The Flagship Destination
Published on 28 Feb 2023
The Kimberley Coast is a panorama of rugged mountains, spectacular gorges and majestic waterfalls.
The area attracts visitors from all over the world – but not everybody is fortunate enough to truly experience this ancient land.
Purpose built to go where bigger ships cannot
Whilst others sail past – the TRUE NORTH & TRUE NORTH II safely navigate the Kimberley Coast’s many shallow river systems. Our small ship cruises provide our guests with intimate access to the region’s iconic natural features.
And, our activity-based itineraries include tactile experiences such as hiking, fishing, mud crabbing, picnics, natural history interpretation, seeing ancient rock art belonging to the land’s traditional owners and exhilarating helicopter rides.
The Kimberley Region in Western Australia is one of those ultimate destinations.
The Kimberley is an ancient land and for many Australians it’s right up-there with Far North Queensland, The Top End and Tasmania. It’s just one of those mystical places that you must visit!
It’s far enough away to be remote but it’s still in our backyard. And it’s got the lot! Endless blue skies (the dry season is exactly that), spectacular wilderness areas and stunning scenery, ancient culture, some of Australia’s best beach experiences, great fishing, pristine coral atolls and, the whole package is wrapped-up in that quintessential Australian outback experience.
Lots of Everything
And there is lots of everything – in fact, there’s more than 400,000 square kilometres of The Kimberley, an area 3 times the size of England! The only thing the Kimberley doesn’t have is lots of people. Less than 40,000 people live in the Kimberley which makes the math easy – that’s less than 1000 locals for every 10,000 square kilometres which means it’s always easy to find your own special place in the Kimberley.
The region offers 2 distinct experiences – the inland experience and, the Kimberley Coast.
The inland experience is the ultimate road trip and opportunity to experience icons such as The Gibb River Road, Punululu and the gorges at Windjana and Geikie. But the Kimberley Coast is a totally different experience featuring more than 2000 islands and several mighty rivers. On the Kimberley Coast you can have epic encounters with Kimberley giants such as The Horizontal Falls, Montgomery Reef, The Prince Regent River, The Mitchell Plateau and King George Falls. On the Kimberley Coast you see Wandjina and Gwion Gwion rock art and on the Kimberley Coast you can land a barramundi that some might only imagine in their dreams.
True North Adventure Cruises has been conducting Kimberley cruises for more than 30 years. We pioneered adventure cruises along the Kimberley Coast and no one knows the area like we do. And it really is our backyard because even after all this time, we still live there!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What makes a True North Kimberley Cruise different?
A. Access, Access, Access. Both TRUE NORTH and TRUE NORTH II are purpose-built to provide everyone onboard with opportunity to truly experience The Kimberley. And, multiple adventure boats and a ship’s helicopter provide even greater opportunity to see what others don’t get to see!
Q. What is a typical day like on a True North Kimberley cruise?
A. True North itineraries are activity-based. Guests are invited to select from multiple activities and thereafter, everyone onboard goes in different directions doing different things – all day long. Naturally, you a completely free to choose your own level of adventure and there are always opportunities for relaxed times onboard.
Q. How many guests join a Kimberley cruise?
A. True North cruises are small ship cruises – and the small group is a distinct advantage when it comes to visiting a wilderness area. TRUE NORTH accommodates a maximum of 36 guests and TRUE NORTH II accommodates just 20 guests.
Q. What should I pack for a Kimberley cruise?
A. Definitely pack your sense of adventure! Amphibious walking shoes are recommended but these can be purchased onboard.
Q. What do you wear on a Kimberley Cruise?
A. Loose fitting adventure wear is ideal during the day with long-sleeves providing protection from the sun. The atmosphere onboard is always relaxed so something nice and casual for the evenings will suffice.
Q. What is the Kimberley known for?
A. More than anything, the Kimberley is known for fun and adventure. But also remote wilderness, spectacular scenery and ideal weather (during the dry season).
Q. Why is it called the Kimberley?
A. The region was named in 1879 by surveyor Alexander Forrest in honour of Secretary of State John Wodehouse, the First Earl of Kimberley.
Q. Are there crocodiles in the Kimberley?
A. Guests see both estuarine and freshwater crocodiles. Greater access, multiple adventure boats and the ship’s helicopters allow crew to schedule swimming activities on most days of a Kimberley itinerary. Swimming is confined to areas that are known to be crocodile safe.
Q. When is the best time to take a Kimberley Cruise?
A. March-October.
Q. What are the must-dos on a True North Kimberley cruise?
A. There are plenty – here are just a few! Fly over Montgomery Reef in the ship’s helicopter. Take a fast boat ride through the Horizontal Waterfalls. Indulge in a heli-picnic. See ancient rock art belonging to the traditional owners. Take a ‘shower on the bow’ under the King Cascade. Go mud-crabbing with the chefs and, catch a barra!
