Deal

Arrive in Darwin. The capital of Australia’s remote Northern Territory, Darwin began as a frontier town of gold miners, and has developed into a thriving multicultural city. Spend a night at our group hotel.

Welcome aboard National Geographic Orion, your home for the next 10 nights. We cast off in the afternoon.

Settle into your cabin and prepare for the amazing photographic opportunities ahead with talks and hands-on instruction by our certified photo instructor. The ship makes a brief technical stop at Com.

Following our stop at Com, we continue into the heart of the Kimberley.

Wyndham is our base for exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site of Purnululu National Park, home of the breathtaking Bungle Bungle Range. These ancient hills resemble giant beehives, surrounded by deep chasms filled with vegetation. Enjoy incredible views of this otherworldly karst landscape during a chartered flightseeing excursion. Alternatively, cruise the Ord River to Lake Argyle, keeping an eye out for crocodiles, wallabies, jabirus (black-necked storks), and kookaburras in the remarkably lush ecosystem that has developed above the Ord River Dam. Take in views of the lake from a scenic lookout, and learn about the area’s pioneers on a visit to the Durack homestead and museum.

Enjoy the unique opportunity to ride Zodiacs up the King George River today, passing between nearly vertical canyon walls. Our destination is the dramatic and remote King George Falls, where water drains off the plateau in twin cascades dropping some 80 metres. Depending on the conditions, we’ll hang back in the refreshing mist to watch the thundering water, or get right up close —and even behind—the falls.

Enter Vansittart Bay and go ashore at Jar Island to experience the mystical culture of Kimberley’s Aboriginal people at an outdoor gallery of prehistoric Gwion Gwion rock art. The elegant images were recorded by Joseph Bradshaw in 1891, and date back tens of thousands of years. If time allows, visit the wreck of a DC-3 aircraft that crashed nearby during World War II.

With crimson cliffs jutting toward the sky and thick mangroves along the water’s edge, Hunter River boasts some of the most spectacular scenery on the Kimberley coast. Drop anchor near Naturalist Island and set off to explore Hunter River by Zodiac. Navigate the mangroves, on the lookout for crocodiles and numerous bird species. Or choose to embark on an optional helicopter ride to Mitchell Falls, and enjoy a unique perspective on the Kimberley’s vast, rugged, and hard-to-reach interior.

The Kimberley coast is known for its dramatic tides. Conditions permitting, we’ll arrive at Montgomery Reef at the turn of the tide and position ourselves to watch the water drop rapidly and miles of reef appear suddenly, as if rising from the sea. This is a fantastic opportunity to spot wildlife such as egrets, sea turtles, and reef sharks as they forage for creatures trapped on the reef.

Sail into the Buccaneer Archipelago to witness an extraordinary phenomenon: the Horizontal Falls of Talbot Bay. The rapid rise and fall of the tide unleashes a surge of up to 10 metres as trapped water pushes through two narrow gorges. We’ll ride Zodiacs to experience this exhilarating event firsthand. Later in the day, join our naturalists on an excursion to Cyclone Bay to explore the twisted geological folds of the ancient seabed.

Just south of Koolan Island, Nares Point is a long finger of sandstone that protrudes from the mainland, providing great opportunities for Zodiac outings and guided beach walks. In nearby Crocodile Creek—which despite its name, is free of crocodiles—take a refreshing swim in cool natural pools.