KIMBERLEY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Rugged and red, with towering waterfalls, Aboriginal rock art, huge tidal variations, saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, thousands of islands and less people per square kilometer than almost anywhere else on earth, the ancient 163,521-square-mile Kimberley region on the north side of Western Australia offers a wilderness cruising experience like no other.
Broome, on the west coast of the Dampier Peninsula, is a gateway to the region; from here, either fly north into the heart of the Kimberley and cruise back, or cruise north and fly back. For a weeklong Southern Kimberley experience, begin by flying nearly 300 miles northeast from Broome to the fan palm-forested Mitchell Plateau. From here, a helicopter will whisk you over the tiered Mitchell Falls (a place of cultural and spiritual significance for…