Renowned West Australian Photographer to join TRUE NORTH cruise

Roebuck Bay, Broome (c) Christian Fletcher

North Star Cruises Australia is delighted to confirm that Christian Fletcher will be joining Kimberley Wilderness Cruise 13a & b in 2009.

You are probably aware of Christian's enviable reputation as a landscape photographer and you probably also appreciate that the Kimberley presents as the ultimate panorama. Accordingly, we are sure that you will be interested to note that Christian will not only be providing instruction on how to capture that perfect image – he will also be conducting tutorials in software refinement and, printing techniques.

A one-stop opportunity to work with a revered professional; with nothing but stunning material to work with and, relaxed how-to instruction on everything from shot selection to the ultimate in presentation.

If you've got the shutter-bug – don't miss this one!

The cruise will depart Broome on the 29th of August and the 'split cruise' format offers complete flexibility. Guests can embark in Broome and remain onboard for the entire 2 week cruise disembarking in Wyndham and taking advantage of our courtesy coach transfer to Kununurra. Alternatively, guests can embark/disembark mid-cruise in the Hunter River taking advantage of our light aircraft/helicopter transfers from/to Kununurra (included).

Don't miss out – early indication is that this will be a very popular departure – contact our adventure partners now to secure your cabin!

For more information on Christian visit: www.christianfletcher.com.au

Email: cruise@northstarcruises.com.au URL: www.northstarcruises.com.au

50% Off a True North Cruise!

North Star Cruises Australia has unveiled an unprecedented offer – 50% off its new Southern Safari Cruise on board the revered adventure-cruise ship, True North.

North Star's General Manager Peter Trembath said the company had taken the unusual step of offering a discount in support of the new Southern Safari cruise which explores the stunning South Australian coastline.

"The maiden 2008 Southern Safari cruise was an outstanding success and to assist with establishing the cruise as an annual adventure option, all cabins on the 2009 departure are being offered at an amazing 50% off," said Mr Trembath.

The offer includes 8 nights from just $3,748 - with all activities and fine dining included PLUS, a return airfare to Adelaide*.

"Never before has there been a more appealing opportunity to experience the unique True North," said Mr Trembath.

"This is an excellent chance to indulge in the complete luxury of a True North adventure cruise while experiencing the magic of the South Australian coast," he said.

The cruise includes a day touring the McLaren Vale's best wineries, a visit to Kangaroo Island, seeing great white sharks, exploring beautiful Coffin Bay, experiencing a 'tuna rodeo', and fishing at Pearson and Franklin islands.

"We have complete confidence in this cruise – it's a ripper," said Mr Trembath.

"All we need to do is give our guests an incentive to try it out. Once people have experienced what the South Australian coast has to offer – they will rave about it and thereafter, it will be first in, best dressed."

True North Background

The multi award winning adventure cruise ship, True North, allows discerning guests to experience wilderness in surroundings more akin to one of the world's most exclusive hotels. Lavish features include:

• A sundeck, forward observation lounge, ship's lounge, alfresco bar, internet café, plasma screens with interpretive information, lower deck dining room with large panoramic windows, and fine dining.

· All cabins feature enhanced décor, en-suite facilities, in-house entertainment and satellite telephones.

· Multiple expedition boats allow passengers to do "what they want, when they want".

· The True North is the only Kimberley adventure-cruise ship that sails with its own helicopter.

· The purpose built True North is able to explore the upper reaches of shallow river systems

· Adventure cruises and expeditions operate along the magnificent coastlines of Australia and the South Pacific.

The True North – one of the finest adventure-cruise ships in the world!

*Conditions apply. Contact North Star Cruises for full terms and conditions.

For more information visit http://www.northstarcruises.com.au/ss.asp

Kimberley: Awesome Wonder

Michael Gebicki - Sydney Morning Herald - November 13, 2008

Whether you tour it, four-wheel-drive it, cruise it, or fly over it, the Kimberley will leave you lost for words.

