On top of the deck it is very busy. “What the hell is that?” There is a frenzied struggle to discern what exactly is coming towards our ship.
“Get the binoculars!” someone shouts. The theories come thick and fast – then, oh, is it just rope, or maybe seaweed? But as it floats by on the gentle swell of the ocean, it becomes clear that it is, in fact, a huge sea serpent.
It’s not the first dazzling sight we’ve come across here on the waters off Kimberley’s Australian coast. Our 12-night journey, from the ancient pearl town of Broome to the bustling harbor town of Darwin, has already taken us through Horizontal Waterfalls and into mirrored bays where the rocks shelter ancient Aboriginal art, and past wild gorges where ospreys peer out from cliffs in the crimson cliffs and crocodiles bask open-jawed in the thick heat of the sun.
The Kimberley, in Western Australia’s far north, is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s last great wilderness destinations – home to vast, desolate plains, towering mountains and a remote, almost impenetrable coastline. The region is almost twice the size of the United Kingdom, yet has fewer people per square meter than almost any other place on earth.
The vast, bold landscapes, ravaged by monsoon rains in the wet season and baked red under intense heat in the dry season, are steeped in fascinating history, from tales of pearl diving to frontier wars and Aboriginal creation myths. Some of the world’s largest tides wash away the empty beaches here, and thousands of intriguing islands are scattered like shards of broken pottery along the coastline. It comes as no surprise that this is a place best explored by boat.
Sights to behold: Lizzie Pook joins a 12-night voyage on cruise ship Le Laperouse (above) around Kimberley in Western Australia’s far north
And we are indeed on a very nice ship. Le Laperouse is a 184 capacity mega yacht, perfectly designed to explore the kind of places few get to visit. It features 92 staterooms and suites (all with private balconies), a spa, a sommelier, butlers and includes helicopter tours.
The food is also exquisite. We start each adventurous day with a feast of benedicts, pancakes and omelettes, while dinners of kingfish fillet, lobster and wagyu beef are served with the best Artemis Domaines wines under the moon at Le Nautilus restaurant.
But the most indulgent thing is not the food, nor the fancy suites, nor the generous amount of champagne at breakfast. No doubt it is our skilled expedition team that smoothly filters us into Zodiac boats and takes us into this heartbreakingly dramatic landscape.
Lizzie travels on a luxury expedition ship called Le Laperouse. Pictured is the ship sauna
The ship features 92 staterooms and suites, all with private balconies
On board, Lizzie enjoys dinners of kingfish fillet, lobster and Wagyu beef ‘served with the finest Artemis Domaines wines’
As we make our way through the eerily atmospheric mangrove channels of Porosis Creek one day, expedition leader Brad Climpson regales us with tales of crocodiles launching their entire bodies out of the water to snatch prey from low hanging branches.
While snorkeling in vibrant blue-green waters at Ashmore Reef, surrounded by sea turtles, manta rays and young tiger sharks, scientist and wildlife filmmaker Dr. Frederique Olivier takes us to a very special island.
As we get closer, the entire landmass seems to shake, break apart, and then float upwards. We suddenly realize that it is tens of thousands of seabirds – noddies, gannets and frigatebirds – roaming and filling the sky above us. It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, and I half expect to turn my head to see Sir David Attenborough bobbing on a boat behind us, binoculars raised.
Spectacle: Lizzie experiences the thrill of Kimberley’s Horizontal Waterfalls
Le Laperouse (pictured) is ‘perfectly designed to explore the kind of places few get to visit’
A nightly lecture series, held in the ship’s theater, helps us put into context what we’ve seen on our daily excursions. In addition to lectures by geologists and naturalists, anthropologist Dr. Shirley Campbell helps us interpret the remarkable Wandjina petroglyphs we see on land every day. This landscape may look barren, but people have lived here for tens of thousands of years.
Bart Pigram, a Yawuru guide and museum curator from Broome, also speaks passionately and captivatingly about his family’s history with pearl diving. lucrative South Sea pearl shell.
It is a real honor to learn firsthand from those who have dedicated their lives to studying this environment and its rich human and natural history. These conversations give us a deep, valuable understanding of the Kimberley.
Each day ends in appropriate style with a cocktail hour on the observation deck of Le Laperouse. As we chat excitedly about the incredible things we’ve seen – keeping our eyes peeled for more visiting sea serpents, or watching the flying fish skim the flat ocean – the sun slowly sets, setting the sky ablaze with lilac , amber and gold.
These iconic Kimberley sunsets are one of the most unfathomably beautiful things you could ever see. For that beauty alone, a visit to this remote, exciting part of the world is worth it.