"Great Escape" Ultimate Kimberley14D13N

NOTE: This cruise also runs in reverse from Wyndham to Broome.

Your Great Escape begins at approximately 5:30pm, with a warm welcome aboard by your captain and crew. Enjoy a cold drink as you watch the sun dip below the horizon, while cruising past the famous Cable Beach, 22-kilometres (14mi) of pristine white sand edged by dunes and ochre red cliffs.

Your destination is the remote Cape Leveque on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome. This rugged and pristine slice of the Kimberley is famous for its Aboriginal heritage, which continues to thrive.

On your first full day aboard The Great Escape, cruise across the vast Yampi Sound and through the thousand islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago. This remote area consists of some 800-1,000 rocky islands with small embayments and secluded white sandy beaches. Tide permitting, you can collect some delicious Kimberley rock oysters for the evening entrée. Then, it is on to your first freshwater swim under a spectacular waterfall.

Back onboard, relax and enjoy the afternoon cruise through the Koolan Island Gap, weaving past many little islands on the way to Dugong Bay.

Start your day with a picturesque walk along a rainforest trail to a tranquil rock pool for a refreshing swim.

Continue on to Talbot Bay, home to one of Kimberley Coast’s most famous icons, the Horizontal Falls. Described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world”, this unique “sideways” waterfall is formed by fast moving tidal currents squeezing between two narrow gorges. The tidal ranges in this area can exceed 10-metres (33ft) and the direction of the flow reverses ensuring the water flows two different ways each day. Take a tender for an up close and exhilarating ride through this natural phenomenon or get the ultimate bird’s eye view with a scenic heli flight.

In the afternoon, take a scenic cruise through the Kingfisher Islands to Doubtful Bay. Nearby Raft Point and Steep Island are known for their ancient red rock walls and pebble beaches. Disembark and walk up to the caves on the hill to find some of the best preserved Wandjina art in the Kimberley. From the top of the hill, take a moment to admire the sunset before returning to the vessel.

Spend your day exploring Doubtful Bay and surrounds. Try your luck fishing for the legendary Barramundi at “Three Ways” or cool off with a swim under waterfalls and in gorgeous waterholes.

In the afternoon, cruise up the Sale River for a swim in the spring-fed rainforest pools. You will also have the opportunity to view more Aboriginal rock art.

Pay a visit to Montgomery Reef, the world’s largest inshore reef. Take a tender to witness an astonishing marine spectacle as the reef is transformed by some of the biggest tidal changes on Earth. When the tide falls, the coral reef appears to rise from the ocean in a torrent of cascading water and a plethora of marine life makes its escape – manta rays, octopuses, reef sharks turtles and even dugongs and dolphins. You will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the reef from the air thanks to the onboard helicopter (own cost).

In the afternoon, call into the mysterious cove at Langii to visit the “Petrified Soldiers”. Local Aboriginal legend states the sandstone pillars at this sacred site represent warriors killed in a Dreamtime battle between the land Wandjinas and an important Sea Wandjina named Namarali.  

Start your day with a visit to Camden Harbour and Sheep Island, the scene of a 19th century sheep farming fiasco by early European settlers. Because the area is so rarely visited, it is almost a time capsule – you can actually see the original outline of the camp, which failed miserably and was abandoned in less than 2 years.

Continue on through Port George and Treachery Passage to Saint George Basin, a deep harbour bounded by steep cliffs with large expanses of mangroves and tidal mudflats. Your crew will point out major Kimberley features such as Mount Trafalgar and Mount Waterloo as you enter the Prince Regent River, one of Australia’s straightest rivers.

After lunch, head up Camp Creek, where the freshwater meets salt. Crocodiles are common in the creek and are sometimes seen in the first billabong, surrounded by paperbark trees, lilies and marsh-warts. This is also a great site for bird watchers. Take time to complete a walk to find 2 magnificent pools that end in a series of waterfalls. 