In the Kimberley, words run out of puff. Faced with the dimensions of the country, full-flavoured adjectives turn pale and limp. How to describe this wild, arid plateau at the northern end of Western Australia, a place half the size of NSW with a population of barely 31,000 that is crossed by only two roads, where the coastline is almost totally inaccessible except from the sea, where the cattle stations are measured by the million hectares, and where the trees come from Africa and the climate from the furnace?

Read Full Story

Coral Princess Explores the Kimberley Wilderness by Cruise & 4WD in 2009

Coral Princess Cruises has released its new Kimberley & Across the Top of Australia brochure, with 2009 and 2010 dates and rates for Coral Princess's most popular cruise: a voyage exploring the remote Kimberley coast between Broome and Darwin.

The 10-night Kimberley cruise visits Kuri Bay, home of the South Pacific pearl industry, and ventures ashore to view the world-famous Bradshaw (Gwion) paintings, - the world's oldest known indigenous art – and the towering, 80-metre King George Falls, the tallest waterfalls in Western Australia. There is an optional helicopter flight over the Mitchell Plateau for views of the impressive four-tiered Mitchell Falls, as well as excursions into secluded gorges and to rock pools perfect for swimming. The cruise explores the Buccaneer Archipelago – made up of 800 islands – and includes an exhilarating Zodiac ride through the 'Horizontal Waterfall', where the tide floods between rocky cliffs.

Next year, Coral Princess is venturing into the Kimberley by both land and sea, with a new, 24-night Kimberley Cruise & 4WD Expedition, combining the 10-night cruise and a 4WD tour through the Kimberley's rugged and beautiful interior.

The Kimberley wilderness of Western Australia is three times larger than England with a population of just 30 000. The combination cruise/drive reaches areas that are largely inaccessible by other means.

The 4WD journey travels the length of the legendary Gibb River Road,stopping at million-acre El Questro station to hike into Emma Gorge and soak in the hot pools of Zebedee Springs. Further along the road, Lake Argyle is the largest man-made lake in the Southern Hemisphere, with 18 times the capacity of Sydney Harbour. A highlight of the road trip is World Heritage-listed Purnululu (Bungle Bungle) National Park, and 'camping out' in style overnight at the award-winning Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge.

Coral Princess operates two ships in the Kimberley. The Oceanic Discoverer accommodates a maximum of just 72 guests and travels with a purpose-built excursion vessel, Xplorer and inflatable Zodiacs. Coral Princess accommodates a maximum of just 48 guests. In true expedition
style, the itinerary may vary to take maximum advantage of opportunities to venture ashore or to explore the many waterfalls, river systems, reefs and other natural attractions.

Prices for the 10-night Kimberley cruise start at $6450 aboard the Coral Princess and $7750 aboard Oceanic Discoverer. The 24-night Cruise & 4WD Expedition starts at $12 610 aboard the Coral Princess and $13 910 aboard Oceanic Discoverer. Prices are per person, twin share. This includes the cruise and 4WD transport; all meals, lectures and services of expedition staff on board and group transfers. There are regular departures from both Darwin and Broome between April and September 2009.

At the beginning and end of the season, the Kimberley cruise can be combined with an 11-night voyage, Across The Top of Australia, between Cairns and Darwin. Prices for this cruise start at $6450 per person. There is a 10 per cent discount for booking the two cruises together.

For further information and reservations contact Coral Princess Cruises on 1800 079 545 or visit www.coralprincess.com.au.

Coral Princess Cruises Awarded “Top Gong” at Tourism Awards

Coral Princess Cruises was recognised at the Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) Tourism Awards on Saturday night, taking out the top tourism award category of Major Tour and Transport Operator for the company’s three, four and seven-night Great Barrier Reef cruises.

In Coral Princess Cruises’ 25th anniversary year, the tourism award is welcome acknowledgement of the company’s commitment to the local industry and eco-sensitive cruising on the Great Barrier Reef.

