17 November 2023
6 mins Read
Rugged, remote and primal in nature, the Kimberley is a wilderness like no other. With no road access, it’s a place where the environment sharply tames the ambition of anyone who enters, and one where an expedition cruise through the labyrinth of waterways is the only way to experience its wild beauty up close. Explore it in luxury with Silversea Cruises, which offers immersive voyages along the coast in their 200-passenger small ship Silver Cloud.
Their 11-day trip from Broome to Darwin traverses the coast, highlighting the best of the region including Montgomery Reef, Koolama Bay and Ashmore Reef, while their 10-day trip includes Hunter River, the horizontal waterfalls at Talbot Bay, and Jar Island. The luxury begins from the moment you leave home with Silversea’s door-to-door all-inclusive executive service, from private transfer service and airfares before you set sail to 24-hour gourmet dining, premium alcoholic beverages, plenty of entertainment and daily complimentary shore excursion on board.
With an unparalleled level of luxurious comfort and personalised, friendly service, Silversea’s expert expedition staff on the voyage include ornithologists, biologists and historians. Their expert knowledge brings colour and texture to the mesmerising landscape, offering a deeper look at the cultural significance, geological forces and unique environment the region is renowned for.
The best reason to sail with Silversea to the Kimberley Coast is undoubtedly to see Montgomery Reef rise from the ocean like an aquatic phoenix. A natural phenomenon once described by David Attenborough as one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, it occurs each day as the Kimberley experiences its legendary tidal surges of between four to 10 metres.
When the tide begins to drop it semi-exposes the 400-square kilometre, 80-kilometre-long reef, sending a cascade of draining seawater tumbling over as it becomes more exposed. Climb aboard a zodiac with your expedition team and biologists to cruise the natural channel that runs through the middle, the perfect spot for a zodiac cruise with Silversea’s expedition experts, where you can watch sea turtles scramble back into the ocean.
Slip past the World War II shipwreck of the MV Koolama and head upriver past crocodiles and dugongs to King George Falls, the highest waterfalls in Western Australia. Leaving Silver Cloud at anchor, the fifteen-kilometre zodiac journey winds through a chasm of near-vertical glowing red sandstone cliffs, where you’ll glimpse birds of prey like giant raptors and brahminy kites as you traverse inland.
The journey is as much an auditory one as it is a visual and physical one, with the sounds of the 80-metre falls drowning out all others with its deafening roar; expect a soaking in the freshwater falls as the Silversea expedition team nudge your zodiac under the lip of the falls.
Sail into Swift Bay aboard Silver Cloud. Considered one of Australia’s best Indigenous outdoor art galleries and also known as Warrabii West, the rock shelters here are significant as they depict two different Kimberley Rock art styles: the Wandjina style, which includes depictions of spirit figures, and the Gwion (also known as Bradshaw) art style.
After landing ashore, hike through the rookeries and rock formations under the guidance of the expedition crew, who’ll help you discover the best artworks and manoeuvre through nooks and crannies to view the art, depicting figures from the Dreamtime.
Visit the islands they call Australia’s Galapagos with Silver Cloud on its 17-day Darwin to Fremantle Expedition. The islands, named after French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède, consist of four low-lying atolls known for their rich birdlife, including what is believed to be one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of Brown Boobies. Australian pelicans, lesser frigate birds and green turtles all gather to nest here.
Accompanying the zodiac cruises are Silversea’s resident ornithologists, who will explain the unique behaviours of each species, and touch on the territorial disputes and dark history of this remote island chain, one of over 2,500 islands that lie off the Kimberley Coast.
Step foot on Country with an Indigenous guide at Widgingarra Butt Butt, also known as Freshwater Cove. Located adjacent to Montgomery Reef, this spectacular landing on the mainland is a key highlight of Silversea’s Kimberley cruise itineraries, allowing guests to learn directly from Elders about the culturally significant sacred sites and rock formations in the area.
Take a walk to see the rock art behind the camp like the incredible cyclone cave, and hear the Dreamtime stories they represent, before viewing (or purchasing) modern Aboriginal art painted by locals.
With what is arguably one of the highest concentrations of crocodiles in the Kimberley, the complex mangrove environment along the 30-kilometre Hunter River is a thrilling expedition to see one of Australia’s most spectacular predators direct from the deck- or up close on a zodiac tour.
Enjoy cruising through the mangroves, or take one of Silversea’s helicopter excursions to the iconic Mitchell Falls – a series of four waterfalls cascading into deep emerald swimming holes. Accessible by helicopter from Naturalist Island on the Hunter River, take in a bird’s eye view of the savage and wild Mitchell Plateau, before approaching the falls from above and slipping into the upper pools, free of the crocodiles who guard the waters below.
In 2025, Silversea will launch a whole new way to see the Kimberley. Two of Silversea’s 17-day expeditions will take in the Kimberley as well as the West Coast of Australia, departing from Fremantle in Perth and visiting the Abrolhos Islands, Cape Peron in Shark Bay, North Muiron Island and Rowley Shawls.
Heading north, guests can chart a new course with a 16-day voyage from Darwin to Bali. Departing from Darwin, the voyage will visit the Kimberly, before continuing north to some of the most remote regions of Indonesia including Komodo, Pulau Kital and Pulau Tellang. See more here.
I did the Broome to Darwin cruise 4 years ago and it was brilliant.