Leaving the vista of mighty Mt Trafalgar and Mt Waterloo, cruise up the Prince Regent River, marvelling at the pristine waterway that cuts through sandstone cliffs and gorges. Your destination is King Cascade, a spectacular terraced waterfall that is inaccessible to larger cruise ships. Make sure to stand on the front deck for a refreshing Kimberley-style shower beneath the falls before climbing to the top for a swim in the enticing crystal-clear pool.

In the afternoon, cruise out of Prince Regent River to Careening Bay, site of the historic Mermaid Tree.

In the morning, pay a visit to the historic Mermaid Tree, first visited in 1820 by Phillip Parker King and his ship Mermaid. During the 10 days it took to complete maintenance of Mermaid, the ship’s carpenter visited the Boab tree and carved “HMC Mermaid 1820” into the trunk. Nearly 200 years later, the lettering has grown to 12-metres high.

In the afternoon, take a tender to explore the Hunter River, famous for its two large waterfalls and the spectacular rock formation at its mouth. Keep an eye out for crocodiles and flying foxes while you soak up the serenity.

Cruise north to Wuuyuru (Bigge Island), a large broken sandstone island famous for its amazing galleries of Aboriginal rock art. Both Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) and Wandjina art is present in the island’s coastal caves. Potentially up to 50,000 years old, the Gwion Gwion images are possibly the oldest images known to man. As you explore the galleries, keep an eye out for wildlife including Monjon rock wallabies and Northern Quoll.

In the afternoon, cruise around Cape Voltaire into the Bonaparte Archipelago, the remote northern sister of the Buccaneer Archipelago where your adventure began. Make your way through the incredible maze of islands, inlets, rivers and peninsulas to the Mitchell River, the source of the magnificent Mitchell Falls.

Delve deeper into the Mitchell River and try your luck fishing for Barramundi.

After lunch, indulge in a freshwater swim in Surveyors Creek or take to the air for a bird’s eye view of the iconic, 4-tiered Mitchell Falls. Look down and see sheer sunburnt cliffs and millions of litres of water cascading from one emerald green pool to the next. 

Depart at sunset for Vansittart Bay, where you will find many islands in close proximity as well as many beautiful beaches and coves surrounded by the glistening aqua waters of the Timor Sea.  

Spend your day exploring the beautiful beaches and coves of Vansittart Bay.

With your guides, explore remarkable Gwion Gwion Aboriginal rock art galleries estimated to be up to 20,000 years old. You may also find traces of old jars brought to the Island by Macassan fishermen harvesting sea cucumbers (hence the Island’s English name: Jar Island).

Close by, on the Anjo Peninsula, lies the skeleton of a US Air Force C-53 Sky Trooper aircraft, which veered off course and crash landed on the Island on its way to Perth in 1942. Luckily, all on board lived to tell the tale – they were rescued by a Qantas Flying Boat! 

In the late afternoon, cruise around Cape Londonderry, the northernmost point of Western Australia.  

At high tide, cross the sand bars of the King George River for an unforgettable cruise along this cathedral-like gorge. The breathtaking scenery culminates in the mighty King George Falls, a dual waterfall that has an uninterrupted vertical drop of more than 80-metres (262ft), making it one of the tallest waterfalls in Western Australia. 

Cruise right up to the base of the twin falls for a refreshing ‘shower’, Kimberley style. Intrepid adventurers may also climb to the top of the Falls for spectacular views of the river below, followed by a refreshing dip to cool off.

Overnight, anchor just metres away from the falls, with an extraordinary view and tranquil sounds from the bow.

Spend the day cruising the Berkeley River, taking in the ancient sandstone escarpments and cascading waterfalls.

Try your hand fishing for barramundi or take a tender excursion with knowledgeable guides to go birdwatching or crocodile spotting. Marvel at the Amphitheatre falls and then cool off in a tranquil freshwater swimming hole. 

In the afternoon, cruise back down the river, where the fresh water meets the salt water. The freshwater swimming holes found in this part of the river have fun rapids to play in, as well as plenty of opportunities for estuary fishing. Kick back with a sundowner on the deck and savour your last evening.

Arrive into Wyndham Port early morning. Enjoy your last breakfast on board before saying farewell to your crew. Transfers to either your accommodation or to the airport can be arranged as you disembark.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.