Kimberley Cruise with Top End Treasures, Remote Island Flora & Birdlife

You will be met at Darwin Airport and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner this evening, meeting your Botanical Guide and fellow travellers.

This morning, visit the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, renowned for their impressive collection of northern Australian and tropical plant species. Enjoy a guided tour of the gardens, including a visit to the thriving community garden, which features 29 individual plots for local residents who may not have space to grow their own produce at home. This inspiring initiative enables community members to cultivate seasonal vegetables and tropical fruits in a sustainable and rewarding environment. 

Following lunch, explore the fascinating exhibits at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, home to internationally acclaimed artistic, cultural and natural history collections. A guided tour will provide deeper insight into the museum’s diverse displays and the stories behind them. 

This evening, head to the festive Mindil Beach Sunset Market, one of Darwin’s most popular attractions. Soak up the vibrant atmosphere as you browse an eclectic range of stalls, watch the spectacular sunset over the Timor Sea, and purchase dinner at your leisure from the market’s many international food vendors.

This morning travel to a private garden of a talented local artist who treats us to an exploration of her garden and studio. From here, continue to the fascinating Magnetic Termite Mounds, one of the Top End’s most remarkable natural phenomena, before exploring the stunning landscapes of Litchfield National Park. Discover cascading waterfalls, extensive bushland and dramatic escarpments as you explore one of the Northern Territory’s most celebrated natural attractions. Enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by the park’s spectacular scenery and take advantage of the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in one of Litchfield’s natural swimming areas. This afternoon, relax as you travel back to Darwin, reflecting on a day filled with art, nature and unforgettable Top End experiences.

This morning, step back in time during a guided tour of Burnett House, one of Darwin’s most treasured heritage homes. Discover the fascinating stories behind this unique residence and National Trust property, which showcases how life was lived in the Top End during the 1930s. We also visit an award-winning private home and garden, thoughtfully designed to work in harmony with Darwin’s climate and environmental conditions. Explore its innovative features and beautifully landscaped grounds while learning about sustainable living in the tropics. We then transfer to our expedition ship, Heritage Adventurer, which we call home for the following nine nights. Get to know your fellow travellers during a relaxed dinner on board this evening.

Having cruised westward, we arrive in Koolama Bay this morning. Join a Zodiac cruise along the King George River. Pass by towering red cliffs while learning about the area’s mangrove forests and their influence on the environment as a keystone species. The forests’ elevated and arching prop roots act as both anchors and filters, enabling them to survive in this salty, cyclone-prone environment. Arriving at the magnificent King George Falls, we watch as the King George River plunges 80 metres from the soaring sandstone cliffs above. Our Zodiac gradually moves closer to the falls, allowing us to better appreciate their force.

Reaching Vansittart Bay today, we disembark and explore its stunning surrounds. Venturing out across the salt flats, we see a US Air Force C-53 plane, which crash landed here in 1942, during World War II. We may also catch a glimpse of one of the region’s famous boab trees, or perhaps a few Livistona palms or a Kimberley rose.

Arrive today at the remote Ashmore Reef Marine Park. Take a Zodiac tour of this seabird haven, where up to 100,000 birds breed each year. Beneath the surface of the area’s clear tropical waters lie coral reefs and seagrass meadows. Seagrass meadows are among Earth’s most important carbon sinks, as well as providing a food source for dugongs. They are also the only flowering plant that lives out its life cycle completely submerged within a marine environment. Ashmore Reef is home to a colourful array of marine life, including 255 species of reef building coral, the greatest number of any reef on the Western Australian coast.

A labyrinth of islands, inlets and peninsulas awaits us today within Swift Bay. Witness the galleries of ancient Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) rock art, estimated to have been created between 5,000 and 13,000 years ago. The remarkable artwork can be seen in caves near the water’s edge. Across the surrounding landscape, giant rocks have created sheltered microclimates for rock figs and other rainforest plants to grow within. Tough spinifex grasses dominate the surfaces of other, more exposed sites. Should you wish to gain a greater perspective, take to the skies aboard a helicopter (additional expense). A bird’s-eye view of the Mitchell Plateau, with its tiered waterfalls, is sure to delight.

Explore the lush mangrove ecosystems of Prince Frederick Harbour today. Surrounded by impressive red sandstone cliffs, the area harbours an array of wildlife species, including saltwater crocodiles, mudskippers, kingfishers, and white-bellied sea eagles. Aboard a Zodiac, discover the wonders of the Hunter River, passing striking rock formations and the idyllic Naturalists Island.

Aboard a Zodiac, witness Montgomery Reef dramatically rising from the ocean, a result of the region’s powerful tides. Cruise the narrow channels between the world’s largest inshore reef, keeping watch for the appearance of the exposed reef, as well as turtles, fish and reef birds, as a vast volume of water cascades over the rock. Continue cruising through Doubtful Bay, looking out for whales, which are commonly seen here during this time of year. At Freshwater Cove, join an Aboriginal guide for a look at an ancient Wandjina rock art site.

Continue exploring the Kimberley today, boarding Zodiacs in Talbot Bay. It’s here that we witness extraordinary Horizontal Falls, whose powerful tidal currents force their way through two narrow channels between sheer sandstone walls. Further discoveries include Cyclone Creek, whose waters take us past more remarkable sandstone formations, sculpted over millennia. Be on the lookout for the region’s amazing wildlife, including white-bellied sea eagles and striated heron.

Set out in a Zodiac today for a guided tour of the spectacular Lacepede Islands. The islands have been designated as an Important Bird Area, for their abundance of marine birds. They are also the site of Western Australia’s most important green sea turtle breeding habitat. The four islands are also havens for a variety of other marine species, including manta rays, dolphins and humpback whales. Our ship then proceeds to the Buccaneer Archipelago, a cluster of more than 800 islands, home to an extensive range of marine species, birds and reptiles. Turn your attention to the higher ridges along some of the islands to see the chalky white trunks of Kimberley ghost gums.

Arrive in Broome this morning, where we disembark Heritage Adventurer. A transfer to the airport signals the end of our tour.