Australia’s Kimberley: A Voyage to the Outback April 22 - May 6, 2016 Sunday & Monday, April 24 & 25, 2016 Broome, Australia / Embark Coral Discoverer Broome was hot; very hot. An unseasonable high of 104ºF(!) greeted us as we arrived for the start of our Kimberley expedition. As we settled into the beautiful Cable Beach Club Resort, we acclimatized, rested, and met fellow travelers. Some of us walked down to the renowned Cable Beach to find iconic camel trains marching nose-to-tail along the beach, carrying their human cargo into mirage-like vistas reminiscent of the desert. In the evening we enjoyed welcome cocktails and dinner overlooking the Indian Ocean. The next morning we divided into two groups. Some of us visited the Broome Bird Observatory on the shores of Roebuck Bay, while others learned about pearls at the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. Birders ticked off many iconic birds of the Kimberley, as they walked from the Observatory. Many wading birds were out on the mud flats following the incoming tide, and several birds of prey—including white-bellied sea eagles and three species of kites—soared above. Perhaps the most fun sighting of the day was not of the feathered kind; it was the pack of green tree-frogs jockeying for position on the toilets, which provided considerable entertainment for all! At Willie Creek Pearl Farm we were shown the delicate work of extracting pearls from the Pinctada maxima oyster, and the surgical ‘planting’ of larger ‘seeds’ so as to grow bigger pearls. In their near perfect marine environment, Broome pearls are renowned for their beauty and perfection—with prices to match! We returned to the Cable Beach Club Resort for lunch before heading out on a tour of nearly deserted Broome. We visited China Town, Streeter’s Jetty, Gantheaume Point, and the Japanese cemetery, before boarding the Coral Discoverer. Between attending the safety drill and briefing, meeting our expedition staff, and dinner, we unpacked and settled in. Tuesday, April 26 Lacepede Islands With the ship relocated just off Cable Beach, our sleep was undisturbed until the early hours of the morning when we headed northbound to the Lacepede Islands. Following breakfast, Chris Done began our lecture series with an introduction to the region, Concentrated Kimberley. Brent Stephenson followed with, Birds of the Kimberley—An Introduction to our Feathered Friends. During lunch, we arrived at the islands situated some 25 nautical miles west of Beagle Bay on the Dampier Peninsula. We boarded the Xplorer and headed towards a channel separating two low, sandy islands. The Lacepede Islands were named by Nicolas Baudin in 1801 after the celebrated French naturalist, Count Lacepede. Baudin saw the islands from a distance but, to the annoyance of the naturalists on board, refused to go closer. Although we did explore closer, we resisted the temptation to land for fear of disturbing the breeding birds. But from the comfort of the Xplorer, and with opportunities to get up closer on Zodiacs, we saw white-faced and eastern reef egrets, oystercatchers, tiny bar-tailed godwits and whimbrels, a wide variety of terns masterfully flying on the wind’s currents, hundreds of mature and immature brown and masked boobies, and several lesser frigatebirds, circling overhead and waiting to relieve the terns of their catch. Around us, green turtles bobbed up briefly and tiny black tip sharks swam in the shallows. Returning to the ship in the late afternoon, we had time to shower and dress for Captain Simon Estella’s welcome drinks and dinner. Wednesday, April 27 Talbot Bay / Cyclone Creek Having set our clocks ahead to Darwin time, we woke exceptionally early for breakfast before setting out on the Xplorer to catch the ebb tide for our first experience of the Horizontal Waterfalls at peak flow! Returning to the ship, groups boarded Zodiacs for the opportunity to experience hair-raising rides through the falls. With the falling tide, water was rushing out of the two inner ‘lakes,’ creating the phenomenon of the falls. Those of us awaiting our Zodiac rides were entertained by a 10-foot, octopus-eating, tawny nurse shark! Content to cruise off the aft deck, it accepted bits of food from Brad Climpson while he filmed it on his GoPro. Once everyone had their fill of wild Zodiac rides, we boarded the Xplorer again to see the once raging falls now closer to slack water. If we had not just experienced the force of the water flowing through the narrow gaps, we would not have given this more than a passing nod, the beauty of the uplifted sandstone walls more than enough to draw attention. What a difference a few hours makes in this land of massive tides! Back on board for lunch we shared experiences then joined Hunter Fraser for his first