Ultimate Kimberley Coastline, Western Australia & The Abrolhos Islands

The new Darwin cruise ship terminal at Fort Hill Wharf is adjacent to the convention centre, only one kilometre from Darwin’s CBD. Modern amenities, hotels and parking are there, plus a mini-market with beautiful local productions – Aboriginal art and crafts, diamonds and opals, and eateries, distinctive of the Top End. Darwin is a home port for the small luxury vessels Coral Princess and Coral Discoverer that explore the Kimberley coast to Broome. Read more about Darwin, Australia

King George River enters Koolama Bay and the Timor Sea from the Gardner Plateau in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The 112km river was named after King George V in 1911 by the English explorer Chas Conigrave after a privately funded expedition in the area. Over many thousands of years the river has cut back into the plateau creating stunning sheer walls and majestic waterfalls at the end of several canyons. Read more about King George River, Australia

Vansittart Bay lies 530km WSW of Darwin, on the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, facing the Indian Ocean. A small stream, low rock platforms, and the sparse Truscott-Mungalalu Plateau face the bay. This is a protected large bay with numerous small islands and secluded coves that offer plenty of fishing. Read more about Vansittart Bay, Australia

Read more about Ashmore Reef, Australia

Hunter River has its headwaters in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and flows into the NE corner of the beautiful Prince Frederick Harbour and York Sound. The river was named in 1820 by the explorer Philip Parker King, after the surgeon, James Hunter, on the ship the Mermaid. Lined with green rainforest, mangroves and soaring red cliffs, the scenery is truly spectacular. Read more about Hunter River, Australia

Bigge Island is the second largest of the islands that comprise the Bonaparte Archipelago, off the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The island is composed of weathered sandstones that form a rugged and barren landscape, but it is criss-crossed by many deep grooves and fissures, forming valleys that support the island's vegetation. Being uninhabited and free of feral creatures, it is a safe habitat for several vulnerable mammal species, including the small Monjon rock wallabies, the Ilangnalya, and the Northern Quoll. Read more about Bigge Island, Australia

The Montgomery Reef is Australia's largest inshore reef system covering more than 300km2, near the mouth of the Sale River off the Kimberley coast of West Australia. At high tide you see very little of the Reef but as the tide drops rapidly away a raging torrent of water, cascading off the top of this 400ha reef erupts, as miles of surrounding reef appears to slowly rise out of the ocean. Read more about Montgomery Reef, Australia

Talbot Bay encloses the 800, rugged and sparsely vegetated islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The major attraction, drawing thousands of visitors each year, is the Horizontal 'two way' Waterfall' that results from massive tidal movements that cause a waterfall effect as water banks up against one side of a narrow coastal gorge, then hurtles through, sideways, up to 5 metres high, to be repeated again on the turning tide! Naturalist David described the Horizontal Falls as "One of the greatest wonders of the natural world". Read more about Talbot Bay, Australia

The Buccaneer Archipelago is a group of 800 to 1000 rocky islands off the coast of Western Australia, near the town of Derby in the Kimberley region. William Dampier sighted the Archipelago in 1688, and it was named in 1821 by Captain Phillip Parker King "in commemoration of William Dampier’s visit". The islands are located in Yampi Sound, between King Sound to the south and Collier Bay to the north. Read more about Buccaneer Archipelago, Australia

The Lacepede Islands (aka the Lacepedes) are a group of four islands in the Indian Ocean off the NW coast of Western Australia, 120 km north of Broome and 30 km from the mainland. They are all small and low-lying, being composed of coarse sand and coral rubble and are important breeding grounds for green turtles and colonies of seabirds including frigates, boobies and terns. In the late 1800s the mining and extraction of ‘guano’ (phosphate) from the islands was a lucrative extra for whalers hunting humpback, sperm and blue whales in the region. Read more about Lacepede Islands, Australia

Broome, situated on a peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, is known as the ‘pearl of the north’ due to its being the home of the South Sea pearls, among the largest commercially harvested cultured pearls in the world. In the 1800s Broome attracted pearl divers from Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines, resulting in the delightful multicultural town it is today. Visitors can witness first-hand how Broome pearls are cultured on a cruise to a local pearl farm, and hear the romantic stories of the original pearl luggers. Read more about Broome, Australia

