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Olivia Kimberly Coast Cruise
  • Cari Krippner
  • Cari Krippner

Olivia Kimberly Coast Cruise

My first trip to Australia but definitely not my last! Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 1, 2026
    Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    No person on this side of the van driving
    No person on this side of the van drivingThe Whiskey Bus took me to QuantusAmazing veins flying over AustraliaDo you see something?First stop, BroomeInterestingArt at the entrance to ChinatownThe 3 men who began pearl businessMany views of our roomLarge bathroomWe think they covered up a bathtubLarge living areaAttached to kitchenWith a strange window into bathroomAerial of BroomeA statue of a woman waiting for sailors out at seaNearest parkCool huge bolders1Art installation to remember Broome's WWII historyThe stories are written on the backs

    Longest Day in the Sky

    August 1 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Today was the longest day in the sky and I went back and forth through time zones. My body is not sure what day or time it is. I flew from Seattle, WA to Los Angeles, CA to Sydney, Australia then across Australia to Broone. Amazingly, every person at every airport was kind and supportive and my flights went seamlessly.

    I met my highschool friend, Bridget Doak, in Sydney as planned and walked from the Broone airport to our hotel, about 1.5 miles through Chinatown. It should be called Japan Town after the pearl diving history and businesses left.

    After I showered and napped, we went to a park to see a special full moon feature called Stairway to the Moon but there were too many clouds. Instead we enjoyed the bike path, saw some artwork, met many local dogs, and stretched our legs some more.    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Hotel pool with very cold water
    Hotel pool with very cold waterNot a hot tub...cold water tubMangrove field at high tideKids playing rugby2Every bag has health rating2I thought dark chocolate was healthier1Baobob tree can live for thousands of years1Cool tropical trees3A payphoneRoof on a lookout1Made a cool designView from the lookout over the bayArt on the lookoutRed sand and dirt everywhereInteresting tree with pods1Lovely flowersBig frondsWe ate dinner at Matso'sDessert was deliciousOutback trucks have a particular look

    Day in the Sun

    August 2 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    What a beautiful day to settle into Australia! I began the day doing my PT exercises in the pool. I had the whole pool to myself. It was cold but perfect for my knees who were a bit cranky from flying.

    I spent the afternoon wandering around Broone watching birds. I saw 2 pink birds that looked like ibises. I asked a local what they were and they laughed at me. They said they were "Bin Birds". Garbage birds, like crows? Yes, they are not supposed to be pink! They roll around looking for stuff during low tide in the red sand and make a mess of things. I guess they were not deformed flamingos after all! 🤔

    Bridget and I went to dinner at a nearby restaurant called Matso. It's a rocking pub known for it's ginger beer. We can hear the music from our hotel. We split a chicken, onion and pineapple sandwich with chips (fries) and the most delectable dessert.

    More adventures tomorrow    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Logo for Dinosaur Adventure Cruise
    Logo for Dinosaur Adventure CruiseSimpson Beach at low tidePier at low tideMangrove trees visible at low tideNote how tall pier seemsPut sound on (dino tape) beach of footprints1Round brachiosaurus print fossilsPerfect brachiosaurus fossil printPressure fossil print1Tridactyl fossil print1Lunch service with orange juice and wineEgretsAboriginal shell middenHover boardingSame Pier from beginningSame mangrove trees from the beginning2Same beach 3 hours laterLocal practicingOopsOver 50 kites circlingBeautiful birdsTonight we are at a hostel

    Dinosaur Adventure Cruise

    August 3 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Today's main event was a dinosaur adventure cruise! It was amazing. We took a small boat across the bay and it felt like I was a bird flying with spray and wind in my face.

    They stopped at the new pier that was finished a couple years ago and recounted the horrible incident of WWII where the Japanese bombed 4 large planes carrying Norwegian women and children trying to leave at this spot. The planes are still there and can be walked to at the lowest tide of the year. 80 perished in the flames or got eaten by the crocodiles or sharks but they learned something from this incident. As they pulled people out 3 days later, their wounds were healing. The salt water had cleaned out the wound. That was the invention of the saline solution.

    It was a 5 hour adventure finding dinosaur tracks, learning about the culture and looking at birds. I couldn't think of a better way to spend the day.

    Then we walked to the Kimberly Coast Hostel to spend our last night in Broone. Bridget is out exploring more but I hit 11,000 steps and my knee says I'm done for the day.

