13 NIGHT KIMBERLEY CLASSIC ADVENTURE

Broome - Wyndham or reverse

CABIN	2009	2010
Horizon View Stateroom	$14,150 pp	$14,800
Panoramic View Stateroom	$16,150 pp	$16,800
Full Boat Charter	$199,595	$208,250
Prices include coach transfers between Wyndham and Kununurra Single travellers - double per person rate and deduct 20%

"This popular cruise travels the fabled Kimberley coast between Broome and Wyndham and is for adventurers and hedonists alike. Experience the natural majesty of the Prince Regent, King George, and Mitchell Rivers. Explore ancient tributaries and natural phenomena such as Montgomery Reef and the famous Horizontal Waterfalls. Fish for the great Barramundi, collect succulent Kimberley oysters and catch mud crabs for a nightly feast you will remember for years to come! Trek to beautiful crystal clear rock pools and water holes fringed with lush vegetation that refresh like cool natural spas. Discover ancient Aboriginal art galleries and travel the route of the past inhabitants visiting famous Dreamtime sites. We recommend this trip for those who truly want to experience all there is to offer along this magnificent wilderness frontier!"

BROOME - WYNDHAM ITINERARY (reverse itin below)

NIGHT 1: DEPART BROOME

Your Kimberley Wilderness cruise will begin at 5:30pm with a warm welcome aboard the Great Escape (transfers from Broome 3.30pm-4pm). Our friendly crew will meet you on the wharf and show you over the boat. Enjoy a cold drink and nibbles while the Captain delivers a familiarization and safety briefing. Then cast off the ropes and settle into the beginning of your Kimberley adventure. Once we are under way you will enjoy a delicious dinner as we cruise up the coast toward the Dampier Archipelago.

DAY 1: YAMPI SOUND – TALBOT BAY
Wake up cruising across the vast King Sound to Yampi Sound. Tide permitting, you will collect some legendary Kimberley Rock Oysters for the evening entree. Once that important job is sorted out we head toward Crocodile Creek for our first taste of a Kimberley freshwater swim under a beautiful waterfall. Don’t be too intimidated on the first day with the name of the first waterhole!! Back onboard we will enjoy a BBQ lunch and you can enjoy the scenery as we cruise through the Koolan Island Gap, weave past many little islands on our way to Talbot Bay.

DAY 2: TALBOT BAY – DOUBTFUL BAY

The day begins with an exciting dingy ride through the famous Horizontal Waterfalls. We will then explore the amazing geography at the back of Talbot Bay. Once back onboard Kimberley Escape enjoy a scenic cruise through the Kingfisher Islands to Doubtful Bay to start exploring all this area has to offer.

Tide permitting we may have the opportunity to go fishing or we may discover an ancient Aboriginal Art gallery perched high on the side of Raft Point. The views from here are breathtaking looking over to Steep Island. We will spend the night anchored under the magnificent Raft Point and watch this huge rocky outcrop glow and change colour as the sun slowly sinks into the ocean.

DAY 3: DOUBTFUL BAY

Doubtful Bay is a large bay and has a lot on offer. You will be encouraged to help decide what areas we will visit ranging from a swim under the waterfall at Ruby Falls, fishing at 3-Ways, a cruise down the spectacular Sale River, BBQ lunch on the sandy beach under a rainforest canopy or to explore this historical area and ceremonial route that the Aboriginal Tribe that once inhabited this area travelled along.

DAY 4: MONTGOMERY REEF - LANGII

Marvel at the waterfalls of Montgomery Reef in an early morning foray along this unusual reef structure. Discovered by Phillip Parker King in the early 1800’s this area has a rich history. Your crew can tell many you interesting stories that relate to the reef. We also see loads of turtles grazing on the exposed seagrass, sharks and the odd dugong or two. The afternoon will be spent around Langii – where we can see the ‘Petrified Warriors’ and swim in crystal clear waters here. The evening is spent cruising past Kuri Bay Pearl farm to Camden Harbour.

DAY 5: CAMDEN HARBOUR – PRINCE REGENT RIVER

We visit Camden Harbour and Sheep Island – the first attempted European settlement in the Kimberley. The crew will walk you through the tragic story that befell the settlers in this area in 1894. Afterwards the tide may be kind enough for us to gather some more delicious Kimberley oysters for the evening entrée and then set off for the infamous Kings Cascade or Camp Creek up the Prince Regent River (tide and time dictating the Captains decision).

