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I t’s no coincidence thatTourism Australia chosefootage of Western

Australia’s vast Kimberleyregion, from the big­budgetmovie, Australia, to showcasethe grandeur and spectacle ofour magnificent landscape.Unlike the central Australianpair, Uluru and Kata Tjuta,where tourists have travelledfor more than half a century,appreciable numbers ofvisitors to the Kimberley haveonly been arriving for barelyhalf that period. Perhaps as aresult of its remoteness, aharsh climate and poorinfrastructure, Australia’snorth­west remained in atourism shadow until it was

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Smaller boats have anadvantage in the waters ofthe Kimberley coast.

discovered by adventurecruisers and remote fishingcharter operators.

The panoramic MitchellFalls, Raft Point and themystical Montgomery Reefwere perfectly suited to theblockbuster cinematographyof Baz Luhrmann’s almost­epic. Love the movie or not,the ancient golden­huedKimberley landscape held itsown where mere mortalplayers may have failed.

Lately, however, it’s beenthe furore over oil and gasexploration that has highlightthe region and local tourismbusinesses are fearful thatunfettered development willtarnish the unspoilt quality of

the Kimberley. One of themost experienced adventurecruise operators in the regionis North Star Cruises (NSC),which was launched by localfisherman and pearler, CraigHowson, in 1987 with a fewad hoc fishing and divingcharters for mates. NowadaysHowson operates the vesselmany refer to as thebenchmark for Kimberleyadventure cruising. The$12 million, 50­metre vesselTrue North II was built byFremantle shipyard, Austal, in2004 and has just 18 luxurycabins and staterooms.

Such boutique cruise boatsare the perfect means ofexploring these waters and

local knowledge is the key. Ofcourse, exquisite cuisine,diligent crew and expertguides complete the picture.Skipper Brad Benbow evenknows a secluded beachwhere you can go for a swimwhile the crew keep a watchfor any reptilian interlopers.

NSC’s premium offering isits 13­night KimberleyUltimate cruise that plies thewaters between Broome andWyndham. “This is ourstrongest product,” saysHowson. “This is where wegained our reputation and it’sstill No. 1 with many.”

But NSC is not alone in theKimberley. No fewer than adozen small vessels operate

among the primordialsandstone cliffs, watchedover by mute wandjina(Aboriginal rock art) sentinelsas their aluminium spawnhead upstream along theRoe, Hunter and PrinceRegent rivers in search ofgiant barramundi ormangrove jack. Smaller craftsuch as the Kimberley Questand the Great Escape arejoined by larger ships such asthe Oceanic Discoverer andthe lavish­by­comparisonOrion. Prices, however, arenot small and rates of about$1000 a person per day arecommon.

Treacherous 10­metre tidesand shallow deltas mean the

big ships will never operatehere. Local skippers andguides lead excursion boatsthrough narrow gorges,secluded waterways or even,as with the True North, viaBell Jetranger helicopter toyour own private, spring­fedfreshwater pool.

Besides pulling inmonstrous barramundi,highlights include a thrillingtender ride through thehorizontal falls of Talbot Bay,where the tide runs so strongthe water gushes out as in thescene from The Dambusters.RODERICK EIME

The writer travelled as a guest of North

Star Cruises.

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