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Kimberley Cruise: Australia’s Last Frontier

Kimberley Cruise: Australia’s Last Frontier

From AUD $18,295

Description

Assemble in the pearling city of Broome for a leisurely, beachfront prelude to your expedition cruise. Then, join our world-renowned Expedition Team aboard ‘Le Laperouse,’ embarking on an 11-day, shore-hopping exploration of northwestern Australia’s Kimberley region. Discover a vast, untouched wilderness of far-flung islands, stunning tidal waterfalls, biodiverse coral reefs, riverine mangrove forests, historic Aboriginal sites, cavernous coastal gorges, towering mountain ranges and exotic wildlife. Wind down your expedition with a relaxing day at sea, disembarking in Darwin the following morning.

Trip Name
Kimberley Cruise: Australia’s Last Frontier
Days
11
Overview
Vessel Type: Luxury Length: 127 metres Passenger Capacity: 92 cabins Built: 2017/2018 Featuring innovative and environmentally-friendly equipment, elegantly designed cabins, spacious suites with large windows, and lounge areas that open onto the outside, this new limited-capacity yacht boasting just 92 cabins and suites will offer you a truly unique cruising experience. Aboard this ship that flies the French flag, you will experience the incomparable pleasure of an intimate cruise, with the possibility of exploring an ever-increasing range of destinations in an ethnic-chic ambiance with luxury service. Experience a luxurious setting where the accent is on authenticity and passion for travel. RESTAURANTS As it is an essential part of French culture, gastronomy will naturally have pride of place aboard this new ship. Through its two restaurants, Le Lapérouse will invite you on a journey to elegance and epicureanism. In a relaxed atmosphere, a first dining area located on Deck 3 and able to seat 70 will serve grilled meats daily, along with a variety of salads and desserts. To the back of Deck 4, you will find a 260 m² panoramic restaurant which can accommodate all of our passengers in a single sitting. Designed differently to that on our other ships, this dining area, which opens onto the outside, will have a buffet of salads, desserts and cheeses at your disposal. Our discreet and attentive crew will provide table service for hot meals. PUBLIC AREAS Like Le Boréal and its sisterships, Le Lapérouse has many common areas that are designed and equipped to meet all of your needs while preserving the intimacy of each passenger. A 140 m² reception area includes: A reception/concierge desk, An excursions desk, The ship’s administrative services, The sales office, manned by our Guest Relations Officer, Our 50 m² boutique which sells clothing, jewellery, beauty products, postcards and various accessories, Toilets accessible to passengers with reduced mobility. A new hydraulic platform with adjustable height provides: Easier boarding than on any other cruise ship, Easier Zodiac embarkation and disembarkation for expeditions, Easier access to the sea for swimming and practising various water sports such as kayaking or paddle-boarding. A pool deck offering: A pool with a panoramic view, equipped with a counter-current swimming system, A pleasant solarium, An outdoor bar and lounge with armchairs and sofas. A 200 m² main lounge which can accommodate all of our passengers to share convivial moments and to host activities organised during the day or evening. Lastly, a theatre that seats 188, equipped with: The latest sound and lighting technology, A LED wall as the stage backdrop, for the projection of high-resolution images and videos.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Days 1 & 2: Arrive Broome, Australia
Arrive in the city of Broome, poised on a red pindan at the western edge of the vast Kimberley and hemmed by the blue Indian Ocean. You are met and transferred to your hotel near iconic Cable Beach. The largest city in the Kimberley, Broome is home to over 14,000 residents, yet every bit as daring as its more sparsely populated counterparts. Spend the next day exploring at your leisure, taking in this swashbuckling treasure and its sweeping beaches, cinematic sunsets and relaxed atmosphere. Tonight, meet your fellow guests at a welcome cocktail reception and dinner.
Day 2 - Day 3: Broome | Jewel in the Wilds
A day of adventure awaits with our experts who take you beyond the surface in ever-splendid Broome. Join a city tour that reveals Broome’s historic pearling industry and rich multicultural past. Later, your adventure moves from the shore to sea when you board ‘Le Laperouse,’ your luxury expedition cruiser for the next 10 nights.
Day 3 - Days 4 - 6: Buccaneer Archipelago | Extraordinary Tides
Your Luxury Expedition Cruise begins north of Derby in the Buccaneer Archipelago, where thousands of islands dot the blue Timor Sea. Your enrichment and lecture program also begins, offering the first of many opportunities to discover the authentic stories and spirit of the fascinating Kimberley. Each day, your Captain and Expedition Team determine the best excursions, and may include these stunning regions: Silica Beach: Named for its pure white silica sand, this treasured natural beach is the only one of its kind along the entire Kimberley coast. Cruise ashore on a naturalist-led Zodiac excursion to experience its powdery soft sands and tranquil waters, nestled into rock reefs and a tall vegetated foredune. Horizontal Falls: An exciting visit awaits at Horizontal Falls, described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.” Set within Talbot Bay, the unique, horizontally flowing waterfalls are created when massive and intense tidal currents squeeze through two narrow gorges. Experience the phenomenon on a boat excursion that takes you close to these unique falls. Montgomery Reef: The Kimberley’s theme of extreme tides continues today off of Doubtful Bay at Montgomery Reef, Australia’s largest inshore reef. Board Zodiacs to explore the reef system’s lagoons, islets and rushing channels. The denouement comes at low tide, when water dramatically cascades off the reef ’s emerging coral platform, revealing astonishing sea life that may include octopuses, dolphins, sea turtles and sharks. Raft Point: Enjoy a guided bushwalk at Raft Point that leads to a cave depicting indigenous rock art. A magnificent display of sacred Wandjinas figures, the ancient paintings reveal the ways of the Worrorra tribe, their myths, traditions and powerful connection to the sea.
Day 4 - Days 7 & 8: Prince Regent National Park | Wilderness Country
Each day of your voyage, inspiring lectures, briefings and stimulating conversations with your Expedition Team and local guides elevate your discoveries in the Kimberley, bringing this vastly remote wonderland into focus in a most enriching way. Grasp the tremendous benefit of exploring with our experts as luxury ‘Le Laperouse’ cruises deep into the Kimberley outback and Prince Regent National Park. For the next two days, enjoy privileged insight and access to one of the most remote and rarely visited regions in Australia. Prince Regent National Park: Defined by rugged sandstone, lush rain forests and volcanic cliffs, this utterly wild park is alive with more than half of the Kimberley’s entire plant and animal species, and accessible only by air and sea. Join your naturalist guides on Zodiacs, cruising up the Prince Regent River, its shores lined with near-vertical cliffs. Discover the face of King Cascade, a beautiful and unusual waterfall that cascades over terraced rock formations. Mitchell Falls: Opt for a thrilling helicopter flight over the vast Mitchell Plateau to the sandstone-carved Mitchell Falls, which tumble through a series of emerald pools into a gorge. Explore the surrounding area on foot and perhaps enjoy a refreshing swim in the freshwater pools formed by the falls. Hunter River: Join your naturalist guides and navigate by Zodiac through the river’s small tributaries fringed by mangroves and tidal mud flats, searching for crocodiles, mud skippers and fiddler crabs, and the many bird species that nest in the dense vegetation.
Day 5 - Day 9: Bigge Island | Sacred Art of the Wunambal
Sacred to the indigenous Wunambal people for more than 20,000 years, Bigge Island is home to an incredible array of indigenous rock art. Move beyond its shallow bays to discover its well-preserved Wandjina paintings and visual recordings of the European entrance into this ancient way of life. You may also meet rock wallabies, the smallest of the wallabies, which are numerous on the island.
Day 6 - Day 10: King George River & Falls | The King’s Treasure
Arrive in Kooloma Bay at the mouth of the King George River, named in honor of King George V. Our naturalist guides pilot Zodiacs upriver through a spectacular canyon, draped in sandstone cliffs, gorges and mangroves, where you may also spy impressive Aussie wildlife, such as the saltwater crocodile. Arrive before the awe-inspiring King George Falls, plummeting from an elevation of 276 feet.
Day 7 - Day 11: Wyndham | Gold Rush Town
Beautifully poised between rugged hills and Cambridge Gulf in the northernmost region of the Kimberley, the former gold-rush town of Wyndham is home to a bounty of photogenic wetlands scenery, including the spectacular Ord River; the man-made Argyle Dam; and Purnululu National Park, home to the Bungle Bungle range. Wildlife abounds, offering great opportunities to spot birds and freshwater crocodiles. During this stop, you may opt for a wildlife cruise on the thriving Ord River or a scenic flight over east Kimberley and the Bungle Bungles, one of Australia’s greatest natural wonders.
Day 8 - Day 12: At Sea | Cruising the Timor Sea
Enjoy a day at sea and the opportunity to unwind with your fellow guests and Expedition Team, while the ship cruises to clear customs in Indonesia as required. Take time to reflect on your discoveries and adventures, share photos or attend another intriguing lecture. You may also choose to relax and enjoy the ship’s facilities, perhaps at the spa or in your room with views from your own private balcony. Later, join a lively farewell reception and dinner, a celebration to culminate an unforgettable expedition.
Day 9 - Day 13: Depart Darwin
This morning, bid farewell to your crew and Expedition Team before disembarking ‘Le Laperouse.’ Transfer to the airport, where you board your return flight home.
Day 10 - Please Note:
Activity level is moderate. This cruise includes regular Zodiac boat excursions and walks over uneven terrain, with some optional, more challenging hikes.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $18,295Category 1
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $21,075Category 2
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $22,750Category 3
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $27,995Category 4
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $30,750Category 5
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $37,450Category 6
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $44,995Category 7
20-06-201902-07-2019AUD $49,995Category 8

