Scenic Group's director of discovery activities, Jason Flesher, often jokes that everything in Australia is trying to kill you.
It's an element that will make expedition cruises to Australia's remote Kimberley region “a little more adventurous”, he said.
Crocodiles and other threats aside, expedition cruise ships have been flocking to the Kimberley's warm waters this year, drawn by ancient Montgomery Reef, cascading waterfalls and the chance to experience Aboriginal culture.
“If you love Antarctica, this is your next stop. It's a place you can only get to by expedition ship and it's just as beautiful as Antarctica but with a different side,” Flesher said.
Just two years ago, the Kimberley had just three cruise lines. This year, at least eight cruise lines are sailing through this part of northwest Australia, Mr Flesher said, including Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant, Seabourn Cruises, Scenic, Silversea Cruises and Australia-based Coral Expeditions.
A waterfall on the Prince Regent River in the Kimberley region of Australia. Photo courtesy of Scenic Group.
Flesher said the Kimberley's red sandstone, interesting geography, greenery and indigenous culture were reminiscent of the American Southwest, making it a magnet for Western movie fans.
As the cruise industry flourishes in this rugged region, operators are aware of the importance of not straining the national parks and indigenous communities. The Kimberley's Aboriginal people have lived there for more than 50,000 years, longer than any other group of people who have lived in one place.
Flesher said there was no local scheduling tool, so they decided to work with cruise operators to create one themselves, to avoid putting any burden on the community and its residents.
Scheduling can also be tricky, he said, because the Kimberley is known for experiencing tidal changes of between eight and 14 metres every six hours, which determine when ships can call at remote coasts, making timing and cooperation key.
Operators must obtain permits from multiple authorities, along with indigenous communities, and it goes without saying that before they can plan a Zodiac landing in the area, they must ensure that the area is free of saltwater crocodiles.
Respecting tradition
The traditional owners of the Kimberley Aboriginal people, Unambal Nga'Ambela, were chosen as godparents for Seabourn Pursuit. Photo courtesy Seabourn Cruises
The region and its Indigenous communities are so important to the cruise lines that operate there that Seabourn has appointed the region's Unambal Gambela traditional owners as godfathers of its second expedition ship, Seabourn Pursuit.
Traditional Owners is an Australian term for people whose ancestors have a connection to particular land. The Wunambar Ngaambela Traditional Owners come from Ngurah Dja Island in Vansittart Bay, Irini on the Hunter River and Nawuddu on the Mitchell Tablelands in the Kimberley, where Seabourn will be calling.
Seaborn will also make a donation to Unambal Ga'Ambela to help them create arts and crafts to sell, as well as provide mother-of-pearl shells, art supplies and polishing materials.
Robin West, Seabourn's vice president and general manager of expeditions, said the Kimberley cruises had received an “overwhelmingly positive response” from cruise guests and were particularly popular among North American and Australian travellers.
“We are always looking for new destinations to visit because our guests always want to discover natural and cultural wonders in the most remote parts of the planet,” he said. “The Kimberley offers just that, so it was a natural fit to explore the region on Seabourn Pursuit.”
With two helicopters on board its expedition vessels, Scenic is able to work with Aboriginal communities to offer unique tours. Scenic has permission to fly guests directly onto specific First Nations lands, including pools above waterfalls and pearl farms, far from the crocodiles. Guests can also visit Aboriginal communities and experience their culture through traditional art and dance.
And if the waves are too strong to land the Zodiacs, helicopters can transport Aboriginal people to the boat to perform or speak to guests.
A nurse shark swims near a Zodiac in Chestnut Bay. Photo credit: Scenic Group
Who should go?
Adventurous travelers who have cruised to the Antarctic or Arctic are looking to go somewhere new, said Claire Maguire, owner of Fort Lauderdale-based Cruise Planners franchise Island Girl Travel and Vacations and a travel advisor who specializes in exploration.
“Everybody's going pretty much everywhere now,” she said.
With just over a week until his first voyage in the Kimberley departs, Maguire said he determines a guest's eligibility to visit the region by learning where they've already been or by introducing the destination to clients who aren't interested in the polar cold or are drawn to more tropical destinations (the Kimberley averages 80 degrees Fahrenheit even in winter, and temperatures can reach 101 degrees).
However, there is a word of caution when it comes to crocodiles.
“It's not for people who are thinking of going on a Caribbean vacation and jumping off a boat in the ocean,” she said. “I think the terms will be very carefully defined.”