lecture, Evolution and Exploration in Australia. Later, as the temperatures moderated, we explored Cyclone Creek on the Xplorer and via Zodiacs. This gave us our first up-close look at the stunning geology with tilted and highly folded 1.8-billion-year-old Pentecost sandstones and Elgee siltstone formations. Mangroves lined the water’s edge as we scanned in vain for crocodile eyes just above the surface. Mangrove herons wadded in the shallow waters, surely a tempting meal for smaller crocodiles. A small group of white-quill doves hid among the shaded boulders while white-bellied sea eagles soared overhead. A posing Australian darter captured our attention and some of us were lucky enough to spot a short-eared rock wallaby as it scampered along the rocks to escape our gaze. Thursday, April 28 Montgomery Reef / Raft Point Boarding the Xplorer just before sunrise, we made our way into the glassy waters of Camden Sound. The dim light of dawn revealed the smokey red glow of the rising sun, gradually illuminating the sky as we sipped mimosas and indulged in quiches and muffins. All around us another phenomenon was emerging as the tide fell—154 square miles of reef seemed to rise out of the once quiet waters of the sound! The tidal conditions of the Kimberley coast make Montgomery Reef one of the most unique experiences in the world. Maximum tides of 33 feet hauntingly give way to seemingly rising reefs, leaving vast lagoons, sandstone islets, and mangrove islands to stand where water once concealed them. Water literally ‘falls’ from the emerging reef as cascades, shimmering in the morning sun. Green turtles, fish, and other sea creatures frantically escape with the rushing water into deeper channels. The hundreds of cascading falls attracted migratory wading birds, feeding turtles, manta rays, and black-tipped sharks. Back on board we had a late breakfast followed by Shirley Campbell speaking on, Kimberley Rock Art. In the afternoon, representatives of the Worrorra people ‘welcomed us to country’ as we came ashore at Raft Point. After our faces were marked with red ochre as a sign of respect for their ancestors, we scrambled from the beach up to the escarpment, passing needle sharp spinifex and an ancient boab tree. Our destination was a magnificent rock shelter painted with fish and Wandjina ancestors. Here, our Worrorra guides told us stories about this site and of the people who lived here. Those feeling less inclined to climb the escarpment stayed on board the Xplorer with Terry Done, and visited the nearby, and aptly named, Steep Island. After dinner there was a night-time Croc Spotting Expedition hoping to spotlight the eyes of these ancient reptiles. Alas, we saw half a crocodile, the unfortunate animal hunted rather than the hunter! Friday, April 29 Langgi / Fresh Water Cove We woke to a cloud-covered morning, promising a cooler exploration of Langgi. Being low tide, we could see the petrified shapes of Wandjina warriors exposed on the beach as we disembarked the Xplorer. Our Worrorra guides, Robyn, Jackie, Cherylyn, Wayne, and Craig, met us and told the story of Namarali, their Wandjina ancestor who, together with his warriors, fought a fierce battle at Langgi. The evidence of that battle was all around us as we wandered through the limestone pillars and soaked up the eeriness of the beach. Hunter gave his second lecture, What Darwin Didn’t Know, as we repositioned to Freshwater Cove. After lunch we disembarked onto a rocky shore to again meet our Worrorra guides. Robyn showed us the permanent fresh water stream bubbling out of the rocky beach, making this an important Worrorra camping site. Once we were formally painted and ‘welcomed to country,’ we headed a short distance inland to Cyclone Cave, traversing open sandstone country, gradually climbing and clambering over red, orange, and yellow sandstone until we finally dropped down into the rock shelter. Beautiful ochre paintings told the stories of a woman and her son, both eventually being caught in a whirl- pool on Montgomery Reef and drowning. Returning to the camp for damper and billy tea, we heard more stories about the Worrorra ancestors and had an opportunity to buy works of art depicting many of these stories. This evening after dinner, Michael Noyce, brother of film director, Phillip Noyce, gave a fascinating insight to the filming ofRabbit Proof Fence before we sat back to relive the harrowing real life experience of three little girls taken from their mothers in 1928, in what is now known as the time of the Stolen Generation. Saturday, April 30 Careening Bay / Prince Regent River The tides were right for a quick visit to the historically renowned Careening Bay. It was here, in 1820, that explorer Captain Phillip Parker King beached his ship, the HMC Mermaid.