Kimberley Cruise, Western Australia - Part 1

 Hi everyone. I hope you and yours are doing well in these troubled times. A few weeks ago my husband and I took time out of life to take our bucket-list cruise with Diversity Charters along the far north western Kimberley coast in Western Australia. I posted an intro last week, and over the next couple of weeks I hope to share more.  With all the diverse experiences we had, the cruise company is well named - Diversity. Here is Part 1 - sit back and enjoy.

The Kimberley coast is remote, dramatic, wild and ruggedly beautiful as I hope you will see over the next couple of posts. The coastline is so remote and inaccessible you can only see it from a boat or from the air. Of course our indigenous Australians have lived in the Kimberleys for over 40,000 years as documented in their rock art - more about that later. 

Having explored the Kimberleys a few times by road, a cruise along the Kimberley coast has been on our bucket-list for many years, and I could hardly believe the time had finally arrived. This cruise was recommended to us by our friends who traveled on Diversity III in 2023 - and it certainly lived up to their recommendation.

This is the dry season in the Kimberley so we were looking forward to warm days after coming from winter in the south west. 

This photo below is along one of the rivers. Rocky cliffs tower up with plants clinging to crevasses, and the water line is flanked by mangroves. 

Overnight stay in Broome - If you are flying in from elsewhere, as we were from Perth, I suggest an overnight stay in Broome before embarking on the cruise. You don't want to risk a travel delay at the last minute. There are many accommodation options in Broome but we chose the Kimberley Sands Resort at Cable Beach as they had a small discount for Diversity Charters passengers. 

From the resort you can walk down to the iconic Cable Beach - although for us the hot walk was a bit of a shock to the system after coming from winter down south - take your bathers and have a swim or grab something cold at Cable Beach.  

A nearby option for breakfast or lunch is the Zoo Keepers Cafe - it seemed to be a very popular happening place, and certainly lived up to the recommendations on Facebook. You can eat at the hotel or walk to the Divers Tavern for dinner where they have an extensive menu. 

Here are a few pics from around the Kimberley Sands Resort - the beach scene is Cable Beach. 

Another look at the map I shared last week showing our route over the 9 days. Starting at Broome down in the left hand corner we travelled north-north/east. The coastline is characterised by high rocky cliffs, bays, rivers, mangroves, creek-lines, gorges, and many islands. 

Diversity Charters pick you up from your hotel. Our first glimpse of our fellow passengers was on the mid afternoon short bus ride from our hotel to Gantheaume Point  beach where we were taken by tender boat to our home for the next 9 days - Diversity III - a 82-foot (25 metre) catamaran.  

It seemed like hundreds of vehicles had taken over the beach. On previous trips to Broome we had seen boats like this off the beach and now it was our turn to board one and sail away! So excited! 

We met our crew - who proved from the start of the cruise to be amazing, friendly, considerate, and helpful in every way - Skipper Mark, Crew Adam and Hostess Lecette, Chef Sam, and Crew Tom. We were treated as individuals, and all our needs were met - we only had to ask and it was done. On the rocky walk trails to the swimming holes, and getting on and off the tenders, they were always there with a helping hand to make sure we were safe. We couldn't have asked for a more friendly and attentive crew. They looked after us exceptionally well. Lecette was the hostess with the mostess and the food prepared by Sam was delicious. Thankyou! 

Clockwise from top left - Skipper Mark, crew Adam, hostess Lecette, chef Sam, crew Tom

As we cruised away from Broome we sat on the upper deck enjoying a welcome bubbly and snacks (see pic below), and met our 10 fellow passengers with whom we were to spend the next 9 days. We were very happy to find they all seemed to be very friendly, similar to us and around our age. As we chatted while the sun set we felt we were going to be sharing the cruise with a lovely group of people - so important when you are with a small group who you have never met before. 

All the bedrooms on Diversity III have Queen beds, en-suites, Tv, internet connected and are very comfortable. And adding to the casual feel, bare feet is the norm onboard! 

Above you can see our bedroom - The Mermaid room. Below is a little look around the boat - clockwise from left to right - indoor dining area, Diversity III, indoor lounge area, upper sun deck dining area, back deck dining area, the wheel house - so many computer screens and no wheel in sight - just a joy stick!  

Each night we had a map talk where we were shown where we had been that day, and where we were going the next day and a board is put up with the day's itinerary. 

Good morning! 

Breakfasts were alternatively either cooked or help yourself continental style (cereal, fresh fruit, yoghurt, salami, avocado, cheese, tomato, toast, juice, tea, coffee) on the back deck dining area. All dietary needs are catered for - just ask the chef. 

And the rugged coastal landscapes - the pictures should speak for themselves - we had requested a right hand side room so we could see the coast from our room - but who wants to sit in a cabin when there are landscapes like this passing by. 

Raft Point

Each day of the cruise on Diversity III we were offered a walk, a swim, and a fish - or you can just relax - it is up to you. Many activities are dependant on the height of the tides. 