Coral Princess Cruises’ Founder and Managing Director, Tony Briggs, pioneered small ship, expedition-style cruising in Australia, beginning in North Queensland 25 years ago and still based in Cairns. In the years since, the company has grown to become Australia’s premier small ship cruise line and has expanded operations to include itineraries in the Kimberley, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Melanesia and New Zealand.

“Being recognised by our industry peers in such a vibrant and competitive market is a great honour – especially in our anniversary year. We are very proud to have played a founding role in the development of environmentally-sensitive tourism in North Queensland and – along with our dedicated and highly-skilled staff - we’ll continue to promote the Reef as one of the world’s greatest natural wonders,” said Mr Briggs.

Coral Princess is a family-owned, eco-accredited and multi-award-winning company that operates two vessels – the Coral Princess and Coral Princess II – on the Great Barrier Reef, taking up to 48 passengers on each ship. The third ship in the company’s fleet is the luxury 72-passenger Oceanic Discoverer which operates in the Kimberley, PNG, New Zealand and the Pacific. For further information, call 1800 079 545 or visit www.coralprincess.com.au.

Nearly 500 tourism representatives and supporters attended the Tourism North Queensland Awards, held at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday, October 11, where winners who had excelled in their field over the past 12 months were announced in 23 award categories.

Cruise Weekly Comment: Helicopter Crash

Cruise Weekly – Comment by Roderick Eime

I must admit that news of a second helicopter crash in the Kimberley inside two weeks has given me some goose bumps. I flew with Slingair, the first to lose their machine in a quadruple fatality over the Bungle Bungles, on a fixed wing charter after a week aboard True North where I made numerous flights in their now sunken Bell 407.

True North's machine was like brand new to me and flew faultlessly throughout the cruise. All passengers wore automatically-inflating life jackets and the great big doors were easy to get in and out of. Thankfully, no one lost their lives in what must have been a hair-raising event. There is some mystery however, as to why the flotation devices attached to the landing gear did not activate and an investigation is now under way.

So what does this mean for the many expedition vessels that employ helicopters either onboard or as optional flight-seeing tours? Helicopters add an extra dimension to any cruise experience and are invaluable on many polar itineraries.

There is a degree of risk assessment in any form of travel and helicopters are nowhere near the top of any 'most dangerous transport' list. Statistics are traditionally dominated by the rattly minibus and motorcycle, even crossing the road rates way up there, especially in SE Asia, Africa and the sub-continent. I, for one, will continue to fly in helicopters and light aircraft knowing that the taxi ride to the airport will constitute the single highest risk factor on any given trip.

No matter where you are or what you're doing, assess the risk, enjoy yourself and travel safely.

Cruise Weekly Comment: PNG

Cruise Weekly – Comment by Roderick Eime

If ever there was a destination perfect for adventure and expedition cruising, it would have to be Papua New Guinea.

I'm about to set sail for PNG again next week and this will be my fourth visit. I can't imagine getting tired of visiting this wild and colourful country so close at hand.

Australians still need to overcome reservations generated by decades of bad PR. True, some places you just want to stay clear of, Port Moresby for one. But in the Solomon and Bismark Seas to the north and northwest, up the mighty Sepik River and over to the Louisiades, there is a Papua New Guinea seldom seen by mass tourists.

Compact, low-impact expedition vessels like Orion, Oceanic Discoverer and True North are now regularly plying the friendly waters, stopping at tiny islands with villages of just a few hundred inhabitants and absolutely no tourism infrastructure at all. No touts, trashy nick-nacks or wharf urchins to upset your experience, just a pure and unadulterated cultural encounter.

Just as expedition cruising is not for everyone, neither is PNG. Passengers need to be open-minded, intellectually self-sufficient and prepared to embrace the experience as it is presented. The modern vessels offer plenty of comfort and even luxury for softies like me, so it's not all hard going.

There's great diving and snorkeling, fishing, brilliant tribal art, raw dance and rituals to make your eyes pop and anthropological and wartime history in abundance.

Most itineraries take place after the Kimberley season closes in September and each operator usually only conducts two or three voyages each season of between seven and 14 days. Website: www.png-tourism.com