Discover the Kimberley Coastline: An Ancient Wilderness

Your Expedition Voyage begins in Darwin – a city unlike any other in Australia. At the tropical Top End, this northern capital sits at the meeting point of Australia, Asia and the Pacific, its harbour, wartime history and diverse communities giving it a distinctive character all its own. Welcome aboard Scenic Eclipse II this afternoon, where butler service, a curated pillow menu and intuitive in-suite technology await in your spacious Verandah Suite. Take time to explore the decks and discover your favourite spaces before toasting the start of your voyage with a glass of Champagne in the Scenic Lounge Bar or a cocktail at the open-air Sky Bar on Deck 10.
Please note: flights must arrive into Darwin prior to 2:00 PM.
Meals: Dinner

The King George River carves its way through the remote heart of the Kimberley, culminating in King George Falls – a dramatic twin cascade dropping more than 80 metres over sheer sandstone cliffs. Accessible only by water or air, this immense gorge system reveals rust-red walls, tidal reaches and pockets of mangrove forest. Your Discovery Team will take you deeper into the gorge by Zodiac, gliding beneath towering rock faces and along mangrove-lined banks where crocodiles sun themselves and ospreys, falcons, egrets and kingfishers wheel overhead. Weather and tides permitting, the team may bring you close enough to feel the cooling spray of the falls themselves.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Vansittart Bay is a sheltered inlet of quiet beaches, red headlands and profound cultural significance for Traditional Owners. Here, traces of more recent history appear alongside ancient stories – including the remarkably well-preserved skeleton of a World War II Douglas C-53 aircraft resting in the landscape. A guided Zodiac transfer to a secluded sandy beach allows the Discovery Team to introduce the bay’s geology, history and cultural context at an unhurried pace, in one of the most remote corners of the Kimberley coastline.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning is yours to enjoy entirely as you wish. Perhaps book a treatment at the Senses Spa, join a yoga or Pilates session, take a plunge in the Vitality pool, or simply settle into a favourite spot aboard Scenic Eclipse II with a book and a beverage. Ashmore Reef – Australia’s most remote marine park – consists of three tropical islands surrounded by 583 square kilometres of protected coral reef. Scenic Eclipse II stops here for technical clearance, with no opportunity to go ashore, but the Discovery Team will be on the open decks for a fascinating birdwatching session as you sail around this extraordinary sanctuary. This evening, explore the Scenic Lounge Bar’s remarkable selection of over 130 aged whiskeys, or book a wine tasting to pair the day with the right drop.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Swift Bay offers a rare concentration of Kimberley rock art styles within a single area – Gwion Gwion and Wandjina galleries located within easy reach by Zodiac transfer. Towering sandstone escarpments and sheltered rock overhangs frame a landscape where culture and country are profoundly intertwined. Accompanied by the Discovery Team, visit ancient Gwion Gwion galleries where fine, elongated human figures appear in flowing headdresses and dynamic postures painted tens of thousands of years ago. Nearby, Wandjina rock art depicts powerful creation beings and rain-bringers that remain central to the living culture of the region’s Indigenous peoples. Subject to conditions and scheduling, there may also be an option to join a scenic helicopter flight over the Mitchell Plateau to view the tiered cascades of Mitchell Falls from the air.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today Scenic Eclipse II cruises through York Sound to the mouth of the Hunter River – a true wilderness of wild escarpments, monsoon rainforests and the four-tiered Mitchell Falls, carved out over millennia. Also known as Punamii-uunpuu, Mitchell Falls is an iconic Kimberley landmark of deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Wunambal people. Subject to conditions and scheduling, an optional helicopter flight offers magnificent aerial views of the Hunter River or the falls themselves. This afternoon, treat yourself to an indulgent session in the Senses Spa, relax in a Deck 10 cabana, or ask your butler to deliver afternoon tea to your private verandah as the wilderness drifts past.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake to Montgomery Reef – the world’s largest inshore reef, with some of the Earth’s biggest tidal changes reaching up to 10 metres. As the tides rise and fall, both soft and hard coral are exposed in a remarkable natural spectacle. Go ashore at Freshwater Cove on Worrora country for a deeply meaningful cultural encounter with Dambimangari Traditional Owners of the Arraluli clan. Hear the story of the Wijingarra – the native spotted quoll – and how the area’s freshwater was created in the Dreaming. Subject to conditions and approvals, explore Montgomery Reef by Zodiac with your Discovery Team, where sea turtles, octopus, sharks, rays and dolphins may all make an appearance.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Careening Bay is closely linked to the earliest chapters of Australian coastal exploration. In 1820, British surveyor Phillip Parker King careened his vessel HMC Mermaid here for repairs, marking the occasion by having its name carved into the trunk of a vast boab tree – an inscription that remains visible to this day. Guided by the Discovery Team, time ashore includes a visit to the historic Mermaid Tree and the surrounding shoreline, with opportunities to explore quiet beaches, distinctive boab trees and coastal vegetation. A small craft cruise around nearby islands and inlets may reveal mangroves, sheltered coves, sea turtles and the striking interplay of light on sandstone and basalt cliffs.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sir David Attenborough named the Horizontal Falls at Talbot Bay one of the greatest natural wonders of the world – and experiencing them firsthand makes it easy to understand why. Created by a unique combination of geology and massive tidal surges squeezed through two narrow cliff passages, this is the only place on Earth where horizontal falls exist. Explore by Zodiac through narrow Talbot Creek – locally known as Cyclone Creek – where extraordinary sandstone folding frames the landscape and rock wallabies may be spotted on outcrops above. Eighteen species of birdlife inhabit this area including Australian Ibis, Brahminy Kite and Brown Honeyeater. After a full day in this extraordinary environment, relax in the Vitality pool as the panoramic views of the Kimberley coast stretch out around you.
Please note: guests will have the opportunity to view the Horizontal Falls but will not cruise through them.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The untouched Lacepede Islands lie just 120 kilometres north of Broome – an A-class nature reserve and one of Western Australia’s most significant wildlife sanctuaries. These islands are the state’s top breeding ground for green turtles and a prime location to observe majestic humpback whales during their seasonal migration north. Vast seabird colonies fill the air with sound and movement in a scene of raw, unspoiled abundance. This afternoon, settle into one of the eight bars and lounges on board, curl up in the Observation Lounge library, or join the Discovery Team in the theatre for a recap of the extraordinary places and experiences of the past ten days.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Your Expedition Voyage concludes this morning in Broome. Enjoy a final breakfast on board and take a moment to reflect on the rare and remarkable experiences of the past ten nights – places seen by very few, stories heard from the oldest living culture on Earth, and landscapes that exist nowhere else. Bid farewell to your Discovery Team, crew and fellow travellers as you disembark Scenic Eclipse II.
Please note: onward flights from Broome should be booked to depart no earlier than 10:00 AM.
Meals: Breakfast