The Kimberley region experiences some of the largest tides in the world, with tidal ranges reaching up to 11 metres. These dramatic tides are a daily occurrence and significantly impact the coastal environment and local life. 

Daily swims are at freshwater swimming holes and waterfalls after travelling up creeks in the tender boats. You have to walk along rocky paths to higher levels - out of reach of the salt-water crocodiles. So you need to have a reasonable level of fitness and agility, which is something you need to consider when booking a cruise. One of our group had had two hip replacements, and after consulting with the skipper, she chose which water holes she was going to visit. 

Our first swim was at Crocodile Creek for a refreshing swim in a little freshwater pool, not difficult to get to and a great introduction to the swimming holes. No crocodiles - well not that day anyway....

Other swimming holes included - left to right below - Sapphire Falls, Ruby Falls, Cals Crack, Butterfly Gorge, and the delightfully named Pebbles and Bam Bam - a new "discovery" for the crew.

Cal's Crack pool

Going into Ruby Falls

Going into Cals Crack

Back on the boat after your explorations you are ready for lunch - served on the back lower deck or the top sundeck - depending on the wind. Lunches were generally a light refreshing chicken, prawns, fish or pasta salad and one day we had fresh caught mangrove crabs. Thankyou chef Sam for your delicious meals. 

Top sun deck

One of the most anticipated locations on a Kimberley cruise is the Horizontal Falls, a natural phenomenon where the fast moving tidal current squeezes through two narrow gorges of the McLarty Range, pushing the water, rapid-like, rushing through the twin gaps, producing what is a horizontal waterfall. The twice a day Kimberley tide shift of over 10 metres ensures the water flows in two different directions each day. 

The Western Australian Government has made the decision to not allow passage through the Horizontal Falls after March 2028, due to several factors including tourist safety, cultural and natural significance.  

You can see in the image below the water going through the narrower gap - we went through the first wider gap. The dark band on the bottom of the cliffs indicates the height to which the tide rises. I was so glad we were there at a lower tide. 

This for me was something that I feared doing - as there had been an accident a few years ago in the narrower gap of the Horizontal Falls, and I had been in a boating accident 30 years ago which still affects me mentally today in rough water. 

We wore life jackets, the tender boats are very stable and the crew very experienced, however I still didn't feel comfortable. I talked to Skipper Mark about it the night before, and on the day he made sure I wanted to go ahead before we went through. The photo below taken by Marie from Queensland proves that I did. I am in the pink clinging onto my husband sitting in front of me. When I look at the photos now I wonder what all the fuss was about. It looked worse from water level - but the brain does conspire against you sometimes. Everyone was so supportive of me. Thankyou. 

Here are some more photos from the Horizontal Falls. The aerial photo below shows the two gaps of the Horizontal Falls from the air, which we took on our flight back to Broome. Really quite an amazing natural phenomenon. 

After the thrill of the Horizontal Falls we did a nice little cruise up Cyclone Creek, so called because boats can shelter there during a cyclone. With the towering red rocks and the flowering yellow wattle on the rocky slopes, it was very beautiful.

Another amazing natural phenomenon is Montgomery Reef. Situated between Camden Sound and Collier Bay, and covering around 300 square kilometres, it is the world's largest inshore reef. Montgomery Reef is transformed by the huge Kimberley tides. When the tide falls, the coral reef appears to rise from the ocean in a torrent of cascading water. During low tide the water level can drop by as much as 10 metres (33 feet) - and at high tide it is completely covered by water and out of view. Read more at Earth Observatory.nasa.gov

Sea birds come to forage on the reef as the tide falls.

Reef Heron

The marine park is home to six species of threatened marine turtles, humpback dolphins, dugongs, saltwater crocodiles, several sawfish species, and is the Southern Hemisphere’s most important humpback whale nursery. From: Western Australia.com

 

We were treated to bubbles and snacks as the tenders cruised up between the reef in the tenders.

What about the crocodiles? - yes we saw crocodiles in some of the creeks we travelled up in the tenders. These are salt water crocodiles. The Estuarine - salt water crocodile - crocodylus porosus - commonly known as salties - have an evolution going back 200 million years. Growing up to 7 metres in length, despite its name saltwater crocodiles also live in freshwater rivers and pools many kilometres inland. These guys are extremely dangerous - you don't want to mess with them. This is why we walked over the rocks up to the swimming holes, and didn't swim in the creeks and ocean. But you still need to be on the lookout. They can be under the water and you don't see them. 

Sunning on the rocks

And what about those stunning sunsets after another full day aboard Diversity III 

That's it from me today. Next week I will be back with more from Diversity III - astounding waterfalls, fishing, mud crabbing, oystering, European history, indigenous art and more. 

I hope you have enjoyed Part 1 of my Kimberley Cruise blog. Have you been on a cruise? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. 

To find out more about Diversity cruises and how to book your bucket-list adventure please click here - Diversity Charters

The highlighted links in my blog also take you to more information.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
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