The Rowley Shoals are located over 180 nautical miles west of Broome, Western Australia. The are a chain of three spectacular, pristine coral atolls, Mermaid Reef, Clerke Reef, Imperieuse Reef with a pair of small sandy islands - Bedwell and Cunningham. Perched on the edge of Australia's continental shelf, the shoals cover 80 square kilometers. Read more about Rowley Shoals, Australia

The Montebello Islands are an archipelago of around 174 small islands (about 35 of which are named) located 128 km off the Pilbara coast of North West Australia. Montebello is Italian for Beautiful Mountain. The islands were economically significant for pearl fishing from the end of the nineteenth century until the outbreak of the Second World War. Read more about Montebello Islands, Australia

Exmouth is a small resort town situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, 1100km north of Perth in Western Australia. The location was a WWII military base, and the town was established in 1967 to support the nearby US Naval Communication Station. Some structures are still used by the Australian navy. Read more about Exmouth, Australia

Exmouth is a small resort town situated just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, 1100km north of Perth in Western Australia. The location was a WWII military base, and the town was established in 1967 to support the nearby US Naval Communication Station. Some structures are still used by the Australian navy. Read more about Exmouth, Australia

Australia’s capital city, Canberra (pop. 410,000), is situated at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, roughly mid-way between Sydney and Melbourne. The city was designed by two American architects and construction commenced in 1913. Read more about Canberra (Batemans Bay), Australia

Located on the western coast of the Peron Peninsula 831 km north of Perth, Denham is the westernmost town in Australia, and is named in honour of Captain Henry Mangles Denham of the Royal Navy, who charted Shark Bay in 1858. Today Denham survives as the gateway for the tourists who come to see the dolphins at Monkey Mia, which is located 23 km north-east of the town. The town also has an attractive beach and a jetty popular with those interested in fishing and boating. Read more about Denham, Australia

Steep Point is the westernmost point of the Australian mainland, located within the Shark Bay World Heritage site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Dirk Hartog Island is immediately north of Steep Point across the South Passage. Read more about Steep Point, Australia

The Abrolhos Islands lie about 60 kilometers west of Geraldton, on the Western Australian coast, and consist of 122 islands clustered into three main groups: the Wallabi Group, Easter Group and Pelsaert Group, which extend from north to south across 100 kilometers of ocean. The area is home to an abundance of wildlife including sea lions, dolphins, migratory whales and sea birds. The extensive coral reef system stretches for a hundred kilometers and is home to many species. Read more about Abrolhos Islands, Australia

Geraldton, located about 450 km north of Perth, boasts a beautiful coastline overlooking the Indian Ocean and rolling hills and breakaway ranges inland. The Chapman and Greenough Rivers frame the city to the north and south. This superb positioning, year-round sunny climate, combined with the friendly feel of a modern country town, makes for an enjoyable visit. Read more about Geraldton, Australia

A serene coastal town in Western Australia, known for its turquoise waters, white sand beaches, and the nearby Jurien Bay Marine Park. It’s a hub for water activities like fishing, swimming, and snorkeling. The area is also popular for sea lion encounters, which are a major attraction for tourists. Read more about Jurien Bay, Australia

Margaret River is a town in the SW of Western Australia, located in the valley of the Margaret River, 277 km south of Perth, the state capital. It is located 9 km inland from the Indian Ocean. An exciting dimension to the Margaret River cruises, passengers come ashore at Busselton, which has at 1.8km the world’s longest jetty. Read more about Margaret River, Australia

When booking cruises from Fremantle, Perth, there is only one main cruise terminal, built in 1962 the Victoria Quay Cruise Terminal at Fremantle is where all cruises from Fremantle will depart. Fremantle is a day-out destination with historic buildings, eateries, tourist attractions and ferries up the Swan River to the City, and off-shore to Rottnest Island. Cars can set-down passengers and find long-term parking nearby. Read more about Fremantle, Australia