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Australia’s Kimberley: A Voyage to the Outback 2020

Australia’s Kimberley: A Voyage to the Outback 2020

From USD $14,980

Description

Your adventures in the Kimberley region of Western Australia are highlighted by unusual wildlife in Prince Regent Nature Reserve, the beauty of the Buccaneer Archipelago, and sublime desert-scapes.

Fly via helicopter to explore the dramatic gorges of Mitchell Plateau and swim in the crystal-clear pools above photogenic Mitchell Falls.

Discover Australia’s unique wildlife—rock wallabies, turtles, and mighty saltwater crocodiles.

Take a guided bush walk that reveals Aboriginal cultural traditions and view well-preserved rock art at Raft Point and Bigge Island.

View the amazing spectacle of the Horizontal Falls, created by massive tidal currents.

Inclusions
Daily activity options including cultural tours, nature walks, and Zodiac cruises; all gratuities; all accommodations; world-class lecture and expedition team; all onboard meals and group meals ashore, including soft drinks, beer, and wine with lunch and dinner; all entrance fees, taxes, and landing and port charges; arrival and departure transfers on group dates; gift certificates for recommended expedition gear; medical expense coverage and emergency evacuation insurance.

Please note: Airfare Broome/Sydney is not included in your voyage rate.

Trip Name
Australia's Kimberley: A Voyage to the Outback 2020
Days
13
Overview
Vessel Type: Luxury Expedition Length: 63 metres Passenger Capacity: 72 (in 36 rooms) Built: 2005 / Refurbished: 2016 Launched in 2005, Coral Discoverer set a new benchmark standard for small ship cruising in Australia. Refurbished in November 2016, she continues to raise the bar to new levels of sophistication in expedition cruising in the Southern Hemisphere. The 1800-tonne Coral Discoverer is the grand vision of Coral Expeditions, pioneers in expedition and adventure cruises around Australia, Papua New Guinea and South East Asia. Her shallow draught and manoeuvrability allow her to go where larger vessels cannot. Her tender vessel, Xplorer, can seat all 72 passengers for excursions to beaches and rivers. Coral Discoverer is equipped with latest technology active stabilisers to ensure comfortable cruising in open waters and is fitted with modern safety and navigation equipment and wireless internet facilities. Coral Discoverer was built to the exacting international SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) standards and specifications in Cairns, Australia, with one aim in mind; to create the ultimate small ship cruising experience. Australian flagged, and staffed entirely by an Australian and New Zealand crew, your experience aboard Coral Discoverer will be unique. After the refurbishment, the Sun Deck has evolved to become a new social space and the hub of on board community living. This area has been converted into an undercover deck area complete with round ‘Explorer Bar’ with bar stools and sun deck with lounges and an area for outdoor exercise equipment. Guest accommodation has also received a substantial upgrade with the addition of six Bridge Deck Balcony Staterooms providing coveted inside/outside living quarters. Each of our other Stateroom grades has also received a full upgrade with updated bathroom fixtures, soft furnishings and artwork making for an even more comfortable stay on board Coral Discoverer. The Coral Discoverer offers five different grades of staterooms, ranging from Bridge Deck Balcony Staterooms to Main Deck Staterooms. Bridge Deck Balcony Staterooms are on the top deck and have private balconies opening out from french windows. All rooms are furnished with contemporary flair and feature original artwork, a small private en-suite, individually-controlled air-conditioning, an iPod dock, ample storage and Australian toiletries. All staterooms are serviced daily. Each stateroom is spacious, sized between 15sqm (161 square feet) to 20 sqm (215 square feet) and has either a balcony, feature picture windows or porthole windows. Most staterooms can be configured to either junior king or twin bedding. FACILITIES ON BOARD > Sun Deck with undercover area, sun lounges and ample seating > Three fully stocked cocktail bars, including brand new round Explorer Bar on Sun Deck > Spacious, modern dining room, recently refurbished > Forward lounge > Reference library > Gift shop > Open bridge > Workout Area > Wireless internet available for laptops, mobile devices or via onboard guest computer > Limited laundry facilities available > SCUBA diving department (selected itineraries)

