APT Touring: West Coast Explorer with Kimberley Coastal Expedition

Travel to Nambung National Park, a striking coastal desert region, home to the unique limestone Pinnacles. Enjoy lunch before continuing to the town of Geraldton, where you will visit the H.M.A.S Sydney Memorial, dedicated to those who served in the Royal Australian Navy and the lives and ships lost. 

Staying The Gerald Apartment Hotel, or similar

This morning, head to Kalbarri National Park to begin your explorations. Take in the remarkable views from the Skywalk.

Enrich Your Experience – Abrolhos Island Flyover

Before continuing to Kalbarri, perhaps join an optional breathtaking flight over the Abrolhos Islands, located 55 kilometres off the coast. Marvel at the scenic beauty of the Pelaert and Wallabi Groups from above as you glide over the azure waters. Experience the rich history of the Batavia wreck site and keep an eye out for seasonal whale sightings (own expense).

Staying Kalbarri Edge Resort

This morning, journey along the Butchers Track to the stunning coastline where World Heritage-listed Shark Bay lies. This westernmost part of Australia has a unique combination of stunning scenery and amazing flora and fauna, unlike anywhere else in Australia. Later, continue to Monkey Mia. 

Staying Two Nights, Shark Bay, Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort

Enjoy a special Signature Experience this morning then perhaps explore pristine white sand beaches during a time at leisure. Relish a sunset cruise before a seafood dinner at your resort.

Signature Experience – Dolphin Feeding Demonstration

See the wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins of Monkey Mia that have visited the shallows for the last 50 years and watch as local rangers undertake a dolphin feeding demonstration (subject to appearance). 

Today, head to Hamelin Pool to see the stromatolites, which are considered the world’s oldest living organisms. Enjoy a stop at Shell Beach then continue to Carnarvon on the Gascoyne River. 

Staying Carnarvon, Best Western Hospitality Inn

Travel to World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park and join a cruise aboard a glass bottom boat at Coral Bay. Enjoy the opportunity to snorkel on this unspoilt reef in warm crystal-clear waters. Beneath the surface, you'll find dugongs, dolphins, manta rays, and more than 500 species of fish. Marine playgrounds really don’t get much better than this. 

Staying Two Nights, Exmouth, Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort

Explore Cape Range National Park as you board a cruise through the gorge walls of Yardie Creek. Admire the plethora of wildlife, the deep waters and the dramatic red limestone cliff faces. Make a stop in Turquoise Bay, voted as one of the best beaches in the world. Later, visit the Vlamingh Head Lighthouse on your way back to the resort for dinner.

This morning, travel to Karijini National Park, Western Australia’s second largest national park. Continue to your beautiful eco retreat within the park, nestled in the pristine bushland near Joffre Gorge, a magnificent curved waterfall that has formed a natural amphitheatre. Here, enjoy dinner before getting some much-needed rest before tomorrow's exploration.  

Staying Two Nights, Karijini Eco Retreat

Enjoy a full day to discover the contrasting landscapes of Karijini National Park where a vast range of flora and fauna thrives.

Signature Experience - Karijini National Park

Discover the contrasting landscapes of Karijini National Park.  See the rugged red beauty of Dales Gorge. Perhaps walk to stunning Joffre Falls, located near the eco retreat, or admire the rich red colours from Oxer and Junction Pool lookouts. Later, visit the 20-metre tumbling Fortescue Falls.

Explore the Pilbara mining region as you take a tour of Mount Whaleback Mine today. Hear the latest up-to-date information about the current mining projects at the world’s largest open cut iron ore mine. Afterwards, arrive at your hotel for dinner.  

Staying Seasons Hotel Newman

Travel to Marble Bar via Nullagine, a town that takes its name from the local Indigenous name for the river that runs through its centre. Marble Bar is infamously known as the hottest town in Australia. The town received its name after a stunning formation of jasper which settlers mistook for a huge bar of marble. Later, arrive at Port Hedland, a mining town renowned for its extensive exportation of iron ore.

Staying Port Hedland, The Esplanade Hotel

Stop at the famous Eighty Mile Beach, a stunning coastline that marks the end of the Great Sandy Desert. Keep an eye out for the migratory birds that call the wetland area home. Continue to Eco Beach Resort and enjoy a relaxed dinner this evening. 

Staying Eco Beach Resort

Travel to Broome today and check in to your resort. The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure before a final dinner with your small group this evening.

Staying Broome, Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa

Enjoy a leisurely morning, before being welcomed aboard your expedition ship in the afternoon. The Seabourn Pursuit is the newest and most luxurious ship on the Kimberley Coast, boasting incredible facilities, delectable dining options and personalised service. You might like to admire the views from the panoramic balcony of your spacious suite, sip champagne on the outdoor deck, take a dip in the infinity pool or share stories of your adventures with your newfound friends in one of the luxurious shared spaces. A relaxed dinner this evening gives you the chance to meet your fellow travellers and sets the tone for the next nine nights on board.