    Cheers    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Last night spent at a hostel
    Last night spent at a hostelBottom bunksCars do not stop for peopleChinatownOldest theater in the worldWith original camerasLoved the historyAnd the postersAll the seating is still originalIt still operates 7 days a weekFiddler crabs at low tidePearl diver maskPearl nurseryLargest Australian pearlPearl farming still very active1Refreshing yogurtThe Coral GeographerSafety meetingTour of my cabinBugs and PrawnsDinner menuYummy Dessert

    Leaving Broone

    August 3 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    The last night in Broone was spent relocating from our hotel to the hostel as the hotel was sold out. For a shire of 20,000 people, Broone explodes to 90,000 during the dry season. There are packed campgrounds and caravans everywhere. It seems all of Australia are visiting as well as cruise boats!

    We explored Chinatown and found a couple treasures. The first was Sun Theatre. The oldest continuous theater in the world. They are still open with original seating, half outside and half inside. It was beautiful!

    Then we learned the history of Pearling. Bridget bought a fresh water pearl that was seeded in the Mississippi River for $16 at the market. The salt water pearls are much more expensive.

    We boarded the ship, went through the safety protocols, found our rooms, met people, and ate dinner.

    I hope I get used to the rocking of the boat.
    Cheers    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Beautiful Sunrise
    Beautiful Sunrise4Vegimite and EggsIntroduction to the KimberlysOur Performers2Our Daily Schedule-I'm a Boab BanditBarbara and Teresa on my boat3Saying Goodbye to the Disco DingosBrown Boobies at the ReserveMany more BoobiesTomorrow's ReviewCaptain MarkAnother Schedule1Getting on the Zodiacs1Horizontal FallsCool GeologyRed Rose TreeNext Days ReviewSweet Potatoes, pork, and peasYummy Dessert2Ready for the Captain's Dinner and Dance

    Life on the Boat

    August 5 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Life on the boat is more enjoyable than I ever thought it would have been. The food is created by a restaurant chef and we have many choices. I'm getting half servings since I'm not exercising as much. It seems all we do is eat excellent food! They even had Kit Kats for snack today...along with fruit of course.

    Days differ with the tide, but begin early. We have breakfast somewhere between 6 and 9. Then do an excursion with the big boats that divide us up in half. A naturalist describes what we are seeing and where we are going.
    Some days we get off the boat and get in the Zodiacs which take 6 to 8 people and get closer to something. We did that at the Horizontal Falls. We got up close and personal to the swirling water as the tide lowered and sucked the water out. It was loud and fascinating.

    My knee wasn't too keen to dance, but I had fun listening to music and clapping along.

    Another fun day down under!    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Another beautiful sunrise
    Another beautiful sunriseToday's ScheduleExcursion BoatWhale SightingIt was a rare Melon Headed WhaleOur ZodiacsBeing EducatedOur PhotographerSuper Cool Reef being exposed as tide lowersWithin 10 minutes it pops outWater runs off it the whole timeReturning to our boat the Coral GeographerOur 2nd ExcursionBoabs on an IslandIsland CavesWe got off and walked around and I found some coral fossilBrain Coral2Say CheeseKing CascadeJulie and Teresa from PerthCrocodile Spring RollSouthern Cross

    Enjoying the Kimberlys

    August 7 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Today we went down Prince Regent River to the King Cascades through Prince Regent National Park. Absolutely Stunning! You would think red rocks would eventually get boring but not yet.

    The Kimberlys is the area of land between Broone and Darwin. There are many people on this cruise from New Zealand and Australia who have this on their bucket list. It's a very special area with one-of-a-kind geology and hydrology.

    Unfortunately, we didn't see the humpback migration. Usually there's 60 a day, but we saw a mom and calf in the distance. Just like on the Pacific Coast, there's much concern about the lack of migration this year.

    The highlight today was taking a Kimberly Shower in the King Cascades. The boat got real close and everyone had a chance to walk the plank into the falls. I was the first on our boat. We celebrated with champagne and orange juice.

    We completed the evening with star gazing and found the Southern Cross. We heard aboriginal stories about the stars too.

