10 DAY PRINCE REGENT EXPLORER

	2008
Departs Derby	$5,790 pp
Exclusive charter ex Derby	Pls enquire

DAY ONE

On your arrival at the Derby Jetty, you will be greeted by your Captain Darryl Keevil, who will help you aboard Utopia. Your sea safari will begin with a three-hour cruise up King Sound and across Stokes’ Bay. It is interesting to see the coastline change from the mangrove-lined, muddy waters of King Sound to the rocky hills, beaches and blue water of the Buccaneer Archipelago. Our first stop is at XnX’s in Cone Bay, where a freshwater spring meanders its way down the hill through rock-pools under the dense foliage of a rainforest thicket. Returning to the boat for lunch we continue our journey over Strickland Bay through Whirlpool Passage and into Yampi Sound. We stop for a fish at one of our secret fishing holes before making camp at a secluded beach. Enjoy pre-dinner drinks watching the sun set over the islands of the Archipelago before a feast of fresh fish for the evening meal.

DAY TWO

After a delicious cooked breakfast, we break camp and make our way to Crocodile Creek where you can swim under an exquisite waterfall. There is a small shelter here that was erected by the Koolan Island miners. It now houses an array of memorabilia left by visitors. We make our way past Koolan Island past the old mine site before heading across Collier Bay. We stop at Kingfisher Island for some lunch and a swim. A short cruise brings us to Raft Point in Doubtful Bay where we make camp for the night.

DAY THREE

Today we venture to the South Eastern corner of Doubtful Bay to a large mangrove creek system near a small hill called Red Cone Hill. We set the crab pots up the mangrove creeks to catch a feed for dinner. There are always a couple of very inquisitive crocodiles here that will drift past the anchored Utopia, pretending to be logs floating with the tide. You will have a chance to go with the crew and pull the pots full of mud crabs. Once we have enough crabs and the tide is high, we cruise to the end of one of the many tributaries of the creek system to a place known as Ruby Falls. This is a picturesque waterfall with a large swimming pool where you can have a wash and relax in the cool freshwater. Returning to our Raft Point camp, we stop on the way to visit an ancient Aboriginal Rock Art Gallery. The paintings here depict the life of Aboriginal people that had a close affinity with the sea. We return to our camp to feast on our catch of mud crabs.

DAY FOUR

We say goodbye to the Raft Point camp and continue our journey heading north. We set the trolling lines for Spanish mackerel and drop our lines in for a reef fish or two. We may be privileged to encounter some majestic humpback whales. These whales come to this region in the cooler months to give birth and then to mate, before returning to the Antarctic waters in the warmer months. Our cruise takes us past Hall Point and Sampson Inlet, into Brecknock Harbour. We pass by one of the many Paspaley Pearl farms in Kuri Bay and make our way to Sheep Island where we stop to see some lonely graves of past settlers. A short cruise takes us to Port George IV, where our next beach camp awaits us.

DAY FIVE

You may find some beautiful shells while strolling along the beach before leaving the camp in the morning. Making our way further north into Hanover Bay where George Grey unloaded his ponies to explore this rugged land. We commence our journey down into the St George Basin, which leads us into the Prince Regent River. It is now time to be on the look out and wary of the ever- present crocodile. We head up-river and come to Camp Creek, where we make camp. There is time to relax and have a refreshing swim while the crew prepare a camp fire dinner.

DAY SIX

As the tide rises and floods the river, we try our hands at fishing for Barramundi before returning to Utopia to head further up river. Our destination today is the famous King’s Cascades which is the site of the famous crocodile attack that took the life of the American model, Ginger Meadows. This waterfall is one of the many picturesque sights that will have you reaching for your camera, whilst exploring this magnificent river. We refill our water supply and have some lunch before returning to our camp at Camp Creek.

DAY SEVEN

This morning we take a short walk to some spectacular waterfalls. We return to camp and pack up to catch the tide out of the river. We head down the Prince Regent and into Saint George basin. Captain Darryl takes us to another of his secret fishing reefs to catch a few “Goldies” before setting up camp on yet another lovely beach.

DAY EIGHT

Breaking camp, we cruise south through Port George IV and Brecknock Harbour, stopping to collect some succulent black-lipped oysters. We try our luck once again to catch some reef fish for dinner. Tonight we camp at a place called Langi where the rocks are known as the Sea Wandjinas. There is a magnificent view over the Indian Ocean from this beach.

DAY NINE

Today we make our way to Montgomery Reef where the water cascades off the reef at low tide and the marine life abounds. You will have the chance to go for a snorkel here or a reef walk to discover the amazing plants and animals that make up the reef. There are plenty of snorkels and booties aboard Utopia or you can bring your own. Turtles sometimes stay up on the reef so you can have a close encounter. We head on past Kingfisher Island and on to one of the islands called the Sisters where we camp for the night.

DAY TEN

Our destination today is Talbot Bay, home of the Horizontal Waterfalls where you can don a life jacket and take an exhilarating ride in the tender to Utopia through the raging waters of the falls. Enjoy lunch at a place called the “Mini Gaps” not far from the Horizontal Waterfalls. The Mini Gaps are a maze of waterways that wind through majestic scenery. It is time to farewell the crew of Utopia and rendezvous with the seaplane that will take you on an awe-inspiring flight over the Horizontal Waterfalls and back to Derby. Please note: This itinerary is designed to be a guide only. The order of activities may change during your sea safari. Whales can be seen from mid-July to October.