{"id":72504,"date":"2024-03-18T17:47:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T06:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.signatureluxurytravel.com.au\/?p=72504"},"modified":"2024-03-18T17:47:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T06:47:52","slug":"cruising-the-kimberley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.signatureluxurytravel.com.au\/cruising-the-kimberley\/","title":{"rendered":"This Ponant Kimberley cruise takes you to Australia’s natural wonders"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Lisa Wagstaff sets sail through Australia\u2019s most untamed coastline aboard Ponant\u2019s Le Lap\u00e9rouse.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As our Zodiac skims across the Indian Ocean, Ngalangie \u2013 Montgomery Reef peeks out of the water in the distance. As we draw closer, the majestic 400-square-kilometre reef rises before me, taking my breath away. Water cascades down well-gouged grooves into thousands of waterfalls. Turtles are feasting around us on the algae and seagrass that\u2019s washing off the reef. Ngalangie \u2013 Montgomery Reef is the world\u2019s largest inshore reef, and its remarkable corals can survive above the water for hours a day during the Kimberley\u2019s<\/a> massive tidal cycles. Experiences like these during Ponant\u2019s 10-day Kimberley cruise show me that there is nowhere like this remote region in the north-west of Australia. Billion-year-old sandstone gorges make me feel tiny and just a small part of this complex ecosystem. Migratory seabirds, whales and rock wallabies have me marvelling at the diversity of life, while mangroves, red-flowered sticky kurrajong (also known as the Kimberley rose), and rock figs clinging to cliffs awe me with their ability to thrive in such harsh and remote environments.<\/p>\n

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Witnessing the Horizontal Falls<\/h3>\n

At the Horizontal Falls, described by David Attenborough as \u201cAustralia\u2019s most unusual natural wonder\u201d, I witness more than a million litres of water passing through these unique falls per second. The falls are, in fact, created by tidal movements, the water flowing through a horizontal opening between two headlands with a remarkable amount of power and speed. The first \u2018waterfall\u2019 is 20 metres wide and the second is just seven; it\u2019s almost incomprehensible to see that much water pounding through such a small space. As we approach by Zodiac, the churning water is moving at 40 kilometres per hour and has turned the blue of a glacier-fed lake. I\u2019m blown away by the falls\u2019 majesty, and I know the whole experience is one that will stay with me.<\/p>\n

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Wildlife spotting on a Ponant Kimberley Cruise<\/h3>\n

While it can be treacherous for humans, the Kimberley is a haven for wildlife. Crocodiles sun themselves along the mud flats at Hunter River; manta rays glide past the mouth of the King George River; and rock wallabies hide in the cliffs at Talbot Bay. We are also lucky enough to witness a \u2018heat run\u2019 while sailing the Lacapede Channel \u2013 a rare humpback whale mating ritual that has nine males breaching around a single female.<\/p>\n

After arriving at the Lacapede Islands, we step into the world of breeding seabirds. Expedition leader Sebastian Jones\u2019 enthusiasm is contagious, and I join in his awe as brown boobies fly overhead as we learn about their nesting habits on the island.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1710742495500{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”88200″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1710742495500{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”88201″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1710742495500{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”88202″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1710742495500{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”62245″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Kimberley Indigenous rock art<\/h3>\n

Another day, the Zodiac drops us on land to see the Kimberley\u2019s unique styles of Indigenous rock art. The Wandjina rock art at Swift Bay is suspected to be more than 4,000 years old. My favourite painting is of a sugar glider, wings spread wide in flight. At Freshwater Cove, our arrival is stalled by a crocodile lurking in the shallows \u2013 but once we disembark, we receive a Welcome to Country from the Worrorra people. Leon, a custodian of the area, shares their stories and rock art with us in Cyclone Cave, a cavern named for the Dreamtime story and dangerous weather depicted within.<\/p>\n

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Life on Le Laperouse<\/em><\/h3>\n

Being able to wake up in each of these remarkable destinations has been made possible by cruising with Ponant. I\u2019m able to immerse myself in rugged destinations and then return to the splendour on the ship. When not out developing a love for rock formations, time on the French-owned Le Lap\u00e9rouse<\/em> passes in the blink of an eye. Documentaries, lectures, four-course lunches and dinners, piano recitals, themed afternoon teas, stargazing, a sauna and gym mean I spend less time reading my novel by the pool than expected. Le Lap\u00e9rouse<\/em> has two restaurants, Le Nemo for casual dining, and the silver-service Le Nautilus. Menus are bursting with French flavours and Charles Heidsieck Champagne is the house pour.<\/p>\n

Le Lap\u00e9rouse<\/em> takes just 184 guests, providing my own slice of Parisian paradise on the intimate cruise ship. There are 92 thoughtfully designed cabins and suites with private balconies and terraces. With one staff member per 1.5 guests, I am treated like royalty.<\/p>\n

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Spa time<\/h3>\n

Instead of filling out a pre-treatment form at the spa, my therapist, Charlotte, discusses all of the usual questions with me, making it far more personal from the start. I have had so many treatments, but this is somehow the most special. I feel like precious cargo. Charlotte is gentle, yet firm, and her hands never seem to leave my body for the entire 90 minutes.<\/p>\n

The spa design is also not to be overlooked, with its grand floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to sea, and as I relax to the gentle movement of the ship in harmony with the soft murmur of the engines, I\u2019m in a place of bliss.\u00a0There truly is nowhere like the Kimberley. I leave with a deeper connection to nature and myself after visiting this unique part of the world \u2013 it is a region that every Australian should experience at least once.<\/p>\n

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