Ship Expedition into the Mysterious World of the Aboriginal People (2027/2028)

starting at 14.980 €

In the early afternoon, you’ll arrive in the port city of Darwin and receive a warm welcome at the airport. Afterward, you’ll relax after your journey at your comfortable hotel right on the waterfront. You’ll spend the next two nights in Darwin at this comfortable hotel. (A

Today you’ll travel to Kakadu National Park, which spans 20,000 km² and is one of Australia’s most fascinating places and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to one of the world’s most beautiful and extensive collections of rock art—a testament to how long the Indigenous people’s connection to this region has lasted. Sandstone plateaus, red cliffs, roaring waterfalls and rivers, floodplains, and the coastline are home to giant crocodiles, flying foxes, dingoes, kangaroos, wallabies, and other marsupials and prey animals. On your drive through the national park, admire Aboriginal rock art dating back over 20,000 years at Ubirr Rock and Nourlangie Rock. Keep an eye out for dangerous saltwater crocodiles, kookaburras, bar-headed geese, jabirus, and sea eagles during your boat trip on the Yellow Water. (F)

In the morning, your comfortable expedition ship, the Coral Adventurer, will be waiting for you at the port of Darwin. After a warm welcome on board, it won’t be long before we set sail! Your ship will head out onto the Timor Sea, which separates Australia from Indonesia. Since this voyage is a true expedition and depends on landing permits from the Indigenous communities, there may be changes to the itinerary. On Bathurst Island in the Tiwi Archipelago, you’ll set foot on Aboriginal land for the first time and be greeted with a welcome ceremony. What is daily life like for one of the world’s oldest cultures in modern Australia, and what is its status? Your local Tiwi guides will provide some initial answers. Due to treacherous ocean currents, art and culture in the Tiwi Archipelago developed in isolation from the mainland. After admiring the colorful bark paintings, sculptures, and woven baskets, treat yourself to Billy Tea and Damper—a traditional afternoon tea with simple, unleavened bread. For the next eleven nights, you’ll stay in your cabin aboard the Coral Adventurer. (FMA)

By now, your ship has reached the northernmost tip of the Northern Territory. You’ll go ashore on the Cobourg Peninsula and explore Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. Only a few Aboriginal families live in the swamps, eucalyptus forests, palm groves, and mangroves. In 1838, British soldiers founded the settlement of Victoria here, which was abandoned just eleven years later. A stroll through the ruins transports you back to the hard-fought days of the first European pioneers. (FMA)

The town of Maningrida lies at the mouth of the mighty Liverpool River. The name roughly means “the place where the dream changes its form.” This remote region is home to a multilingualism found nowhere else in the world, which is also expressed in a wide variety of religious rites, designs, music, and dances. The exhibits at the Djomi Museum and the Arts and Crafts Center bear witness to this. The hand-painted textiles, in particular, are real eye-catchers! Right next door, the Bábbarra Women’s Center provides information about educational opportunities for local women. (FMA

Today you’ll travel eastward along the coast of Arnhem Land and reach Elcho Island, the largest island in the Wessel Archipelago. The island’s approximately 150 residents are famous for their colorful artistic works—from the so-called “Good Morning Poles” and didgeridoos to bark paintings, coolamons, and mats, as well as fishing nets and carvings. But they’re also known for their very distinctive musical style. Their songs and dances, performed with body paint, are rooted in Dreamtime traditions. The island’s Aboriginal people have produced musicians who play in the Warumpi Band and Yothu Yindi, groups known throughout Australia. When you visit the Art Center, you’re sure to strike up a conversation with the local artists. (FMA)

In the morning, you’ll arrive at Bremer Island with its long orange-colored sandy beaches, where sea turtles lay their eggs. Here you’ll find an eco-friendly beach resort built in cooperation with the Yolgnu people. It’s an ideal spot for birdwatching. In the afternoon, you’ll go ashore at Yirrkala, an artist colony of the Yolngu Aboriginal people, and visit the spectacular Buku-Larrnggay-Mulka Art Center, which houses a truly fantastic collection of Aboriginal art. (FMA)

