There are Kimberley cruises.
And then there are Kimberley cruises that are right for you.
I've spent nearly 30 years promoting cruises through the Kimberley, and if there is one thing I've learned, it's that choosing a Kimberley cruise isn't simply a matter of finding a ship you like and booking a cabin.
The Kimberley is enormous. The coastline is remote. The tides are extraordinary. The scenery changes dramatically through the cruising season. And the ships themselves can offer remarkably different experiences.
Some are intimate and intensely expedition-focused. Others deliver an extraordinary level of luxury. Some put you right into the landscape in Zodiacs and on shore excursions. Others give you more space, more restaurants and more facilities on board.
And then there are the itineraries.
Two Kimberley cruises can visit many of the same famous places and still feel completely different.
That's why choosing the right Kimberley cruise matters.
This is my guide to understanding the Kimberley by sea — what to expect, when to go, which ships and itineraries to consider, and how to choose the experience that is right for you.
There are few places in Australia where a cruise makes as much sense as it does in the Kimberley.
This is not a destination where you simply drive from one attraction to another.
The Kimberley's spectacular coastline, rivers, gorges, reefs, waterfalls and islands stretch across an immense and largely inaccessible wilderness.
A ship becomes your floating base camp.
One day you might be watching a massive tidal phenomenon unfold at Montgomery Reef. The next you could be standing beneath one of the Kimberley's great waterfalls, exploring ancient rock formations, looking for crocodiles or heading ashore to discover extraordinary Aboriginal rock art.
And then there are the moments when the destination itself becomes the experience — cruising beneath towering cliffs, watching humpback whales, drifting through remote waterways or simply sitting on deck as the Kimberley landscape rolls past.
The Kimberley isn't really a destination you see. It's a destination you explore.
