from $10,990 / per person twin share
August 2024
Cruise 18: 23 August – 7 September 2024. Download Itinerary
“We saw places and scenery which aren’t featured in any brochures but should be. We saw parts of the Kimberley which only an experienced crew, in a shallow draft vessel, with fit-for-purpose tenders, can get passengers in to see. Totally loved every minute and the crew were fabulous.”
Great Rivers Itinerary - Let's see where you are travelling!
After a night’s accommodation in Broome you will be picked up by a bus and transferred to Derby to board Discovery One. Enjoy a welcoming drink and a briefing by the Captain before you to settle in, become familiar with your surroundings and relax as we cruise to the top of King Sound and the start of the Buccaneer Archipelago. You are about to begin the journey of a lifetime!
Near the entrance to King Sound lies Silica Beach which boasts pure white sands and clear blue water. It’s the kind of beach one imagines should be found on an island paradise. It’s a lovely place to take a dip in the shallows.
Talbot Bay is home to the famous Horizontal Falls. The region's massive tides create a spectacular scene, sending huge volumes of water pouring through two narrow chasms in the land formation when the tides reach peak flow in both rising and falling conditions. With up to 10m of height difference between the waters of each of the two inland bays and the sea, water gushes through the two chasms creating a mass of whirlpools and raging currents. In Cyclone Creek, the incredible marine life includes impressive Tawny Nurse sharks which often come to greet Discovery One.
This 400 sq km reef can emerge up to 4m above the waterline at low tide, creating a visual spectacle of waterfalls and sea life. Several small islands dot the reef and support rich mangroves, crocodiles, turtles, birds and fish.
Further north is Sampson Inlet which leads into a monsoonal rainforest pocket with almost permanent fresh water. Many previous passengers have called this the most beautiful spot on the Kimberley coast. Keen photographers should remember their cameras!
Within Hanover Bay are the pristine sands of Hanover Beach. It is here, in 1838, where Lt. George Grey unloaded his Timor ponies and began the first land based expedition of North West Australia in search of the great inland sea. The journey soon ended when he was speared by Aborigines. Despite this, Lt Grey reported back positively describing the area as ‘lush and fertile’. This glowing report encouraged a group of optimistic farmers to establish a new settlement in Camden Harbour in 1864. This was a total disaster from the start. The ruins of that settlement, which lasted only 9 months, can still be seen and the graves of some of these tough pioneers can be found on nearby Sheep Island.
Within the St George Basin are two flat topped hills, Mt Trafalgar and Mt Waterloo, which provide a spectacular backdrop as you cruise to the mouth of the Prince Regent River. This river is the eroded remains of the longest single straight lineament in Australia, making it yet another geological wonder. Get your cameras ready as you experience some magnificent scenery, flora and fauna on our journey down this remote and pristine waterway, concluding at the majestic King Cascade Falls. This spectacular site is where American model, Ginger Meadows, was fatally attacked by a crocodile in 1987, a horror story which has been retold around the world. Keep an eye out for crocodiles as you view these magnificent falls which cascade over fern covered tiers in breathtaking splendour.
Prince Frederick Harbour lies within York Sound and it is here that we find the Roe and Hunter River estuaries. This area boasts sensational scenery, with cathedral-like gorges and eroded sandstone features such as the Indian Head at the entrance to the Hunter River.
Careening Bay is within the southern part of Nelson Bay where, in 1820, Phillip Parker King careened the vessel HMC 'Mermaid' for repairs whilst surveying the Australian coastline. His carpenter carved the vessel's name into an ancient boab tree which is still visible today.
Originally named Rulhieres Bay, Koolama Bay was re-named for the ill-fated 340ft vessel 'Koolama' that was attacked by the Japanese during WWII. After the attack she made her way into the Bay, dropped off her passengers and then travelled to Wyndham where she sank after another bombing raid.
The stunning red ochre cliffs bordering the Berkeley River dominate the scenery as we cruise through this magical region of beautiful waterfalls and freshwater pools. The Berkeley has extensive smaller creeks feeding into it and drains the Seppelt and Collison Ranges and Gardner Plateau.
It is here that the cruise concludes. A bus will be waiting to take you to Kununurra for a short tour and lunch prior to your afternoon flight to Darwin.
Something Extra…
This itinerary lists all the places you can reasonably expect to visit on your cruise between Derby and Wyndham. It is likely, however, that there will be additional places of interest visited on the actual cruise, time and tides allowing, which is why we prefer not to give you a day by day itinerary. The Captain aims to maximise the cruising experience for all passengers, so he will decide when and where he will take you during your 12 nights on the Kimberley coast. In this sense, every cruise is a little different and each passengers experience unique.