Impressed by the personal attention and dramatic sights on a cruise along Australia’s Kimberley coast

Bill Reed continues his account of traveling with his wife, Betty, through Australia’s Kimberley region.

The sheer red and black faces of the sandstone walls, rising up to 100 meters above the sea, dwarfed our ship, True North, as we glided silently up to a waterfall. As the narrow channel in which we were traveling constricted to about twice the width of the ship, the top of the rock face became difficult to see. 

A deckhand signaled as the captain edged the ship to within about an arm’s length of the falls. Those standing on the bow got wet with the spray. 

Bow thrusters turned the ship, and we headed out after about 20 minutes in the spray.

It was the dry season in the Kimberley region of northern Australia, and the waterfall had slowed to a trickle, emerging partway down the wall face. The stone, for some distance on either side, had been stained black by the wet-season rains that continue to imperceptibly erode the surface and move the canyon farther from the open sea.

Red, brown, black and tan comprised the major colors that almost jumped off the face of the walls. When framed by the cloudless deep-blue sky, the scene was breathtaking!

The True North difference

We traveled for 14 days in this remote region and, up until the last day, saw only a handful of other vessels. 

Operated by the Australian company Northstar Cruises (in North America, phone 949/487-0522, www.northstarcruises.com.au), the 50-meter-long True North carries 36 passengers and 20 crew. It is a luxury craft, and this trip is for travelers who are willing to spend a little more to feel as if they are being looked after not as paying customers but as guests. 

There are many ways to see the world. You can go it alone or with your partner riding in the local buses. You can go on a big cruise with a thousand others, or you can travel with a smaller group. Each has its advantages and each offers a different experience. 

This 14-day cruise along 1,200 miles of pristine Kimberley coast is one not to be missed if you like small groups, wilderness and gourmet meals. There was even a helicopter to ferry passengers from the ship to those inaccessible places few in the world get to see.

Life on board

At Kununurra, we were picked up by bus and driven about two hours to the fairly desolate wharf in Wyndham to board the True North. 

As we stepped aboard, we took off our shoes, which we wouldn’t use on board again until we left the ship some two weeks later. This helped to keep the ship in pristine condition. The crew also cleaned the ship every day and wiped down all walls and furniture every three days to keep it as it was when we first stepped on.

The cabins were made up when we went to breakfast (a buffet of cereal and fruit along with a selected hot dish), and a detailed cleaning was done when we were gone for our chosen daily activity. 

Every crew member greeted each guest by his or her first name at every meeting, even when passing in the hall. In the evening, they turned down the bed, gave us a printed page with the following day’s activities and left two chocolates, just in case we had an attack of chocolate withdrawal.

We rose about 6 a.m. each day, with breakfast usually starting at 6:30 or sometimes 7. By 8 or 8:30 we were off to the activity of our choice. Every day (almost without exception, though it was weather driven), guests could either go fishing (everything provided), go for a walk (generally to see rock art) or go for a scenic ride in one of the six tenders they carried. For those who opted for a helicopter trip when offered (maximum of six people per trip), departures were arranged so the flight did not prevent participation in other activities, if at all possible. 

The large number of tenders ensured we were never crowded. If you were fishing, there was room to cast; if you were sightseeing, there was room to move around.

Motoring to get to the next location was mostly done at night or, if the change in position was small, it was done during the time you were on your activity, and you rejoined the ship in its new location.

Tender excursions were not just short trips out to a feature and then back. In some cases you might travel 30 to 40 miles up rivers and around bends to small waterfalls or another, more promising, fishing site. Drinks were always packed and easily accessible. 

Although the beaches were inviting and the water tempting, swimming was not possible because of the ever-present threat of saltwater crocodiles. They were seen every day and appeared almost out of nowhere. Each tender carried a wooden bat in case a croc got too close (this never was the case, however). The threat was real and the precautions effective.

The crew was so flexible that you could change your mind as you headed to an activity if you decided you wanted to do something else. This was your trip, and they stood ready to make sure you got to do what you wanted to do. There was no sense of being herded from one place to another. 

After the morning’s activity came lunch and then a short rest and another activity. 

Helicopter highlight

One of the most memorable helicopter excursions was a heli-picnic at the top of Eagle Falls. The flight to the falls took about 30 minutes up spectacular gorges and over numerous smaller falls. The helicopter landed on a ledge wide enough to support the runners, but the tail hung over the precipice. (As we were landing, we wondered where the pilot was going to put the chopper down!) 

The picnic, which lasted all afternoon, afforded ample time to explore upstream, have a swim in a croc-free rock pool or watch the lone crocodile in the lower pool waiting to greet any visitor who was foolish enough to take a swim.

Prior to taking us to the picnic, staff had flown up every possible convenience: chairs, tables and more food than we could eat. Huge awnings to sit under were strung from the rock face to trees, and champagne, wine, beer and soft drinks flowed in quantities almost equal to the flow of the stream.

The Kimberley is littered with sandstone, so the huge boulders are easy to scramble over because they are not slippery. The area is rugged from a distance but not so formidable up close.

After returning to the ship from our afternoon activity, time was allowed to freshen up before dinner. Nearly everybody met in the bar, and generally there was time for one relaxed drink and some conversation. After that was a meal.

The chef would come by each table and explain what was about to be served, and then a highly choreographed “dance” started, each table being served quickly so that everybody started with a hot meal.

There were all the appropriate vegetables, appetizers and desserts to go with each of the main courses, the list of which is too long to include. 

The experience

We have been on trips ranging from tent camping in the Okavango Delta, riding on top of our luggage in the back of an open truck, to private tours with as few as four travelers and cruises with as many as 200. We have been on African safaris with only our two best friends and stayed in exclusive camps. 

This wide range of trips gives me some justification in saying that this trip on the True North was different. It combined the best features of the very small groups (because we were always treated as individuals) with the benefits of the larger trips, mainly having the wide variety of people to talk to. 

All that said, you don’t do this trip just for the onboard experience. You go to fish in places few ever even get to see. You go to fly over incredible falls and up winding rivers. You go to see the Kimberley coast.

Seven-night Kimberley cruises on the True North start at AUD11,095 ($8,641) per person; the 13-night cruise starts at AUD17,995. Because of the flights and accommodation that you’ll need to take this cruise, I suggest booking with Karolyn Wrightson at Essential DownUnder Travel (Asheville, NC; 877/977-4505, www.essentialdownunder.com). Karolyn has broad familiarity with travel logistics in Australia, and she has also sailed the Kimberley.