Enjoy the scenery as we cruise though Port George and Treachery Pass to Saint George’s basin. The crew will point out major Kimberley features such as Mt Trafalgar and Mt Waterloo as we enter the Prince Regent River. After lunch we head down Camp Creek for a trek and swim in a beautiful pool at the base of a waterfall.

DAY 6: KING’S CASCADE

Spend the morning fishing and exploring the interesting tributaries in our immediate vicinity. Great Escape can only access King Cascade on the rising tide, as it is very shallow in the upper reaches of Prince Regent River. Once we are there, we will anchor right next to the cascading waterfall and may even fill our freshwater tanks with some of this wonderful water. Time permitting you can climb the hill to swim in a multitude of crystal clear fresh water pools and waterfalls. The evening will be spent cruising out of the river to Careening Bay.

DAY 7: HUNTER RIVER

An early morning beach expedition will have you viewing an ancient Boab Tree on which the crew of the HMC Mermaid carved the name of their vessel in 1820. Enjoy a walk on the beach up to a grove of ancient Cycad palms before we cruise off to the Hunter River enjoying breakfast as we go.

Sandstone cliffs and ancient rainforests make this river a scenic heaven! Once we have anchored we head off in the tenders to soak in the picturesque river and perhaps dangle a line. There is the opportunity to hike up through a rainforest environment to Jackson Falls. This is quite a difficult walk through and over big stone boulders – you may want to talk to your crew before you decide on this hike to gauge difficulty.

DAY 8: BIGGE ISLAND – MITCHELL RIVER

We leave the Hunter River about 3am for Bigge Island. Here we go ashore to view an Aboriginal art gallery depicting early European contact. There is an opportunity to stretch your legs on the white sandy beach or cool off with a swim. We’ll have lunch cruising around Cape Voltaire on our way to the mighty Mitchell River. The Captain will organise an afternoon activity that coincides with the tides and weather.

DAY 9: MITCHELL RIVER

This is a huge open estuary type river that is very conducive to hunting the elusive Barramundi. We will try to organise fishing excursions to take advantage of both the low tides during the day. With Mother Nature on our side these usually occur at dawn and dusk – very nice! Lunch is sometimes a gorgeous picnic affair at Surveyors Creek thanks to our most wonderful crew who will cart it all there for you. After lunch enjoy a fresh water swim in Surveyors Creek or rendezvous with helicopters for a flight over the Mitchell Plateau to the Mitchell Falls. (Helicopter rides begin at $280pp - dependant on numbers and also subject to availability of the helicopter). We will depart at sunset for Vansittart Bay. It is approximately an 8-hour steam.

DAY 10: VANSITTART BAY

A relaxing morning onboard that will most likely start with a fishing excursion to organise the daily lunch buffet. We target a few pelagic species here like Giant trevally, Queen fish, Tuna, mackerel etc. There are also a few places to pick up a Mangrove Jack, Fingermark or Bluebone fish as well.

Just before lunch we will head into the beach for a refreshing swim and to view a few mysterious Bradshaw galleries. Then back to Great Escape for a sumptuous fresh lunch as we cruise further down into the Cove to explore an old DC3 that crashed near Truscott airbase at the end of WWII. The evening/night will be spent cruising around Cape Londonderry (W.A.’s most north-western tip) to the magnificent King George River.

DAY 11: KING GEORGE RIVER

Your backdrop for breakfast will be the awesome cathedral like gorges cruising down the magnificent King George River. Great Escape is driven right up to the cascading waterfalls and you can take a shower right on the bow of the boat! Depending on the volume of water coming over at the time we can tie up under the falls. You will spend today trekking, exploring and enjoying the fantastic scenery this river has to offer.

It is a river that has a very shallow entry so Great Escape can only enter and exit on the high tide. The Captain will have to plan the day around this important factor. The weather and the tide will decide whether you head off to Berkeley River at sunset or around 4am the next morning.

DAY 12: BERKELEY RIVER – WYNDHAM

The Berkeley River is a spectacular river system that offers a wide variety of entertainment options. The river mouth is again very shallow and Great Escape can only enter and exit on the high tide. Once inside the river there is a beautiful cruise down through the sandstone cliffs to where the fresh meets the salt. There are a number of fresh water creeks that feed the main river and this gives us a few options for a nature walk and a cool off in a beautiful fresh water pool. When the tide is right there is the opportunity to dangle your line, catch that elusive 50 pounder then relax after your big effort with a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we move back down the river and anchor just outside the mouth for the late afternoon. This is a chance for a last minute fish, a sunset wallow in another fresh water lagoon or to just kick back and relax.

