Top Kimberley Cruise Highlights

Get out onto the water to explore the enthralling Kimberley coastline. Cruise along the 12,000 kilometres of vibrant pindan cliffs through turquoise seas. Be amazed by the sea life, bird life and Aboriginal Art that you will see along the way. Feel small against the giant escarpments and the force of the 13 metre tides that have shaped the land and the sea. On the sea you get to access areas where roads can't lead.

Here are our top coastal highlights of a Kimberley cruise.

King George River and Falls

Cruise along Kalooma Bay and into the mighty King George River, dwarfed by the sandstone cliffs that tower 80 metres above the water. Here you will find the tallest single drop falls in Western Australia, the twin King George Falls drop over 50 metres into waters of 180 metre depth. The best and only way to see them, aside from a scenic flight.

Vanisttart Bay

A beautifully protected wide bay is home to the wreckage of the Douglas DC3 that had the misfortune to crash land there in 1942. Here, you can walk the salt planes to visit the wreckage. At Jar Island on the other side of the bay be intrigued by the site where Gwion Gwion rock art is coveted on this tiny island.

Bigge Island

Bigge Island, the second largest island in the Bonaparte Archipelago is a wildlife haven. Watch for trails of turtles and crocodile tracks on the sand. Free from feral predators, here you might see the smallest of the kangaroo group, the Monjon rock wallaby. Its natural labyrinth is a rock art gallery filled with traditional and Gwion Gwion Aboriginal art.

Naturalist Island

Cruise to the mouth of the Hunter River, to find Naturalist Island. If you are taking a helicopter excursion to Mitchell Falls, 20 minutes inland, this is where your helicopter will depart. Keep your eyes peeled for crocodiles at the mount of the river, the mangroves near the shoreline are the perfect habitat. Don’t be alarmed though, they disappear with the sound of the helicopters!

Horizontal Falls

The Kimberley’s amazing 13 metre tides have created many unique coastal scenes. The Horizontal Waterfalls was described as one of the greatest natural wonders in the world by Sir David Attenborough. As the water drains between the two chasms of the McLarty it rises higher on one side to create a waterfall effect in amongst the white water that eddies and whirlpools beneath.

Prince Frederick Harbour

Prince Frederick Harbour is another Kimberley beauty spot. Fed by the Roe and the Hunter Rivers islands, rainforest and mangroves are a feature. The huge escarpments that dwarf the Hunter River lead to mangroves, a habitat for saltwater crocodiles and home to vibrant coloured kingfishers and wading egrets of all sizes. See the white bellied eagle and various osprey seeking prey. At high tide shoals of fish swim in amongst the mangroves.

Careening Bay

The seafaring story harks back to Matthew Flinders, who first circumnavigated Australia. After his death, Captain Phillip Parker King led the HMC Mermaid on three journeys to the west coast to complete Flinders’ work. Famously, urgent repairs made in Careening Bay left a landmark. The heritage listed boab tree in which the name of the clipper is carved has stood the test of time, the rest however is history.

Montgomery Reef

Spoiler alert! Watch the tide disappear in a number of waterfalls before your eyes to reveal a plateau of vast lagoons, sand bars and sand islands and a central mangrove island. Take in the sound of water rushing and retreating in eddies and rapids to reveal Montgomery reef. You might see whales, dolphins, dugong, green turtles, manta rays and the black tipped reef shark patrolling the reef ledges.

Adele island

Lying in turquoise waters over a 100 kilometres from the Kimberley Coast is the pristine Adele Island. A highlight of many Kimberley cruises Adele Island is teeming with seabirds and shorebirds, who feed from the surrounding reef. It is a twitcher’s paradise. Adele Island is also a refuge for Humpback whales during their breeding season.

If you are wondering why you should cruise the Kimberley, these highlights will have helped you decide!