Heritage Adventurer passes through Darwin to mark start of Kimberley season

Expedition cruise ship Heritage Adventurer has passed through the NT at the start of its Kimberley season, bringing hundreds of interstate and international visitors to the Top End.

The Heritage Adventurer Kimberley expedition. Picture: Michael Tropiano.

Expedition cruise ship Heritage Adventurer has passed through the Northern Territory at the start of its Kimberley season, bringing hundreds of interstate and international visitors to the Top End.

The luxury 140-guest ship will dock in Darwin three times in July and August, to board passengers and restock for the trip between the NT and Broome.

Director and expedition leader Aaron Russ said exploring the Top End remained a frontier for the tourism industry.

A crocodile spotted in the Hunter River, on the Heritage Adventurer Kimberley expedition. Picture: S Bradley.

“It’s remarkable how little the Kimberley is known outside of this part of the world,” he said.

“Talking to Europeans, you might as well be talking about the dark side of the moon.”

Mr Russ said his New Zealand based company, Heritage Expeditions, was working with Australian tourism groups to raise awareness of the region as an adventure destination.

“A ‘you’ve been to Antarctica, you’ve been to the Arctic, have you been to the Kimberley?’ kind of story,” he said.

Mr Russ said the company “would love to do more in the Northern Territory” but planning certainty into the future posed a challenge as a foreign flagged vessel.

“Australia needs to find its path that gives certainty, so that we can plan with certainty as well,” he said.

Toby Nowlan, Producer Director of viral documentary Ocean enjoys witnessing first hand the worldwide reach and power of the film on a remote beach in the Philippines. Image Cathy Finch Photography

The Heritage Adventurer arrived in Darwin from a voyage through Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia, where guests had been lucky to have one of the creator’s of David Attenborough’s latest documentary on board as a guest lecturer and guide.

Toby Nowlan, a director and producer of Ocean with David Attenborough, said being able to take guests to remote destinations helped to promote conservation and care for the natural environment.

“I think as humans we often have to see it to believe it,” Mr Nowlan said.

The conservation message of his film has already reached remote corners of the globe – on an island which had never before been visited by a cruise ship Mr Nowlan was recognised by a group of teens.

“It was kind of bonkers, we’re in this crazy remote part of the Philippines and these girls knew about the film, and knew me – Toby from TikTok, apparently.”

Originally published as Heritage Adventurer passes through Darwin to mark start of Kimberley season