Today you’ll cross the Gulf of Carpentaria, a large, shallow bay that cuts into the coast of Northern Australia. Follow in the footsteps of the first explorers of the Arnhem Land coast while enjoying fascinating onboard lectures. Or try your hand at traditional Aboriginal art during a workshop. (FMA)

Land in sight! The Torres Strait is a strait about 150 km wide between the northern tip of Australia and the southern coast of New Guinea. The islands emerging from the sea ahead of you are already part of the state of Queensland. You’ll spend today on Badu Island, a tropical idyll with white-sand beaches, swaying coconut palms, and a population of just 700. After a warm welcome, you’ll be escorted through the village to the arts and crafts market—plenty of time for a chat or two with the Torres Strait Islanders. (FMA)

Regardless of the day of the week, today you’ll explore Thursday Island, the administrative center of the Torres Strait Islands. The atmosphere here is livelier and more multicultural, as the pearl industry has attracted workers from all over Southeast Asia since the late 19th century. A detour to the Gab Titui Cultural Center is well worth it. The center’s mission is to preserve and promote the rich art and culture of the Torres Strait Aboriginal people. Later in the day, your expedition ship will sail to Cape York, where an unforgettable experience awaits you. At the northernmost tip of the Australian mainland, you’ll watch the red sun gradually sink into the sea while enjoying a sundowner. (FMA)

In the morning, you’ll visit Piper Islands National Park. The five low-lying islands, with their magnificent sandy beaches, are a paradise for birdwatchers. You’ll find two-colored fruit doves and white-headed noddies here, as well as the rare hawksbill sea turtles. Turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, coral reefs, and not a single other international visitor—that’s Restoration Island, where you’ll relax in peace and quiet this afternoon. The island became famous thanks to Australian millionaire David Glasheen, who lost his fortune on the stock market and settled on this small islet as a dropout. (FMA)

The Flinders Archipelago consists of seven islands and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The local Aboriginal people call themselves Yiithuwarra—people of the saltwater. Their long history, stretching back to their first encounters with Europeans, is reflected in numerous rock paintings. The rock paintings on Stanley Island are particularly impressive. They depict the first sailing ships to reach the coast of Queensland. The underwater world is even more colorful; in the afternoon, you’ll swim and snorkel to your heart’s content at Davie Reef. (FMA)

Whether you go swimming, snorkeling, or take a walk today, Lizard Island is a picture-perfect tropical paradise: snow-white sandy beaches, dizzyingly tall coconut palms, and the turquoise-blue Pacific Ocean. If you’d like, you can hike to the island’s highest point, from where Captain James Cook once spotted a navigable passage through the dangerous reef after repairing the HMB Endeavour. The view is breathtakingly beautiful! (FMA)

The Port of Cairns is the final stop on your adventurous cruise expedition around Northern Australia. After breakfast, the friendly crew will bid you farewell, and you’ll disembark. On a city tour, you’ll explore the city, which was founded in 1876 as an export port for gold and other natural resources. Your comfortable hotel is just a kangaroo’s leap from the waterfront promenade and Marlin Marina. The afternoon is yours to enjoy! How about an evening stroll through the bustling Night Market? You’ll spend the next two nights at the comfortable hotel in Cairns. (B)

Today, railroad enthusiasts are in for a very special experience: From the historic Freshwater Station, you’ll board the nostalgic Kuranda Scenic Railway for an adventurous mountain journey over bridges and past waterfalls to Kuranda. As you sip champagne and enjoy appetizers, tropical greenery and tunnels will pass by your open window. In Kuranda, once a hippie village, you’ll enjoy the unique atmosphere among the bird park, markets, and trendy boutiques, all accompanied by the sound of the didgeridoo. In a gondola on the Skyrail Cableway, you’ll float above the rainforest canopy and return to Cairns. (F)

A little more free time in the morning for some last-minute shopping, and then it's off to Cairns International Airport. Return flight to Germany via Singapore. (F)