Kimberley and Top End with Kimberley Coastal Expedition

Today, we’ll meet you at the airport before welcoming you aboard your expedition ship. The Seabourn Pursuit is the newest and most luxurious ship on the Kimberley Coast, boasting incredible facilities, delectable dining options and personalised service. You might like to admire the views from the panoramic balcony of your spacious suite, sip champagne on the outdoor deck, take a dip in the infinity pool or share stories of your adventures with your newfound friends in one of the luxurious shared spaces. A relaxed dinner this evening gives you the chance to meet your fellow travellers and sets the tone for the next nine nights on board.

The Lacepede Islands are Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) and have been named by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The breeding colony of Brown Boobies is possibly the largest in the world. Up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here. Join your Expedition Team for a guided Zodiac tour to view the prolific wildlife. There’s further promise of turquoise waters this afternoon as your ship arrives in the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to more than 800 islands. This evening, enjoy a captain’s welcome dinner.

Explore Talbot Bay and Cyclone Creek. Accompanied by your Expedition Team Leader, you’ll weave nimbly past the dramatic folds of rock formations, keeping a look out for local wildlife.

Signature Experience – Horizontal Falls

Today, your ship cruises to Talbot Bay, known for its massive 12-metre tides that create the unique Horizontal Falls. Subject to tidal conditions, board a Zodiac with your Expedition Team to view this natural phenomenon up close.

Today, visit Freshwater Cove and Montgomery Reef, where you will enjoy two Signature Experiences.

Signature Experience – Arraluli Heritage Exploration

Experience a Welcome to Country and an immersive smoking ceremony conducted by the Arraluli people, the traditional custodians of the land. Then, embark on a guided hike led by the Expedition Team to explore a mesmerising rock art site where your Aboriginal guide will offer an interpretation of the rock art. This Signature Experience offers a profound connection to the rich cultural heritage and timeless traditions of the Arraluli people.

Signature Experience – Montgomery Reef

Following your visit to Freshwater Cove, depart with your Expedition Team to discover Montgomery Reef by Zodiac. Soak in the amazing scenes as Montgomery Reef dramatically rises out of the ocean as a result of the region’s strong tides. Cruise through narrow channels between the world’s largest inshore reef as you admire the spectacle, and the incredible wildlife exposed by the cascading water.

Venture to Prince Frederick Harbour today, home to the towering red cliffs and tangled mangroves of Hunter River and Porosus Creek. With its extreme tides and pristine ecosystems, the harbour and its waterways are rich in wildlife including mudskippers and saltwater crocodiles. Porosus Creek takes its name from the scientific name for the saltwater crocodile, a good indication of what we’re looking for today. Keen birdwatchers should keep a careful eye out for kingfishers, egrets, herons and white-bellied sea eagles. To enhance your day, you might choose to set out on a thrilling helicopter flight to see Mitchell Falls in all its splendour from above.

Enrich Your Experience – Mitchell Falls Scenic Helicopter Flight

Soar over the incredible and breathtaking Mitchell Falls on a scenic helicopter flight experience (additional expense).

Enjoy a relaxed morning aboard your luxurious ship. This afternoon, pay a special visit to Ashmore Reef Marine Park. Located in the Timor Sea and spanning 583 square kilometres, the reef is a sanctuary for many marine species. Every year, more than 100,000 seabirds breed here, including crested terns, white-tailed tropicbirds and great frigatebirds. In addition to the prolific birdlife, beneath the clear tropical waters, the coral reefs, seagrass meadows, sandflats and lagoons of Ashmore Reef are home to a colourful array of marine life. 255 species of reef-building coral dwell here – the greatest number of any reef on the West Australian coast. Our visit to Ashmore Reef is required to ensure we comply with Australian government regulations. Pending favourable weather and sea conditions, you’ll explore this sanctuary via Zodiac with your Expedition Team.

This morning, join your Expedition Team on an intriguing discovery. Walk across salt flats to view the wreckage of a US Air Force C-53, which crash-landed near Vansittart Bay during World War II. Later, we reposition in the bay to visit Jar Island and discover the island’s outstanding rock art gallery. During your exploration here, you’ll see fascinating examples of Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) paintings, dating back more than 20,000 years.

Today, your ship cruises into Koolama Bay. Learn about how this bay was renamed following the Japanese bombing of the MV Koolama in 1942. Afterwards, join your Expedition Team aboard a Zodiac to meander through King George River’s gorge system, passing mangrove-fringed coves and sheer red cliffs.

Signature Experience – King George Falls

Get up close and personal to the magnificent King George Falls, where the King George River tumbles 80 metres down from lofty sandstone cliffs. You’ll be able to experience its power as your Zodiac creeps close to the iconic waterfall.

Today, enjoy a relaxed day at sea as your ship makes its way towards Darwin, arriving in the evening. Take advantage of the ultra-luxurious features of your ship: perhaps relax by the pool with a glass of champagne, indulge on delicious made-to-order sushi or 24-hour in-suite dining, or attend an informative lecture hosted by your expert Expedition team.

After breakfast on board, disembark in Darwin and be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy free time and explore Darwin at your leisure, before gathering for dinner this evening.

Depart Darwin and travel across the sweeping wetlands of the Marrakai Plains to Kakadu National Park. Visit the sacred site of Ubirr and explore its galleries of ancient Indigenous rock art. The magnificent rock faces have been continuously painted and repainted since 40,000BC, with most created approximately 2,000 years ago.