    Cheers from down under    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Daily Schedule-Great Overview
    Daily Schedule-Great Overview1Steve and Ann, our husband and wife interpretersNative PeaMermaid BoabKing told them to leave evidence they were there so they marked itThis side you can see where they had a Catholic statue at one timeThe walkway around it preserves the roots1Lovely beach flowersBower NestClose up of "shining things" collectedBower Bird (we didn't see one)2Afternoon lectureRocks with paintingsWhere we landedCavesAfternoon Romp through Caves1Beautiful4Proof of Life... Having FunGo Faster...my favorite sayingEvery stick on the beach marks turtles's nestTurtle tracks3Ancient Aboriginal ArtRootsAncient Aboriginal Hand Art1Squash Soup2Barramundi and Angus BeefOur amazing musicians, Barbara and Teresa2Live Music

    Careening Bay and Bigge Island

    August 8 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    Early explorer and mapper, Phillip Parker King, beached his vessel for repairs (careening it) on this beach. The name of the vessel was The Mermaid. The king ordered him to leave something behind so others would know this land belonged to England so he carved this majestic Moab tree. Phillip Parker King circumnavigated Australia 4 times mapping 1000's of islands.

    Many islands have indigenous Art on them. We have a special permit to see them and an aboriginal person on our ship to the the first stories that go with each picture. These are very sacred sites and we are not allowed to even touch the stones.

    Our musicians are amazing! Barbara has many records on the Wyndham label playing piano and fiddle. Theresa started out in the 70's when Olivia was only a record label. In the 90's women wanted to go on trips with their musicians on Olivia so they began cruising. They both finished a 25 city tour before joining the cruise. Its been a delight having them along on the excursions and at meals too!

    Cheers from down under    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Sunrise
    SunriseRefecting clouds on Roe RiverA long CrocFishing for BarramundiTransfer to our ZodiacsGoing Along Creek 99Bird SpottingAustralian humpback dolphinQuite the surpriseOur Afternoon Beach WalkArt seen from belowLooking for more artNamarali - sacred to aboriginal cultureButterfly Tide poolWater EvaporatingLeftover SaltFruit Display every DinnerCelery SoupOur Route Along the KimberlysOn to the next Islands

    Roe River and Creek 99

    August 10 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    Today we cruised down the Roe River and Creek 99. I laughed that their creek was wider than the Mississippi River and that's during their dry season! The water is the same muddy color though.

    I would compare the Kimberlys to kind of like the San Juan Islands in WA. Except the tides are much more drastic and quick... timing is important. They have the 3rd highest tides in the world.

    There are surprises around every turn. Today we saw dolphins! And crocodiles. And many birds. People on the boat get so excited to see the osprey. I got excited to see a Chestnut Rail. Even the Assie's hadn't seen one of those!

    Cheers from down under!    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    White part is a Midden
    White part is a MiddenCave WalkBat on Right SideCool CavesOutside from InsideSplitting RocksShell Sand2 kangaroos with hand signatureJellyFishHappy BridgetPeeky Boo4000 year old ArtThylacine- Extinct Australian TigerTastes like Blue CheeseNoni Fruit

    Caves and Art

    August 11 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Today was the Best Excursion Day yet!! We explored Cool Caves and found some Fascinating Art.

    On a hot day, these caves were cool in more than one way! There were many twists and turns and it felt like you were in a labyrinth. The walls were cool sandstone and we saw several bats. We were very quiet and used red lights so as not to disturb them.

    Our next beach location was an ancient art gallery. How could you not be in awe at such amazing works of art? We have been learning the spiritual and cultural significance of the images. It was like I was walking into a cathedral in Paris.

    Going back to the boat we found some Noni fruit. This plant is very important and used in restaurants to this day in Asia and Australia. They say the fruit tastes like Blue Cheese but I tried it and it tasted more like the inside of a middle school kids sneaker in the spring!

    Cheers from down under    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Sunrise
    SunriseBorder PatrolLast ExcursionShadowLast "Kimberly Shower"Gemma and MollyVery Informative TalkExcellent WaterTheir Own Sewage PlantMulching All Food Waste Before it Feeds FishTreated Ballast Water So The Don't Introduce Invasive SpeciesFascinating Talk...over 200 languages still spokenOur Coordinator - SarahCaptain MarkGiving Props to the StaffApplauding the Most Friendly Staff EverIntroducing the Cooks and Kitchen Staff3Our Pursers

    Last Day on the Boat

    August 12 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    I will never get tired of seeing the sun rise or set on the ocean. I could cruise 364 days just to watch the sun change colors 364 times! Those were always special times.

    Our last excursion was through King George River to Oomari Falls (or Twin Falls). The stark red walls reminded me of the Grand Canyon. We got into the zodiacs and got right up and under the falls for another "Kimberly Shower". Such fun having powerful water crashing all over you! So much fun we did it twice 😊
    We had a 6 AM breakfast to get the tide and returned for a 10:30 AM brunch.

