4 Night Kimberley Fishing Extravaganza Itinerary
Broome to Doubtful Bay to Broome (Fly – Cruise/Fish – Fly)
Join the crew of MV Great Escape for a fishing charter extravaganza in the Southern areas of the Kimberley region. As the waters warm up, test your skills against the mighty Barramundi! If fishing is not your thing, enjoy secluded beach walks, refreshing swims in hidden rock-pools or just relax with a cold drink in the spa.
Day 1 – Glenelg River
Your Kimberley fishing adventure will begin with an early morning flight where you will meet your crew in the heart of the remote Kimberley Coast. You will then be transferred by helicopter to land aboard MV Great Escape where you will be out fishing within minutes of arriving on the vessel in the ancient Kimberley wilderness and river-systems just waiting to be explored. The flight is approximately 2 hours and the helicopter transfer between 20-30 minutes. Your crew will greet you on MV Great Escape for a warm welcome and a hearty brunch to begin the day.
When everyone has returned from your morning fishing session, the captain will deliver a familiarization and safety briefing before setting off to cruise across King Sound to Strickland Bay. Here we will fish The Graveyards for Queenfish and Trevally. There is a lot of fast water movement in this area due to the extremely large tides of the King Sound (2nd largest in the world) so sport fishing for these species is usually quite successful. This area is very historic from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s when a lot of pearl divers lost their lives drift diving for pearl shell. Our crew will have many a yarn for you while you are out hunting fish and the elusive barramundi!
Tide dependent we will navigate Whirlpool passage on our way to the Buccaneer Archipelago. If we see any tuna schools, we will stop for a flick on the way. Always good fun and an easy way to lose some much loved tackle! Tonight we will anchor at Coppermine creek, a scenic and natural safe harbour.
Day 2 – Sale River
This morning there is a choice to go bottom fishing, trolling for sport species or to collect succulent Kimberley oysters for the evening entrée, this always means collecting twice as many as the chef requires as the “one for the bucket, one for me” rule comes into play. Once the Chef is happy, and the anglers return, we will then cruise around the corner for a swim at Crocodile Creek! An awesome fresh water pool and waterfall that BHP used in the 60’s as a getaway camp for the Koolan Island development. Yachties still use the area to collect freshwater which runs all year round.
After a swim we will cruise over to Raft Point where you can either go for a sunset fish to catch the evening meal or take a hike up Raft Point to discover an ancient Aboriginal art gallery with views over Doubtful Bay that are just breathtaking. Or you may like to just kick back and relax on the luxurious MV Great Escape and enjoy a drink in the cool spa – lazing amidst what is arguably one of the best panoramic vistas on earth!
Sunset drinks will be enjoyed under the magnificent Raft Point radiating a kaleidoscope of colours – golds, reds oranges and yellows as the sun slowly melts into the ocean. Our Chef will cook up a sumptuous meal to end the day’s proceedings and your Captain will discuss the next day’s activity options with you all.
Day 3 – Raft Point
Wake up cruising across to Montgomery Reef. This amazing natural phenomenon is best viewed on an outgoing tide, so your Captain will aim to make this visit on the day of the largest tidal movement during your stay onboard MV Great Escape. Marvel at the waterfalls of Montgomery Reef in an early morning foray along this unusual reef structure. Discovered by Phillip Parker King in the early 1800’s this area has a rich history. Your crew will tell you interesting stories that relate to the reef. We also see loads of turtles grazing on the exposed seagrass, sharks and the odd dugong or two. If anyone loves to target pelagic fish, here we can hook into a Giant Trevally, Queenfish, Tuna or maybe a Mackerel. If the tides are right we can head over to Montgomery Islands targeting first barramundi then GT’s.
After the tide has flowed back over the reef we will cruise back into Doubtful Bay and head for Ruby Falls – a favourite Kimberley watering hole. Named after one of our Captain’s daughters’, it is a great place to relax, cool off and have a swim. Tide permitting, if anyone would like a hike, we can follow the freshwater back to where it heads underground.
Anyone keen to tackle a barramundi can head out in the late afternoon to see if they can pick up one of these prized silvery fighters.
Day 4 – Walcott Inlet
The Sale River is one of the most scenic rivers in this area. Encompassing both tidal estuaries and spectacular sandstone gorges, we have a couple of exciting activities planned for this river. We will fish the morning tide before packing the tenders up for a spectacular cruise down the Sale River. When we reach ‘where the fresh water meets the salt water’ we will unload the tenders for a BBQ lunch on a sandy beach under a rainforest canopy. Here you can relax in a multitude of small crystal clear pools, fringed with tropical ferns and bushes as the crew stoke up a fire and organise your lunch. Feel free to flick around the rock bars as the fresh and salt mix – it has been known for hiding the dark, slivery 40 pounders!!! We will need to catch the tide back out to the front of the river.
Time dependent we will fish until sunset and then once back onboard MV Great Escape, kick back and enjoy your last Kimberley sunset as we cruise back over to Raft Point and One Arm Point.
Day 5 – Broome
Departure on the aircraft will be at approximately between 7.30am and 9.00am. If you would like to experience an early morning activity, the crew will be more than happy to discuss what options you have available. We will just have to make sure you are packed and ready for when the transfer departs to fly you back to Broome.
You will be greeted at the Broome airport by our friendly office staff and transferred to your accommodation or the Broome International Airport if required. If you are departing Broome that afternoon/evening, you are more than welcome to leave your luggage in our office until you are ready to go to the airport.
Please note: This is a typical itinerary and whilst your adventure will be similar to the one described here, tides will affect the itinerary. We plan each day according to the tides and often modify or rearrange the schedule to work in with Mother Nature.