The Kimberleys - it IS for everyone!

I had always thought that a trip on a small boat through the Kimberleys was something you did when you were retired. Indeed, anyone with whom I had spoken about such a trip was much older than me, and I also didn't have much interest in seeing a lot of rocks and water!

As far as breathtaking sights go, the Kimberleys is up there with the best in the world. Each new day brings something different and unexpected.

It was my husband's 50th birthday, and I knew the Kimberleys was on his bucket list. I wasn't keen - all the reviews I read seemed to include a lot of fishing, and, well, fishing has never been on my list of things to enjoy.

But, of course, it was his birthday, not mine, and I wanted to make it memorable, so I enlisted the help of a Kimberleys expert to help me narrow down just how we would do this thing. The first thing I learned was that cruising was the best way to see the most important landmarks, and that cruise needed to be on a small boat. As in, very small. As in 12 passengers only. This is because some of the best things to see and do require you to both go into areas that need a high tide to get in (thus making it hard for bigger boats, even at high tide) and because many of these areas can only be accessed in a small boat in the first place.

The next thing I established was that there are basically three 'classes' of cruise. The first one is where you have a cabin, or private sleeping space, but you share a bathroom with the other passengers. These seemed to run from about $4,500 per person for around 8-nights or about $550 per person, per night. The next class includes ensuite cabins, which are generally around $1000 per person, per night. And then comes the super luxury class, starting at $2,000 per person, per night, and these vessels often even have their own helicopter (for an added charge per use).

All of these vessels take a similar route, and so it comes down to what you can afford. I've never been a fan of sharing bathrooms with people I don't know, and I decided that if I was going on a cruise that I probably wouldn't enjoy much, I at least needed an ensuite. So I chose the Kimberley Pearl, one of about 4 or 5 vessels in that mid-range category and one of the only at the time who picked up your alcohol supply (which you pre-ordered ad paid for) from a local bottle shop and took it on board for you, rather than charging you for any you drank on board. We don't drink much as a rule, but it was still a winning feature.

And the choice turned out perfectly and, to my surprise, we had an amazing time. We had a fabulous crew who made sure that Reuben and I weren't held up by the more advanced ages of our fellow passengers, being sure to send a crew member out with us most days while we did more adventurous and strenuous things (like climbing up cliffs) while the others enjoyed tinny cruising up the waterways. We also had a tremendous spacious cabin (the best one on the boat, due only to the fact we were first in, rather than because it cost more) which we appreciated.

And apart from those breathtaking sights - stunning waterfalls, unique and wondrous rock formations, and curiosities of nature like the remarkable Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef, I absolutely loved the fishing! I mean, who wouldn't when the very first fish you catch is a 1-metre long Spanish Mackerel, and when every time you throw a line in, you haul in a giant Mangrove Jack.

Yes, I will always remember the 12 days we spent cruising the pristine warm waters of the Kimberleys, the beautiful dinners eaten on deck under the stars, the fabulous treks along topography millions of years old, and yes, even the many crocs we saw imagining how good we would taste for lunch, and I would do it again. It is, without a doubt, a trip for everyone, young and old alike!