Past guests share their wisdom about cruising the Kimberley
Some recent feedback from a few guests inspired the following blog post, which we hope you’ll find helpful in your planning!
Number 1 “I wish I knew”: The tides
With the world’s 2nd largest tropical tides, it’s good to know that the Kimberley’s tides can change the landscape completely! While the Kimberley’s coastline is beautiful anytime that you go, it’s best to be a little flexible with your dates, so we can check what the tides are doing. As the original Kimberley cruise booking agent (since 1998), our staff here live and breathe the Kimberley and we can tell you when the tides are “Kings, Springs, or Neaps!” (We can also explain what those terms mean).
We didn’t know how important tides are for some locations, eg Montgomery Reef and the Horizontal Falls. While still beautiful, these were not spectacular, which might have been assumed from the brochures. This was because it happened to be neap tide time. Yes, we could have done our own research, but maybe the marketing could highlight this more?
Number 2 “I wish I knew”: Excursion craft
Each boat cruising the Kimberley coast operates with a small fleet of excursion craft, which depart from the ‘Mother Ship’ to go to beaches, swimming holes, rock art sites etc. Smaller vessels (under 40 passengers) offer an added advantage of being able to pull up right at the action, like at the base of a waterfall, thanks to their shallow drafts, whereas the larger ships will drop anchor at river mouths and send their excursion craft up-river.
When we started selling Kimberley cruises back in the ’90s, there were only a few boats and each of them operated ‘tinnies’ (aluminium tenders) for their shore excursions. Nowadays, with the arrival of some larger, foreign-owned vessels coming to the Kimberley coast to get their slice of the pie, some of the excursion craft that we’re seeing is less than ideal.
For the greatest comfort and safety, look for vessels that are operating aluminium excursion craft (not inflatable craft / rubber duckies), bearing in mind that this is croc country!
Number 3 “I wish I knew”: The Bungle Bungles
There’s plenty of ways to spend a few more days in the Kimberley, but one spot that you just can’t miss is the Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park). This 240,000-hectare national park is UNESCO World Heritage listed and is absolutely incredible. Unlike other national treasures, the Bungle Bungles has only been known to white Europeans since the early 1980s when a film crew showcased the area to the world. And the best part is, it’s easier to get here than you might think!
We’re now offering a 2 night Bungle Bungles package to clients who book their cruise with us, click here for more details. This package can be tailored to include more or less nights in the east Kimberley and also the option to stay overnight and ‘glamp’ in the Bungles.
Thanks for reading.
We hope to see you soon in the Kimberley!