With a local guide, cross the East Alligator River into spiritual Arnhem Land to experience the natural beauty of the region. Later, return to Kakadu and enjoy the art and billabongs of Cannon Hill and Hawk Dreaming.

Travel to stunning Kakadu, the Northern Territory’s best known national park. Cruise the famous Yellow Water Billabong. Here, wildlife abounds and local a guide will give you great insights into how the Bininj people use the flora and fauna to support their way of life. Later travel to Katherine and enjoy canapés and drinks at the beautiful Cicada Lodge, before indulging in an exceptional gourmet three-course meal.

Head to the beautiful Nitmiluk National Park, before boarding an unforgettable cruise through the spectacular Katherine Gorge. Discover the music, stories and ways of the local Jawoyn people as you learn about their spiritual culture.

Travel to the majestic Lake Argyle, the largest man-made lake in the Southern Hemisphere. Join a spectacular wildlife cruise on the mighty Ord River. From a modern shaded vessel, discover a fascinating ecological system that has developed from the damming of the Ord River at two locations to create an area rich in wildlife, flora and undeniable beauty.

Travel to the World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park, home to the Bungle Bungle Range. Hike to Echidna Chasm, a spectacular natural cleft in the rock. Your accommodation for the next two nights is at APT's luxury Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge, boasting outstanding access to the spectacular beehive domes of the Bungle Bungle Range, Picaninny Creek, Echidna Chasm and Cathedral Gorge. The lodge features comfortable tented cabins with a private en suite with hot water and a flushing toilet, as well as a private deck to sit and admire the scenery of the surrounding bush. Who says you have to compromise on comfort out in the wilderness?

Explore the magic of Purnululu for yourself and discover the depth of the Bungle Bungle Range. Created by the constant erosion of river movements over 20 million years, the range has both geological and Indigenous cultural significance. Start with a walk along Piccaninny Creek, before stopping at Cathedral Gorge. 

Signature Experience – Sunset Drinks at the Bungle Bungle Range   

There's no better way to end a day of discovery than by watching the sunset over the Bungle Bungle Range. With a glass of sparkling in hand, see the massive beehive-shaped domes cast in a golden glow at this time of day. 

Enrich Your Experience – Bungle Bungle Helicopter Flight 

Experience breathtaking views of World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park from above on a scenic helicopter flight. (own expense)

Farewell the Bungle Bungle Range and travel towards El Questro, a million-acre cattle station in the heart of the Kimberley. Spend two nights immersed in this breathtaking, ancient landscape.

Enrich Your Experience – Upgrade Your Stay

Upgrade your stay at El Questro with an all-inclusive two-night stay at The Homestead, a secluded oasis perched above the Chamberlain River. Be treated to a stay defined by exceptional dining, curated experiences, and access to some of El Questro's most breathtaking landscapes.

This morning hike to Emma Gorge where you'll be rewarded with a swim beneath a towering droplet waterfall. Enjoy lunch, before relaxing at Zebedee Springs. Enjoy dinner this evening back at Emma Gorge Resort.

Signature Experience – Zebedee Springs

Venture through a pre-historic forest of Livistona and pandanus palms before arriving at a true oasis, Zebedee Springs. This permanent natural thermal spring is tucked away in a secluded pocket of El Questro’s wilderness. Enjoy time to relax as you soak in the hot springs and leave feeling refreshed. 

Journey along the Gibb River Road to APT's luxury Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge. Enjoy the facilities of the lodge’s Ungolan Pavilion, where you can relax in the lounge, treat yourself to a drink or read up on the local culture.

Discover Mitchell Falls, a true highlight of your Kimberley adventure. Where possible, a local Indigenous guide will join you, providing a unique insight into the region. Begin with a hike to Little Mertens Falls to view rare Aboriginal art. Continue on to Big Mertens Falls before arriving at Mitchell Falls.

Signature Experience – Mitchell Falls Scenic Helicopter Flight

Set out on a thrilling helicopter flight to see Mitchell Falls in all its splendour from above. By gaining a bird’s-eye view of this remote region, you’ll not only see this iconic four-tiered Kimberley attraction, but also the surrounding gorges, emerald water pools, and soaring red cliffs.

Re-join the Kalumburu Road and travel to Drysdale River Station.

Signature Experience – Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) Rock Art

Admire ancient Wandjina and Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) rock art that dates back thousands of years at a gallery in Mitchell Plateau. This artwork stakes a claim as some of the earliest figurative art, distinguished by its depiction of stick-like human figures.

Journey to the beautiful Manning Creek where you can spot local birdlife as you enjoy lunch in the shade of a gum tree. Continue to Galvans Gorge, where a short walk leads to a picturesque waterhole. Admire the rock art adorning the gorge walls or indulge in a leisurely swim.

Back on the Gibb River Road, travel to Bell Gorge, where stunning cliffs surround a series of tiered waterholes. Sitting approximately 300 metres above sea level, Bell Gorge is an idyllic natural spot for swimming and photography. Here you can also enjoy a spot of bird-watching. Should you be feeling particularly energetic, you may take the opportunity to hike to the lower pool of the gorge and enjoy a relaxing dip below the cascading waterfall.

Journey to Windjana Gorge, where cliffs tower above white sands, before continuing on to Broome. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner and say farewell to your fellow travellers.

Be transferred to Broome Airport for your flight home.