Kimberley Expedition: Day 1

What is The Kimberleys?

It is the region in the far northwest corner of Australia … often described as the Earth’s last true wilderness area. It is the part of Western Australia that has rock formations that date back billions of years. It is an area of stunning natural landscapes … ancient Aboriginal rock art … wildlife … and more. It is one of the parts of Australia that had the earliest settlements … with the first humans going back some 65,000 years.

We will get to experience a tiny piece of all this during our 10-day expedition. And it all started with boarding our expedition vessel — Coral Discoverer — around 8:00a at Darwin’s Fort Hill Wharf.

Once onboard, we were directed to the dining room where tea/coffee/scones were set up. We were then invited to check-in to our cabin. B21 — our cabin — was easy to find. Go up one set of stairs to the Promenade Deck and walk all the way to the aft. The cabin is comfortable … if basic. We are next to the access door to the aft promenade deck, which I expect we’ll be making good use of to get around the ship.

Due to an issue with one of the cranes used to load/unload the zodiacs, we were not on the move until 10:00a. Even then, Coral Discoverer just sailed out to an anchorage in Darwin Harbour to continue the repair work. The good news? The delayed departure won’t impact tomorrow’s plans … except for flip-flopping activities ... lectures in the morning; off-ship exploration in the afternoon.

As has been our experience on other expeditions, our day was a busy one … settling into the cabin; exploring the public decks to acquaint ourselves with the vessel’s layout; taking advantage of the open bridge policy for a visit and chat with the Duty Officer; attending the muster drill and the mandatory safety briefing … followed by the expedition briefing by Katie, our Expedition Leader (EL). And that was all before lunch.

By the time lunch was over, Coral Discoverer was on its way for real, heading out to the Timor Sea.

After a break of about an hour, the afternoon activities picked up … a helicopter briefing for those wanting to book the optional outing to Mitchell Falls (we’re taking a pass … don’t want to risk triggering my vertigo); an introductory lecture about the Top End and The Kimberleys. And then it was time for Captain Josh’s Welcome Drinks … followed by dinner. But wait. We weren’t done for the day. After our meal, The Kimberley episode from the BBC Coast series was screened in the Bridge Deck Lounge. A good way to wrap up the first day of the expedition.

Time to turn in for the night. We’ve been told that the forecast is looking good for our trip and Coral Discoverer should not be dancing much as we make our way from the Timor Sea to the Indian Ocean.Read more