Along the wild Kimberley coast

Day 1: Start of the trip in Darwin

This afternoon, you will board the Heritage Adventurer in Darwin Harbor. Darwin is the "gateway to the north" of Australia and is synonymous with a relaxed, tropical, outdoor lifestyle. The city is also known for its beautiful natural harbor and as a World War II site.

The captain and expedition team will welcome you upon arrival and accompany you to your cabin. Once you have familiarized yourself with the ship, the expedition team will present the itinerary for the coming days. You will then make your way to the Observation Lounge or Observation Deck as your ship sets course for the Kimberley region.

Day 3: Vansittart Bay

Beautiful islands, pristine white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and hidden coves —all this awaits you in Vansittart Bay. But this impressive sheltered bay has even more to offer: 

Named after a British diplomat by early explorer Rear Admiral Philip Parker King, the bay is lined with bizarrely shaped sandstone monoliths. It is also the final resting place of a well-preserved wreck of a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) from World War II. The aircraft had to make an emergency landing on a salt lake after running out of fuel during a humanitarian evacuation mission of four Dutch civilians from Java.

A cultural highlight awaits you on Jar Island: nestled among caves and rock formations are the impressive open-air galleries of Gwion Gwion rock paintings. Many of these detailed works of art, located under rock ledges and on cave walls, are up to 40,000 years old —and exceptionally well preserved thanks to their natural protective cover.

The island is also home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including the golden-backed tree rat, the echidna, and numerous bird species.

Day 5: Bigge Island & Careening Bay

Today, you will discover ancient Aboriginal rock art on Bigge Island and the historic Mermaid Boab Tree, a witness to Australia's history of exploration. 

The baobab tree, which is now around three meters wide, became famous during Philip Parker King's third expedition in 1820: at that time, the survey ship HMC Mermaid was stranded at this location for urgent repairs, and the crew carved the name of the ship into the bark. This inscription is still visible today. The tree is now a national heritage site and offers valuable insight into Australia's colonial past.

Behind the tree is an old Islamic prayer niche used by Makassan traders, providing further evidence of early intercultural encounters in northern Australia.

Afterwards, explore the almost surreal sandstone coastline of York Sound with its enormous sea caves and fascinating wildlife. It is not uncommon for visitors to be left speechless by the unspoiled beauty of this place.

Day 7: Hunter River

As you explore the Hunter River today, you will quickly understand why this 30-kilometer winding waterway is one of the absolute highlights of the Kimberley coast.

Hidden in the northeastern corner of the mighty Prince Frederick Harbor Bay lies a paradise-like landscape: scattered islands, mangrove-lined river branches, savanna forests, lush monsoon rainforest, and towering red cliffs create an epic scene. At the mouth of the bay, the majestic 200-meter-high Kampamantiya sandstone massif welcomes you to this almost surreal landscape.

Fed by the two 90-meter-high waterfalls of the Hunter and Donkin Rivers, the Hunter River supplies one of the largest and most pristine mangrove systems in the world.

On a Zodiac tour along the coast, keep an eye out for wildlife, including white-bellied sea eagles, osprey, great-billed herons, reef herons, red-headed honeyeaters, blue-spotted mudskippers, and violin crabs. The Kimberley's largest population of saltwater crocodiles also lives here.

Another highlight is a detour to Naturaliste Island (Wunumpurramarra) with its 300-meter-long shell beach.

You also have the option of experiencing the legendary Mitchell Falls on a helicopter tour. Only from the air can you admire this famous four-tiered waterfall system in all its glory.

The flight also includes a landing on the breathtaking Mitchell Plateau, one of Australia's most scenic and ecologically significant regions with striking sandstone formations.

Day 10: Lacepede Islands

Today you will explore the Lacepede Islands. Designated a nature reserve in 1970, these four inconspicuous islands off the northwest coast of Western Australia consist of small, flat sand and coral rubble banks on a plateau reef.

BirdLife International has recognized the islands as an "Important Bird Area" because they are home to what is believed to be the world's largest breeding colony of brown boobies, with up to 18,000 breeding pairs. The islands are also the most important breeding area for green sea turtles in Western Australia.

Other inhabitants of this unique island world include roseate terns, masked boobies, Australian pelicans, Rüppell's terns, reef herons, herring gulls, brown noddies, ariel frigatebirds, and sooty oystercatchers.

The islands are regularly visited by migratory birds such as gray-tailed sandpipers, whimbrels, bar-tailed godwits, turnstones, and red knots.

Landings are not permitted here, but Zodiac trips along the coastlines of the islands are planned.

With a little luck, you may also spot humpback whales, which regularly pass through this coastal region during their migration north in winter and early spring.