing our knowledge and passion for the region. Thank you for journeying with us. We wish you safe onward travels and homecomings and hope to see you on the high seas before long.