We depart the Berkeley River for a 7-hour steam down the Cambridge Gulf to Wyndham port.

DAY 13: DISEMBARK WYNDHAM PORT

Tie off at the Jetty and depart about 0830 hours. Air-conditioned transfers to Kununurra are included. We are confident that you will leave the Great Escape and her crew having had the trip of a lifetime.

This itinerary is to be used as a guide only. The itinerary may change subject to tide and weather conditions encountered.

WYNDHAM-BROOME ITINERARY

NIGHT 1: DEPART WYNDHAM PORT

An air-conditioned charter bus will meet you in Kununurra around 4pm to transport you and fellow passengers to Wyndham where you will be welcomed aboard Great Escape around 5pm. Our friendly crew will meet you on the wharf and show you over the boat. Enjoy a cold drink and nibbles while your Captain delivers a familiarization and safety briefing. Then cast the ropes and settle into the beginning of your Kimberley Classic Adventure. Once we are under way you will enjoy a delicious dinner as we cruise down the Cambridge Gulf toward the Berkeley River.

DAY 1: BERKLEY RIVER

The Berkeley River is a spectacular river system that offers a wide variety of entertainment options. The river mouth is very shallow and Great Escape can only enter and exit on the high tide. Your Captain will have to plan the day around this important factor. Once inside the river you will enjoy a beautiful cruise down through the sandstone cliffs to where the fresh meets the salt. There are a number of fresh water creeks that feed the main river and this gives us a few options for a nature walk and a cool off in a beautiful fresh water pool. When the tide is right there is the opportunity to dangle your line, catch that elusive 50 pounder then relax after your big effort for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we move back down the river and anchor just outside the mouth for the late afternoon. This is a chance for a last minute fish, a sunset wallow in another fresh water lagoon or to just kick back and relax.

DAY 2: KING GEORGE RIVER

Your Captain will decide whether you will cruise to the King George River in the early morning or the night before. It is approximately 4 hours from the Berkeley River and will be arranged to make the most of the weather and the tides.

Your backdrop for breakfast will be the awesome cathedral like gorges cruising down the magnificent King George River. Great Escape is driven right up to the cascading waterfalls and you can take a shower right on the bow of the boat! Depending on the volume of water coming over at the time we can tie up under the falls.

You will spend today trekking; exploring and enjoying the fantastic scenery this river has to offer. It is another river that has a very shallow entry so Great Escape can only enter and exit on the high tide. Your Captain will again have to plan the day around this important factor.

The weather and the tide will decide whether you head off to Vansittart Bay at sunset of around 2am the next morning.

DAY 3: VANSITTART BAY

A relaxing morning onboard Great Escape that will most likely start with a fishing excursion to organise the daily lunch buffet. We target a few pelagic species here like Giant Trevally, Queen Fish, Tuna, Mackerel etc. There are also a few places to pick up a Mangrove Jack, Fingermark or Bluebone Fish as well.

Just before lunch we will head into the beach for a refreshing swim and to view a few mysterious Bradshaw galleries. Then back to Great Escape for a sumptuous fresh lunch as we cruise further down into the Cove to exp

lore an old DC3 that crashed near Truscott Airbase at the end of W W II.
The evening/night will be spent cruising around Cape Bougainville to the mighty Mitchell River.

DAY 4: MITCHELL RIVER

This is a huge open estuary type river that is very conducive to hunting the elusive Barramundi. We will try to organise fishing excursions to take advantage of both the low tides during the day. With Mother Nature on our side these usually occur at dawn and dusk – very nice!

We will try for a gorgeous picnic lunch at Surveyors Creek thanks to our most wonderful crew who will cart it all there for you. After lunch enjoy a fresh water swim in Surveyors Creek or rendezvous with the helicopter for a flight over the Mitchell Plateau to the Mitchell Falls (Heli rides begin at $280pp, depending on numbers and also subject to availability of the helicopter).

We will stay at anchor tonight on the Mitchell River for one last attack on the barramundi at first light!

DAY 5: MITCHELL RIVER – BIGGE ISLAND

We cruise off around Cape Voltaire to Bigge Island around mid morning. This is a great time to kick back and soak in the Kimberley scenery. We will arrive at Bigge Island around the late afternoon and go ashore to view an Aboriginal art gallery depicting early European contact. Tide and weather permitting we might have a fire on the beach as the sun sets. This evening we will cruise down into the Hunter River.

