A boutique cruise in the Kimberley region of Western Australia proves to be so much more than crocs and rocks for Tiana Templeman.
The one thing I didn’t expect to do on my Kimberley cruise was swim. As our zodiac approaches Hidden Island, sunlight bounces off white silica sand in a tiny bay framed by russet-coloured sandstone cliffs. We can’t wait to jump in the cool water, but some crocodiles have beaten us to it.
They’re fully submerged, lolling in the shallow water close to the shore, cooling themselves in the midday heat as they wait for us to arrive. Our expedition leader manoeuvres the zodiac away from them, but she doesn’t stop. It only takes a moment before we’re out of the boat and on the beach.
It’s the penultimate day of our 10-night Kimberley Explorer cruise with Heritage Expeditions, a family-owned and run small ship expedition company from New Zealand, but we aren’t ready for it to end. Exploring Kimberley has been an adventure that’s made us feel like kids again.
Beach landing with Heritage Adventurer in the background. Photo / Trevor Templeman
Every day ignites the curiosity of my husband and I and is filled with the possibility of new discoveries, like spotting a creature we’ve never seen before or seeing ancient Aboriginal art in caves that few people in the world get to visit. Our journey from Darwin to Broome along the Western Australia coastline is a bucket-list trip for us and most of our fellow cruisers, who mainly hail from New Zealand and Australia, except for a few Americans. However, we all have one thing in common.
Whether we’ve come to Kimberley to see its birds, crocodiles or art, what we’re really here for is the region’s geology. Around two billion years ago, continental collisions and volcanic activity created dramatic geological features like deep gorges, inshore reef systems, enormous bays, tidal flats and even a horizontal waterfall. Many of them are the only formations of their kind in the world.
This Kimberley cruise promises more than just crocodiles and cliffs - expect thrilling zodiac rides, hidden waterfalls, and cultural discoveries. Photo / 123RF
Of course, there are plenty of regular waterfalls, too, and we’ll see one of Australia’s most famous on our first excursion.
Heritage Adventurer is a 140-passenger ship with everything we need for a memorable expedition cruise, from lounges and bars for socialising to mudrooms with individual lockers for storing our wet gear. It also has 14 zodiacs and an impressive team of guides who love what they do and have more than 100 years of guiding experience between them.
Zipping up the river towards King George Falls, giant blocks of red rock stacked one on top of the other look like a work of art from Picasso’s cubism period. Turtles pop their heads up to check us out, and crocodiles keep a close eye on our boat from the muddy riverbanks. It’s one highlight after another until we get to Australia’s highest twin falls - which are barely a trickle in the dry season.
Kimberley’s rock formations were created over two billion years ago by volcanic activity and continental shifts. Photo / Trevor Templeman
It’s as if the red-backed sea eagle wheeling overhead senses our disappointment. It swoops into the gorge, putting on a dramatic display like it’s performing fly-bys at an airshow and flying so fast we can barely see it zipping back and forth between the cliffs. The eagle and an exhilarating 12km ride back to the ship have us grinning from ear to ear, despite the disappointing waterfalls.
Our evenings aboard settle into a comfortable rhythm, with informative talks, a daily briefing about the next day’s adventures and an a la carte dinner with flexible seating so we can make new friends. The food on-board is superb, and everyone looks forward to checking out each day’s new menu.
Walking to a rock art cave. Photo / Trevor Templeman
Day three sees us anchored near Swift Bay for an optional (for a fee) helicopter trip to Mitchell Falls or an included excursion to a rock art site. We opt for the helicopter, which picks us up from the beach and carries us over a landscape dotted with green bushes that look like pom-poms and colours that pop like an Instagram post. Mitchell Falls is also far from a gushing torrent, but it never runs dry and still has enough water to wow us all. Our small group arrives at the top of the falls when no one else is there, so this incredible place is ours alone to enjoy for a while.
The Kimberley has so many different types of rocks. Photo / Trevor Templeman
We might have missed today’s rock art excursion, but there are plenty more during the cruise. At one site, we wriggle into blissfully cool caves to view first-contact paintings of Dutch sailors. At another, we clamber up cliffs to see even more intricate art. We’re also welcomed to Country by the Wunambal Gaambera peoples, who take us to their caves and share their ancestors’ paintings.
Some of Kimberley’s Aboriginal rock art depicts first-contact events with Dutch sailors. Photo / Trevor Templeman
Kimberley’s winter cruise season sees a dozen whales swimming alongside our ship for so long we (almost) get bored. We also visit the world’s largest inshore reef, where huge tides send water gushing off Montgomery Reef so fast we ride the rapids, hanging on to our zodiac and laughing at the thrill of it all. With sunset approaching, the crew has one final surprise.
On our way back to the ship, we motor around a large sandbar created by the falling tide and discover a bar has been set up on the beach. We raise our glasses and drink a toast to an amazing day, new friends and the ship’s fantastic crew as we watch the sun sink towards the ocean.
The writer enjoying sunset drinks on a sandbar. Photo / Trevor Templeman
Finally, the most highly anticipated day of the trip for many of us arrives. Our ship anchors in Talbot Bay for a zodiac trip to the Horizontal Falls, where water rushing through two narrow gorges creates a “horizontal” waterfall almost 4m high. In keeping with the wishes of the traditional owners, Heritage Expeditions doesn’t go through the gap but explores the swirling maelstrom in front of it.
Today, our zodiac driver is Phil Todd, who lives in the Marlborough Sounds and started guiding as a teenager on New Zealand’s islands. He’s an experienced sailor and gives us a thorough safety briefing, explaining the things we might encounter in front of the falls.
Zodiac adventures are a daily occurence. Photo / Trevor Templeman
Thankfully, this means we’re ready when he yells, “Whirlpool, hang on!”
I glimpse the watery, swirling hole that’s opened in front of the zodiac as everyone grabs the ropes, leans forward, and thanks their lucky stars the ship’s guides are so experienced. Our zodiac plunges into the whirlpool then pops up again like a cork, leaving us laughing and our hearts racing, our clothes drenched and Phil no doubt looking forward to a stiff drink back at the ship.
On the penultimate day of our cruise, the conditions are perfect for an ocean swim at Hidden Island. At the start of our trip, we were divided into zodiac groups named after Kimberley’s animals. By now everyone is expert at putting on life jackets and boarding by group. As we approach the beach, we see some fellow “crocodiles” have beaten us and are already submerged in the water.
Swimming at Hidden Beach in Kimberley. Photo / Tiana Templeman
“What took you so long?” they laugh as we run in to join them.
Now that we’ve experienced the magic of Kimberley, we can’t help but wonder the same thing.
Details
Heritage Expeditions will offer three Kimberley Explorer cruises in 2025. Find out more at heritage-expeditions.com.