Inclusions

    • Discover one of Australia’s greatest treasures in uncompromising comfort on a unique itinerary full of mesmerising sites and breathtaking experiences
    • Cruise the Kimberley coast aboard luxurious ‘Le Laperouse,’ a brand-new expedition cruiser boasting all-balcony accommodations, gourmet cuisine, butler service in all suite categories and the latest eco-conscious cruising technology
    • Gain privileged insights from our award-winning Expedition Team of naturalists, historians, photographers, authors and true-to-life explorers as they share an enriching program of excursions, lectures and informal discussions
    • Marvel at the power of the earth and the tides with an excursion to the mystifying Horizontal Falls
    • Explore Aboriginal history and rock art as the Expedition Team leads exciting shore excursions off the beaten path to Raft Point and Bigge Island
    • Take off on a thrilling heli-tour of Mitchel Falls’ tumbling cataracts and pristine freshwater pools
    • Venture up the King George River in search of soaring canyons, hidden mangrove forests and the towering cascades of its awe-inspiring twin waterfalls
    • Soar over the distinctive beehive domes of the Outback’s iconic Bungle Bungle Range on a scenic fixed-wing flightseeing adventure
    • Enjoy a truly all-inclusive expedition, the A&K way — encompassing all excursions, meals, house drinks and onboard gratuities.

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