DAY 6: HUNTER RIVER

Wake up to a panoramic vista that is the Hunter River! Sandstone cliffs and ancient rainforests make this river a scenic heaven. Dawn reflections are a must see before we head off in the tenders to soak in the picturesque river. There will be the opportunity to hike up through a rainforest environment to Jackson Falls. This is quite a difficult walk through and over big stone boulders – you may want to talk to your crew before you decide on this hike to gauge difficulty.

DAY 7: CAREENING BAY – PRINCE REGENT RIVER

At the mouth of the Prince Regent River you will visit an ancient Boab Tree on which the crew of the HMC Mermaid carved the name of their vessel in 1820. Enjoy a walk on the beach up to a grove of ancient Cycad palms before we cruise off to the Prince Regent River. Great Escape will cruise down through the islands and narrow channels into the St George Basin and into the Prince Regent River. It is a beautiful cruise to enjoy the Kimberley geography as we make our way to either King Cascade or Camp Creek (tide and time dictating the Captains decision). After lunch we head down to Camp Creek for a trek and swim in a beautiful pool at the base of a waterfall.

DAY 8: KING’S CASCADE

Spend the morning fishing and exploring the interesting tributaries in our immediate vicinity. Great Escape can only access King Cascade on the rising tide, as it is very shallow in the upper reaches of Prince Regent River. Once we are there, we will anchor right next to the cascading waterfall and may even fill our freshwater tanks with some of this magnificent water. Time permitting you can climb the hill to swim in a multitude of crystal clear fresh water pools and waterfalls. In the late afternoon we will head back down the Prince Regent River toward Camden Harbour.

DAY 9: CAMDEN HARBOUR – KURI BAY

Today we visit Camden Harbour and Sheep Island – the first attempted European settlement in the Kimberley. The crew will walk you through the tragic story that befell the settlers in this area in 1894. Afterwards the tide may be kind enough for us to gather delicious Kimberley oysters for the evening entrée. The late morning will be spent cruising through the Kuri Bay pearl farm toward Doubtful bay. Listen as one of your crew give you an insight into the pearling industry. The afternoon will be spent around Langii – where we can see the ‘Petrified Warriors’ and swim in crystal clear waters.

DAY 10: MONTGOMERY REEF & RAFT POINT

Marvel at the waterfalls of Montgomery Reef in an early morning foray along this unusual reef structure. Discovered by Phillip Parker King in the early 1800’s this area has a rich history. Your crew will tell you a few interesting stories that relate to the reef. Often we see a number of turtles grazing on the exposed seagrass also sharks and the odd dugong or two have been spotted here.

If the tide is performing we may have the opportunity to go fishing or we may cruise over to Doubtful Bay to start exploring all this area has to offer. Discover an ancient Aboriginal Art gallery perched high on the side of Raft Point. The views from here are breathtaking looking over to Steep Island. We will spend the night anchored under the magnificent Raft Point and watch this huge rocky outcrop glow and change colour as the sun slowly sinks into the ocean. Have your cameras at the ready in this area.

DAY 11: DOUBTFUL BAY

Doubtful Bay is a large bay and has a lot on offer. You will be encouraged to help decide what areas we will visit, ranging from a swim under the waterfall at Ruby Falls, fishing at 3-Ways, a cruise down the spectacular Sale River, BBQ lunch on the sandy beach under a rainforest canopy or a hike to visit some of the local rock art. The evening will be spent cruising over to Talbot Bay.

DAY 12: TALBOT BAY – YAMPI SOUND

The day begins with an exciting dingy ride through the infamous Horizontal Waterfalls. We will then head off in the tenders to view the amazing geography at the back of Talbot Bay. Mid morning we will cruise off onboard Great Escape to the Yampi Sound area. Enjoy the scenery as we weave through the Iron Islands and the Koolan Island Gap towards Crocodile Creek! This will be the last place for our cherished Kimberley freshwater swim! Kick back, relax and savour the last couple of daylight hours in the heart of the incredible Kimberley coast.

DAY 13: DISEMBARK BROOME WHARF

Your Kimberley Classic Adventure will finish up at 08:00 hours. You will be met and transferred to your accommodation or the airport. We are confident that you will leave the Great Escape and her crew having had the trip of a lifetime.

This itinerary is to be used as a guide only. The itinerary may change subject to tide and weather conditions encountered.