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 Darwin, Australia
Arrive in Darwin and enjoy an afternoon at leisure. Gather this evening for a welcome dinner and overnight at the Hilton Darwin.
Day 2 - Day 2 Darwin / Embark Coral Discoverer
Today explore historic Darwin with a visit to the George Brown Botanic Gardens, the Darwin Military Museum, and the impressive Darwin Museum and Art Gallery which celebrates Aboriginal art and the history of the region. This afternoon board the Coral Discoverer and set sail.
Day 3 - Day 3 Tiwi Islands
Permission pending, go ashore on the Tiwis and join local Aboriginal guides for a tour of the small community of Nguiu, its museum, and the old Mission Precinct. You will also have an opportunity to visit the local arts center, to view and purchase high-quality Tiwi crafts and screen-printed fabric.
Day 4 - Day 4 King George River / King George Falls
Cruise through a spectacular canyon where vertical cliffs, gorges, and mangroves line the shores of the mighty King George River. The final destination is King George Falls, a supremely photogenic area of 325-foot cliffs of rust-colored sandstone rising from the tidal waters.
Day 5 - Day 5 Jar Island / Woku-Woku Island
View fine examples of ancient Bradshaw or Gwion Gwion art, thought to be 20,000 to 15,000 years old, on Jar Island, a rocky uninhabited island endowed with lovely white-sand beaches. Tides permitting, step ashore on Woku-Woku Island to search for the remnants of old Macassan trepang stoves that were used to boil sea cucumbers collected on their journeys through the Kimberley hundreds of years ago.
Day 6 - Day 6 Bigge Island / Sterna Island
A unique experience awaits us on Bigge Island, sacred to Aborigines for thousands of years. Well-preserved Aboriginal paintings grace the walls of caves, depicting mythical figures and offering visual evidence of the European entrance into the Aboriginal way of life. Keep an eye out for Monjon (the smallest of the wallabies), they can often be seen sprinting from one rock ledge to another. In the afternoon step ashore Sterna Island to search for a variety of seabirds, including four species of terns, pied cormorants, white-bellied sea eagles, and osprey.
Day 7 - Day 7 Hunter River / Mitchell Falls
From Hunter River, fly via helicopter to the Mitchell Plateau to visit Mitchell Falls, a series of waterfalls and pools culminating in a deep gorge carving its way through the Outback. Explore the surrounding area on foot and enjoy a refreshing swim in the rushing freshwater pools. In the vicinity of our anchorage, you may explore the small tributaries by Zodiac, searching the mangroves and tidal mud flats for crocodiles, mudskippers, and fiddler crabs, as well as the many bird species that make their home within the dense vegetation.
Day 8 - Day 8 - 10 Montgomery Reef / Talbot Bay / Raft Point / Buccaneer Archipelago
At Montgomery Reef, view the amazing array of marine life exposed at low tide. The 150-square-mile reef is home to an incredible number of green sea turtles and sharks are sometimes spotted in the surrounding waters. The fish that are trapped by the falling tide attract a plethora of birds including reef egrets and sea eagles.At Talbot Bay visit the Horizontal Waterfalls, one of the most unusual regional attractions. The falls, created by a phenomenon resulting from the mammoth tides, actually reverse as the tide turns. Join a bush walk at Raft Point to learn the traditions of the Worrorra people and view ancient Aboriginal cave paintings of outstanding quality, depicting the significance of the marine world to the Aboriginal way of life.The Buccaneer Archipelago consists of more than 800 islands. The shorelines of these rarely visited isles are among the most photogenic in the world, and include mangrove estuaries, secluded bays, untouched beaches, cliffs, reefs, rugged gorges, and whirlpools.
Day 9 - Day 11 Lacepede Islands
The Lacepede Islands are a group of four low, sandy islands lying on a coral reef. The islands are an important nesting site for green sea turtles and several species of seabirds including frigatebirds, brown boobies, crested terns, sandpipers, and ruddy turnstones. Cruise the area by Zodiac for a closer look at the seabird colonies. Be on deck this evening as the sun sets and the night sky comes alive—far from the city lights, stargazing in the Kimberley is simply spectacular.
Day 10 - Days 12 - 13 Broome / Disembark / Sydney / USA
Disembark in Broome with time for a bit of sightseeing. Transfer to the airport for your independent flight to Sydney with dinner and overnight at the Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel. Board your independent flight back home.
Day 11 - Please Note:
Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be ongoing enhancements to this itinerary.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $14,980Category 1
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $16,480Category 2
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $17,980Category 3
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $19,480Category 4
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $19,980Category 2 Special Single (Limited)
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $21,880Category 5
23-04-202005-05-2020USD $23,780Category 4 Special Single (Limited)

Inclusions

    • Fly via helicopter to explore the dramatic gorges of Mitchell Plateau and swim in the crystal-clear pools above photogenic Mitchell Falls.
    • Discover Australia's unique wildlife—rock wallabies, turtles, and mighty saltwater crocodiles.
    • Take a guided bush walk that reveals Aboriginal cultural traditions and view well-preserved rock art at Raft Point and Bigge Island.
    • View the amazing spectacle of the Horizontal Falls, created by massive tidal currents.
    • Join an optional pre-extension to Kununurra, Bungle Bungle, and Arnhem Land.

Map