Staying Nine Nights, Seabourn Pursuit

Cruise to Adele Island and join your Expedition Team member for an exploration of this remote coastal area by Zodiac. The island is surrounded by Adele Reef, teeming with an array of coral and marine life, including reef sharks and stingrays. There’s further promise of turquoise waters this afternoon as your ship arrives in the Buccaneer Archipelago, home to more than 800 islands. This evening, enjoy a captain’s welcome dinner.

Explore Talbot Bay and Cyclone Creek. Accompanied by your Expedition Team Leader, you’ll weave nimbly past the dramatic folds of rock formations, keeping a look out for local wildlife.

Signature Experience – Horizontal Falls

Today, your ship cruises to Talbot Bay, known for its massive 12-metre tides that create the unique Horizontal Falls. Subject to tidal conditions, board a Zodiac with your Expedition Team to view this natural phenomenon up close.

Today, visit Freshwater Cove and Montgomery Reef, where you will enjoy two Signature Experiences.

Signature Experience – Arraluli Heritage Exploration

Experience a Welcome to Country and an immersive smoking ceremony conducted by the Arraluli people, the traditional custodians of the land. Then, embark on a guided hike led by the Expedition Team to explore a mesmerising rock art site where your Aboriginal guide will offer an interpretation of the rock art. This Signature Experience offers a profound connection to the rich cultural heritage and timeless traditions of the Arraluli people.

Signature Experience – Montgomery Reef

Following your visit to Freshwater Cove, depart with your Expedition Team to discover Montgomery Reef by Zodiac. Soak in the amazing scenes as Montgomery Reef dramatically rises out of the ocean as a result of the region’s strong tides. Cruise through narrow channels between the world’s largest inshore reef as you admire the spectacle, and the incredible wildlife exposed by the cascading water.

Venture to Prince Frederick Harbour today, home to the towering red cliffs and tangled mangroves of Hunter River and Porosus Creek. With its extreme tides and pristine ecosystems, the harbour and its waterways are rich in wildlife including mudskippers and saltwater crocodiles. Porosus Creek takes its name from the scientific name for the saltwater crocodile, a good indication of what we’re looking for today. Keen birdwatchers should keep a careful eye out for kingfishers, egrets, herons and white-bellied sea eagles. To enhance your day, you might choose to set out on a thrilling helicopter flight to see Mitchell Falls in all its splendour from above.

Enrich Your Experience – Mitchell Falls Scenic Helicopter Flight

Soar over the incredible and breathtaking Mitchell Falls on a scenic helicopter flight experience (additional expense).

Enjoy a relaxed morning aboard your luxurious ship. This afternoon, pay a special visit to Ashmore Reef Marine Park. Located in the Timor Sea and spanning 583 square kilometres, the reef is a sanctuary for many marine species. Every year, more than 100,000 seabirds breed here, including crested terns, white-tailed tropicbirds and great frigatebirds. In addition to the prolific birdlife, beneath the clear tropical waters, the coral reefs, seagrass meadows, sandflats and lagoons of Ashmore Reef are home to a colourful array of marine life. 255 species of reef-building coral dwell here – the greatest number of any reef on the West Australian coast. Our visit to Ashmore Reef is required to ensure we comply with Australian government regulations. Pending favourable weather and sea conditions, you’ll explore this sanctuary via Zodiac with your Expedition Team.

This morning, join your Expedition Team on an intriguing discovery. Walk across salt flats to view the wreckage of a US Air Force C-53, which crash-landed near Vansittart Bay during World War II. Later, we reposition in the bay to visit Jar Island and discover the island’s outstanding rock art gallery. During your exploration here, you’ll see fascinating examples of Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw) paintings, dating back more than 20,000 years.

Today, your ship cruises into Koolama Bay. Learn about how this bay was renamed following the Japanese bombing of the MV Koolama in 1942. Afterwards, join your Expedition Team aboard a Zodiac to meander through King George River’s gorge system, passing mangrove-fringed coves and sheer red cliffs.

Signature Experience – King George Falls

Get up close and personal to the magnificent King George Falls, where the King George River tumbles 80 metres down from lofty sandstone cliffs. You’ll be able to experience its power as your Zodiac creeps close to the iconic waterfall.

Today, enjoy a relaxed day at sea as your ship makes its way towards Darwin, arriving in the evening. Take advantage of the ultra-luxurious features of your ship: perhaps relax by the pool with a glass of champagne, indulge on delicious made-to-order sushi or 24-hour in-suite dining, or attend an informative lecture hosted by your expert Expedition team.

Disembark in Darwin this morning and bid farewell to your ship before you are transferred to the airport.