Kimberley Expedition Cruise Review 6/8

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Today was another one for the books. Both in that it felt like a marathon, and in the magic that the Kimberley continues to reveal.

Silver Explorer arrived at the mouth of the Hunter River early this morning, with three tours offered during the course of our stay. Guests could choose to do any combination of the three: a morning low-tide zodiac cruise, searching for wildlife; a late morning zodiac ride to a nearby beach for our first wet landing; and finally a high-tide afternoon zodiac cruise. Of course, we immediately decided that we had to do all three.

We set off on the low-tide cruise just before 7am and were excited to see that Will was our guide again - his excitement was truly infectious. Will guided our zodiac carefully along the edge of the mud flats, the thick sludge surface was exposed because of the low tide and it revealed an entire ecosystem that we studied for signs of movement.

The air was thick with the smell of hydrogen sulphide (that’s the famous rotten-egg smell and a natural byproduct of the mangrove systems) and it didn’t take long to spot our first crocodile. Its tracks were easy to see, and those with binoculars spotted something in the clutches of its jaw. Was it a fish? A log? We’d end up spotting another 5 crocs during this morning cruise, plus a white-bellied sea eagle, a few twerking birds (yes, you read that correctly) and a peculiar amphibious fish, the mudskipper. It was a spectacular morning.

After a quick breakfast onboard Silver Explorer, we set off on our second excursion of the morning. It began with a 20 minute zodiac ride to a nearby beach where we disembarked the zodiac with a carefully orchestrated process: sit on the edge of the zodiac; swing your legs around; step onto the platform, and then onto the beach. Simple!

While some of the expedition team remained on croc-watch, others guided us through two indigenous art galleries where we saw incredible examples of this ancient story telling art form. It felt wonderful to touch land, and to have the chance to do a little hiking and rock-scrambling.

Finally, after a brief lunch break onboard Explorer, we boarded a zodiac for the third time and went back into the Hunter River at high tide. The mudflats we so closely inspected all morning had entirely disappeared. We sailed between mangroves, up rivers and streams that simply didn't exist this morning. The afternoon light bounced off the immense sandstone landscape that surrounded us, and we journeyed between the trees in search of wildlife.

The excursion finished abruptly when we learned that all of the other guests had returned to the ship, and we were still some 20 minutes away. A brisk (and bumpy) ride back to Silver Explorer saw us arriving late and a little worn from the day. We were greeted by at least one stern face, and I couldn’t help but wonder just how late we were. Nevertheless, onboard Silver Explorer again, we excitedly sought and found a much-needed Aperol Spritz.

Today was another example of why the Kimberley is an Australian treasure!