Discover the Kimberley’s hidden treasures

with Coral Expeditions

Cruise the Kimberley with coral expeditions to experience 25 years of expertise in this Spectacular region.

The white sand squeaked beneath our feet as we strolled along the secluded Silica beach on Hidden Island. We caught glimpses of yellow, black and white in the rock figs and rock-dwelling eucalypts as Striated Pardalotes and Double-bar Finches flittered among the foliage. Their beating wings were just one tiny part of the beauty at the heart of this incredible destination.

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It was just day one of our exploration of the Kimberley with Coral Expeditions and we’d already experienced the unusual geological features of Edeline Island, paid our respects to the pearl divers of yesteryear and witnessed the rushing tidal current of Whirlpool Passage.

Speeding back to the mother ship aboard the Xplorer – small tenders designed to get you on shore with ease – we arrived back to take in the setting sun as the captain served drinks up on the Vista Deck.

Coral Expeditions: Explore the Kimberley

Coral's zippy Zodiacs take you into the heart of the landscape; Ancient rock art

Coral Expeditions had many more adventures in store for us on their 10-day Definitive Kimberley cruise. This 424,000 square kilometre wonderland is three times larger than England and home to some of the world’s most unique natural phenomena. It has ochre cliffs with rock slabs up to 3.5 billion years old – pre-dating even fossils – and some of the most ancient art galleries on Earth, with Aboriginal drawings up to four times older than the Egyptian pyramids.

Given the region is Australia’s most rugged frontier country, much of the coastline is almost inaccessible by land, which is where Coral’s fleet of Zodiacs comes in. These inflatable vessels took us through the winding channels, under the waterfalls and up to the reefs, and saw us landing on beaches that, with 11-metre tides, some of the highest recorded, can quickly disappear.

Having explored the region for 25 years, the Coral Expeditions expert Expedition Team has plenty of hidden locations up their sleeves. They revealed to us the best places to spot a sunbaking crocodile, an osprey feeding chicks or a shy rock-wallaby. They knew where to find the rocks hiding ancient art and how to give us the best view of famous spots like Horizontal Falls.

Spacious Comfort

Back on board, guest lecturers continued to expand our local knowledge. Then, when it was time to relax, the warm hospitality of the Australian crew saw us unwinding in the ultimate comfort.

All of Coral’s vessels have spacious and comfortable staterooms and being tropical expedition ships are designed with plenty of open deck space with indoor and outdoor areas, bars and dining room. From the intimate 72 passenger Coral Discoverer to their new ships Coral Adventurer and Coral Geographer, we experienced the most capable expedition fleet in the world.