The top 7 highlights of cruising the Kimberley coast
As shared by Louise, Reservations Manager at the Kimberley Cruise Centre
“I’ve chosen these Kimberley cruise highlights from my own cruise experiences and years of feedback from Kimberley Cruise Centre clients”:
1. TIDAL PHENOMENA
The Kimberley has the world’s largest tropical tides with tidal ranges of 14+ metres as measured in Collier Bay. You can see it in whirlpools, rapids, tidal marks on rocks and attractions appearing and disappearing every six hours. The most impressive examples of the Kimberley’s powerful tides are Montgomery Reef and the Horizontal Falls, which are at their most spectacular around full moon (spring tides).
“The tides in the Kimberley are over 13 metres, which is just enormous! We saw theamazing Horizontal Waterfalls. There are two land masses with openings and when the tide is going in or out the water rushes between the land and creates a waterfall or huge rapid. Very interesting to see. We saw Montgomery Reef which is a 400 square kilometre limestone reef in the middle of the ocean that, when the tide goes out exposes itself 10 metres, the water in the middle getting trapped and rushing down the side of the reef.”
2. WATERFALLS AND SPRINGS
There are lots of stunning waterfalls along the Kimberley coast. Some are Wet Season waterfalls, others are spring fed and remain year-round. Some of them have pretty billabongs and springs that you can swim in. Favourites include the King Cascade, Crocodile Creek and Ruby Falls. Pictured below is the King George Falls, which is best immediately after the Wet Season and dries to a trickle as the season progresses.
3. HUGE GORGES
The Kimberley has some breathtaking gorges! Imagine cruising through towering gorge walls with birds of prey soaring overhead. Some of our favourites are the King Gorge River (pictured above), Sale River and Berkeley River gorges.
4. FISHING
The Kimberley coast is a fishing paradise. There are literally thousands of creeks, bays and rivers where you can catch species such as Barramundi, Giant Trevally, Tuna, Finger Mark and Mangrove Jack. Most Kimberley cruises include fishing, however some cruises offer more than others. Generally, the smaller boats offer more fishing. Feel free to ask us!
5. ISLAND EXPLORING
You’ve heard of the Whitsundays, but have you heard of the Buccaneer Archipelago? Or the Bonaparte Archipelago? There are literally thousands of islands along the Kimberley coastline. Shore excursions will deliver you to squeaky white sand beaches with crystalline waters and not a footprint in sight
6. ANCIENT ART
The Kimberley has one of the world’s greatest repositories of indigenous art – the number of rock art sites has been estimated to be over 100,000 in number, but only a fraction of these have been recorded. Discover Wandjina art on cave walls or Gwion Gwion (Bradshaws) believed to be the world’s oldest figurative art.
7. WILDLIFE
Whales – Each year from July to October, Humpback whales make an epic migration from Antarctica to the Kimberley where they mate and calve. This population is now estimated at 30,000 whales!
Marine Life – Only 3.7% of the world’s oceans are rated within the lowest category of ‘adversely impacted by humans’. These include the polar Arctic and Antarctic regions and north-west Australia’s coastline, including the Kimberley. Discover turtles, dolphins, dugong and more.
Birds – Over 300 species of birds can be found throughout Australia’s North West including the Black-Necked Stork (Jabiru), the rare Gouldian Finch and Brolga.
