Coastal Quest 2025 – PONANT

Make your own way to Broome and check in to your hotel. The day is yours to spend at leisure exploring the highlights of Broome or relaxing by the pool.

OVERNIGHT: 1 night Oaks Cable Beach Resort

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and spend the morning in Broome. In the afternoon, you will be transferred from your hotel to the Port of Broome to board Le Jacques Cartier or Le Soleal for your Kimberley cruising adventure. Settle into your cabin, make yourself comfortable, enjoy dinner and perhaps have a nightcap at the Blue Eye, a multisensory underwater lounge. (B,D)

OVERNIGHT: 10 nights Le Jacques Cartier or Le Soleal

The Lacepede Islands are Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles and have been named by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The breeding colony of Brown Boobies is possibly the largest in the world and up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here, amongst the plethora of other birdlife. Join your Expedition Team for a guided Zodiac tour to view the prolific wildlife. (B,L,D)

Lying to the east of the Buccaneer Archipelago, the ancient landscapes of Collier Bay have been shaped by massive tidal movements, creating a photographer’s paradise. With a tidal range exceeding 14 metres, this movement of water creates a unique phenomenon. Nestled in the centre of the bay is Montgomery Reef, the world’s largest inshore reef system. As the tide falls a raging torrent of water cascades off the top of the reef, creating turbulent ‘rivers’ and mini waterfalls. Nestled at the southern end of Buccaneer Archipelago is Talbot Bay, home to the world’s only ’Horizontal Falls’ and described by Sir David Attenborough as “one of the greatest wonders of the natural world.” Hidden in the many caves and grottos of this ancient landscape are a multitude of ancient rock art galleries. Activities here will be determined by the weather and tide conditions. (B,L,D)

Journey continued from previous day. (B,L,D)

Careening Bay was named by Lieutenant Phillip Parker King after his ship, the HMC Mermaid, was careened there during his third voyage of discovery in 1820. At high tide, on a warm September afternoon, King ran the leaking HMC Mermaid onto the sands. As the crew worked hard to re-float the vessel, the ship’s carpenter carved the name of the vessel and the year into a conspicuous boab tree. The boab tree is now three metres wide and National Heritage listed. (B,L,D)

Arguably one of the most scenic parts of the Kimberley coast, Prince Frederick Harbour and the Hunter River are lined with pockets of ancient rainforest, pristine mangroves, and mosaic sandstone cliffs. The sandstone escarpment at the river mouth, known as “Kampamantiya” rises over 200 metres high before giving way to extensive mud banks and mangrove forests home to numerous bird species and the saltwater crocodile. The Expedition Team will share their knowledge as you explore by Zodiac, keeping a lookout for wildlife. You will also have the opportunity to reach the Mitchell Falls by helicopter from Naturalist Island beach. (B,L,D)

The Bonaparte Archipelago consists of a rugged maze of islands stretching almost 150 kilometres along Western Australia’s coast. Its remote location has ensured it remains a remarkably pristine location to explore and experience. The ‘T’ shaped bay is composed of heavily fractured sandstone providing an abundance of rock shelters. On the walls of these shelters are examples of Wandjina and Gwion Gwion style rock art. Join your Expedition Team ashore for a guided walk to a number of rock art galleries depicting these unique rock art styles. (B,L,D)

Jar Island contains ancient rock art galleries depicting the Gwion Gwion style unique to the Kimberley region. Gwion Gwion art may extend back to over 30,000 years before our time and represents the first wave of seagoing colonisers of the Australian continent. As it is, these are the oldest detailed depictions of human figures in the world. Join your Expedition Team ashore for a short walk, past some fascinating rock formations, to the site of the Gwion Gwion art galleries. (B,L,D)

The journey up the King George River is nothing short of breathtaking. The 80-metre-high sides of the gorge display varying degrees of weathering of the ancient Warton sandstone. The colours and textures change with the light creating a continually changing vista that is simply stunning. The journey culminates at the King George twin falls, the highest single drop falls in the whole of the Kimberley. Your Expedition Team will escort you to the foot of the twin falls and explain the stunning geological formations of the canyon. (B,L,D)

Enjoy a leisurely day at sea to take advantage of the luxurious onboard services or sip a cool drink by the pool. Your expedition team will offer an enrichment programme focusing on Australian history, flora, and fauna. Enjoy some down time on the deck, relax in the sauna, or sample culinary specialties prepared by the Chef and Galley Team. Lovers of the open sea can visit the ship’s upper deck to admire the spectacle of the waves and perhaps be lucky enough to observe marine species. (B,L,D)

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory and a melting pot of people and cultures that prides itself on its friendly, laid-back lifestyle. Early this morning, Le Jacques Cartier or Le Soleal will dock in the Port of Darwin where you will disembark and be transferred to your hotel. The day is yours to enjoy at leisure. Discover the town’s history through its emblematic buildings, such as the new Parliament House opened in 1994, a magnificent example of tropical architecture, or Admiralty House, a tropical-style home elevated on stilts that has survived two cyclones and numerous air raids. (B)

OVERNIGHT: 1 night Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront

Today you embark on an iconic journey across Australia’s red centre. Transfer by coach to the Darwin Rail Terminal. Here you will board The Ghan Expedition, settle into the comforts of the train, relax in your cabin, or mingle with fellow travellers in the Outback Explorer Lounge. Enjoy lunch ahead of your Off Train Experience in Katherine. In a region renowned for jaw-dropping natural assets, Katherine boasts one of the Top End’s best – the incredible Nitmiluk Gorge and a cruise is on offer to showcase the beauty of this spot. Alternatively, the Katherine Outback Experience lets you into the lives of those who call the outback home, while the Cutta Cutta Cave system is home to a variety of native wildlife and is rich in Indigenous culture and modern European history. Alternatively, take it all in from the air, with an optional upgrade helicopter flight over Nitmiluk. (B,L,D)

OVERNIGHT: 3 nights The Ghan Expedition

Your arrival into Alice Springs after breakfast provides you with time to explore this iconic town in the red heart of Australia. Your Off Train Experience choices today include an off-road e-bike adventure, the Alice Explorer tour that takes in the historic Telegraph Station and Royal Flying Doctor Service, a cultural experience at Standley Chasm, meeting the wildlife at the Desert Park or taking in the astounding beauty of Simpson’s Gap. Alternatively, spot Uluru and Kata Tjuta from the air, with an optional upgrade scenic flight. In the evening, dine under a blanket of stars at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. (B,L,D)

From your morning stop at Manguri, you’ll venture into the weird and wonderful opal mining township of Coober Pedy, where more than half of the residents live underground. Here, you’ll enjoy a day of discovery, and a gourmet lunch in the most unique of locations: underground. Off Train Experiences on offer include exploring the majestic Breakaways, touring the town, learning more about mining history on the Opal Experience, or an optional upgrade with the Painted Hills and Lake Eyre scenic flight.

Dinner is served back on the train, where you can enjoy a nightcap as your journey continues. (B,L,D)

This morning, you’ll see a dramatic change in landscape as the rich ochre tones of the outback make way for the green fields of South Australia. Enjoy a leisurely brunch as you pass through the Flinders Ranges before arriving into Adelaide, completing one of the world’s great rail experiences. (B)