    After brunch we had an Engine Room Briefing with the funny Norwegian Chief Engineer John. I wish we had this the first day. It made sense of the whole boat.

    We had a tea line dance class, some time to pack and another talk from Goyma on aboriginal kinship. The rest of the day was thanking everyone who worked on the ship.

    We ended the evening with a concert by Teresa Trull and Barbara Higbie.

    This was a cruise to remember!    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Cleaning Windows at Sunrise
    Cleaning Windows at SunriseFloor at the BridgeBridge ControlsOpen BridgeOpen BridgeJar IslandNgula-Jar IslandFollow the TrailUp the RocksBit of a ClimbGoyma, our aboriginal interpreterLooking at RocksFascinating Vines Growing on RocksGwion Gwion ArtEchidnaDancing PersonOrb SpiderGreen Ant NestsRock TrailNice to Know

    Gwion Gwion Art on Jar Island

    August 12 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Today was another hot sunny day. I went to Jar Island named when jars were found on it years ago. The art on this island was quite different. It reminded me of the used car dealerships that have the blow-up dancing people. The artwork here was more animated and dancing looking. It also predates the other artwork.

    The Bridge is always open and it is fun to watch how the boat runs. I'm sure Cindy will love the compass rose on the floor.

    Besides the Art, I saw a beautiful Orb Spider and learned that green ants make lovely leaf nests. The female controls up to 100 of these nests in a tree! One more day on the boat.

    Cheers from down under    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Port of Darwin
    Port of DarwinGood Bye Coral ExpeditionGood Bye Line Dancing CrewWelcome DarwinConnects the Wharf to the CiryTribute to Those Who Came BeforeDid the WWII Tunnel TourNarrow at the BeginningHeld oil during the warTry the challengeHere's a hintImagine digging this out by handNavy Oil Storage TunnelsBridget reading information signHad Children Art tooThere Were 10 tunnels madeThen we did the Hop on Hop Off BusStrange SignYou can walk any directionOnly example of original house leftNew Friends -Glynis and SusanNew Hospital was built on this field and bombed 17 days laterParkHarborSilver Palms

    First Day in Darwin

    August 14 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Darwin has been rebuilt 4 times. Two cyclones before WWII, bombed 64 times during WWII and cyclone Tracey in 1975. Only 4 houses remain standing from the original Darwin and I saw one of them.

    Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Darwin got bombed repeatedly as it was close to Japan. The harbor is much larger and wider than Sydney - over 3,200 square kilometers. It has over half the Northern Territories population at 140,000 but still the smallest and most northern capitals . This "Top End" of Australia surprised me with a tropical climate with temps in the 90s, humidity and palms of all sorts.

    I hung out with Bridget, Susan and Glynis today. We explored WWII tunnels and took the Hop on Hop Off bus to get a sense of Darwin.

    Bridget flies home tomorrow so we enjoyed a celebratory dinner at CHOWS, an Asian fusion restaurant that was delicious.

    More from Darwin tomorrow    Read more

  • Cari KrippnerOlivia Kimberly Coast CruiseTraveler
    Darwin Lily
    Darwin Lily1White LilyMy Birth Place is a Sister City!I Was in the Western and Northern TerritoryIbises or "Bin Birds" (Australian Crows)Rainbow BambooArtwork1Why I Didn't Swim in the LagoonLoved the AccessibilityVery TropicalAsian Influence EverywhereMagpieGreat Art at MuseumArtHow They See the YearSweetheart - A mammoth crocodileArtAnd More ArtFarewell to Susan and Glynis

    Last Day in Darwin

    August 14 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Final thoughts of Darwin and Australia....

    I never thought of Australia as being Tropical but Darwin is Very Tropical! Hot and humid

    I participated in the Australian Census. Every 5 years, the country counts every person on land and sea. Everyone on our boat had to participate.

    I visited 2 Territories: Western and Northern.

    Darwin was rebuilt 4 times: 2 cyclones before WWII, when it was bombed 64 times during WWII and in 1974 during cyclone Tracey. The people living here are fierce protectors of their identity and city. It is the capital of the territory with an independent character.

    What I think are cool birds, locals think are a pain. Go figure??

    There's a lot of Asian Influence in the food and music.

    Lastly, the aboriginal culture is found in the art and highlighted on the buildings everywhere.

    This was a memorable trip and I can't wait to return to Australia 🦘 There's so much more to see.    Read more

    Trip end
    August 17, 2026