"Coral Expeditions" Torres Strait & Cape York (Cairns - Horn Island or Reverse) 11D10N

All aboard Coral Discoverer for the adventure of a lifetime. Boarding commences at 4:00pm in Cairns, where there is time to settle into your stateroom before the 5:00pm departure. Take time to familiarise yourself with all the facilities onboard before meeting your fellow travellers, the Captain and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks as you sail northwards.

Come ashore in historic Cooktown, the site of the first ‘white’ settlement in Australia when Captain James Cook, having struck the Great Barrier Reef off the coast north of Cape Tribulation, beached Endeavour to effect repairs in 1770.

While in Cooktown, learn the history of the Guugu Yimithirr, the first people of this ancient country; discover recent European history with a visit to the James Cook Museum, where the story of Cook’s landing is told from an Aboriginal perspective and where artefacts are on display; and wander through the rare flora collection at the Botanic Gardens.

In the afternoon, enjoy a scenic walk to the top of Grassy Hill (162-metres/531ft). The 360-degree views of the town, river and ocean are wonderful, especially at sunset.

Spend the day exploring Lizard Island, which actress Kate Hudson famously referred to as “the most romantic place on Earth”. The stark, rugged beauty of the Island, rising 359-metres above sea level, contrasts sharply with the sparkling blue waters and surrounding fringing reefs.

Hike to the summit of Cook’s Look and enjoy the same view Lt. James Cook did when searching for safe passage through the maze of coral reefs. Snorkel over giant clam gardens from the beach at Watson’s Bay, relax on the white-sand beach beneath the shady sheoak trees and learn about the tragic tale of Mary Watson, who died of thirst near the Island at just 21-years-old.

There may be an opportunity to visit the Lizard Island Research Station, a coral reef research facility owned and operated by the Australian Museum. The major island-based research facility on the Great Barrier Reef, this research station attracts researchers from around the world – with approximately 100 projects annually.

Spend the day exploring Osprey Reef, the summit of an undersea 2,000-metre mountain located beyond the continental shelf with no landmass visible. Sir David Attenborough once referred to this reef as “an oasis for living creatures of all kinds”.

Immerse yourself in one of the world’s best tropical dive sites. Snorkel, dive or swim among breathtaking corals, plummeting drop offs and crystalline waters and look out for rare, beautiful and strange marine life including schools of trevally, giant potato cod, green turtles, moray eels, octopuses, and a variety of shark. If you’re lucky, you might even spy the sea toad, previously only found in South America.

Come ashore on Stanley Island. Located at the tip of Cape Melville, Stanley Island is an integral part of the mythological complex of the Flinders Group. With a local Indigenous guide, explore spectacular rock art sites, the best known being the huge Yintayin rock shelter (Tindale’s “Endaen”) known as the “Ship” rock shelter. The rock art walls of the Ship shows ships from a number of nations, painted in red and white ochre on the red sandstone. Some construe the images of European vessels with high sterns to be 16th or 17th (Portuguese) ships.

In the afternoon, venture over to Davies Reef, one of the few reefs inside the Great Barrier Reef that has its own Automatic Weather Station (AWS). The diving here is excellent with many different sites: walls, deep gutters and huge pinnacles.

Enjoy snorkelling or glass bottom boat tours over the vibrant fringing reef, or stroll on the cay and observe the resident Brown Boobie colony.

Spend the day exploring Wuthara Island. Wander through the national park and explore pink granite headlands and grasslands dotted with resilient termite mounts. Keep an eye out for abundant birdlife including white-bellied sea eagles, pied imperial pigeons and black naped terns. The beach stone curlew is especially vulnerable. In the water, spend time swimming, snorkeling and diving or take a glass bottom boat tour. You will also hear the story of beche-de-mer fisherman Frederick Lancaster, who inhabited this Island and visit his gravesite. There is also an opportunity to go beachcombing at a nearby remote island, possibly Magra, Saunders, or Sir Charles Hardy.

Next, pay a visit to Ma’alpiku Island, or ‘Resto’ as it is also known. Here Captain Bligh, of the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty, made his first landfall after a long ocean crossing from Tonga in May 1789. He named it Restoration Island because the food they found (native fruits and oysters) greatly restored their spirits and because that date was Oak Apple Day, the anniversary of the restoration of King Charles II (in 1660).

Today, Ma’alpiku is not just a national park; one third of the Island is leased to David Glasheen, a former mining tycoon, who, after losing his fortune in the 1997 Black Friday stock market crash, walked away from his life and became Australia’s real-life Robinson Crusoe. If you’re lucky, you might bump into David as you explore the idyllic coast and shark-tooth shaped beach spit.

In the morning, explore historical sites at Possession Island, Albany Island and Somerset. Possession Island is famous as the place where Captain Cook claimed ‘possession’ of the entire East Coast, while Albany Island was surveyed very early in the region’s history. After an inspection by Queensland’s Governor at the time, a settlement was planned for the Island, however, it was built instead on the adjacent mainland in 1863 at Somerset, the northernmost locality on the Cape York Peninsula.

In the evening, enjoy a refreshing drink as the sunsets on the northernmost point of the Australian mainland continent.

Spend the day exploring Badu Island, 60-kilometres (37mi) north of Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. Badu Island once had a feared reputation as an island of head-hunters, with warfare, turtle and dugong hunting the main occupations of the Indigenous men until the 1870s. Been 1870 and the late 1950s, the Island was a hub for pearlers, however, once the shell trade declined, many people moved to the mainland for work.

Today, you will visit an Indigenous art centre to watch local printmakers at work, with the opportunity to purchase prints that catch your eye. You will then enjoy traditional kai kai (traditional lunch) prepared by the local community – a feast of locally caught fish, curried fish and crayfish. Spend the afternoon swimming at the local beach, hosted by traditional owners.

Spend the day exploring Moa Island, 40-kilometres (25mi) north of Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. The Island has two towns, Kubin on the south-west coast and St Pauls on the east coast, which are connected by a bitumen and gravel road.

With your guides, visit a local art centre and join in print, weaving and jewellery making workshops with local artists. Watch a traditional dance performance and listen to the entrancing harmonies of the local singers.

Immerse yourself in Waiben (Thursday) Island, the administrative centre of the Torres Strait. It is believed the Island got its English name from Captain Bligh, who sailed past it on a Thursday.

Join a fascinating tour of the Island to learn about its pearling history and multicultural influences. You will visit the Green Hill Fort and the cannons that once guarded the Island’s main approaches and have ample time to discover the Island’s other must-see sights including the Torres Strait Historical Museum (located in an underground tunnel) and the Gab Titui Cultural Centre, home to an array of historical artefacts and contemporary Indigenous art.

All good things must come to an end! After breakfast, say farewell to the crew and disembark in Darwin at 8:30am to commence your onward journey.

NOTE: The itinerary is indicative. No two expedition cruises will be the same, with each expedition crafted by the experienced Masters and Expedition Leaders. Throughout the expedition we may make changes to the itinerary as necessary to maximise your expeditionary experience. Allowances may be made for seasonal variations, weather, tidal conditions and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel. We suggest that you do not arrive on the day of embarkation or depart on the day of disembarkation due to any changes that may occur in scheduling.