Cruising the Kimberley coast on Le Laperouse, Darwin to Broome

[RooFlyer]

OK, let me first say to the cruise veterans out there - I get it now. This is my first substantial cruise (spent a week around the Galapagos islands but the boat was smaller and very much not the focus) and after a day I'm loving it. You'll have to put up with some gushing, sorry.

I'm on Ponant's Le Laperouse for a 10 day journey down the Kimberley Coast from Darwin to Broome. 92 cabins, up to 184 guests (we're full this trip) and 118 crew. Everything included except premium booze (E20/day), which I've bought with my E200 credit courtesy of my TA and Virtuoso. Also have to pay for laundry, spa and a few other things. I was pleasantly surprised to find an additional E350 (!!!) shipboard credit in my cabin when I arrived. So A$800 all up - that will be a battle to spend, but by God, I intend to give it a nudge.







We were originally due to have a 'technical stop' in Indonesia (for customs and crew employment reasons) but that got scrubbed, obviously, so now its Ashmore Reef, which is Australian Territory but outside the customs etc zone. Unfortunately that means missing Wyndham and a flight over the Bungle Bungles. It won't be the first thing to be dropped from the itinerary.

It came about about a year ago in the depths of covid when overseas travel was still looking iffy for 2022. My long-time TA sent me an e-mail, saying "I know you don't like cruising, but here's something you might find interesting." Yup - within a few weeks I and my 2 best friends had signed up. Then its just a matter of waiting ...

 

[Daver6]

Looking forward to reading more of this TR!

 

[craven morehead]

Flash looking ship

 

[Denali]

 

[tgh]

Wonderful !
Another convert to the decadence of luxury cruising..
Welcome to the..er…association…. now to build some status..

 

[RooFlyer]

I started the trip 3 days prior to embarking, with a Qantas business DSC ticket, from some long-ago flight credit. BTW, the DCSs credited the next day.

Began at Hobart at OMG o'clock, and the usual HBA Premium boarding experience run through the cattle barriers. It was originally booked for a more civilised afternoon departure, but after Qantas scheduling roulette, that was the time I ended up.



B717 up to Melbourne and yes, the Air Tags say my bags are on my connecting flight MEL-DRW on B737, along with my laptop, keys and wallet



Brekkie was either an omelette and something I didn't catch, or muesli with yoghurt and a danish. Not bad, not great. I managed to go into MMB a few hours before than T-80 and snagged row 1, more to try to ensure menu choice, than anything else.



I was booked into Ramada Wyndham 'Zen Quarter', close to the Darwin City Centre. Reason? It was the one of the few places with rooms available when I booked a month or two ago - abt $450/night. But its pretty good - a fantastic rooftop bar (16th floor), cafe, gym, but really, really slow lifts.



All rooms are s/c I think. This had a pair of single beds in the living area, as well as a double-bed room, one bathroom. One bizarre feature - to turn the bedside light off, you had to get out of bed, stand and reach up to the switch!





The light switch on both sides is at the top corner of the mirror.





My view - disappointingly, no car-park to speak of. Looking towards the CBD.

 

[Denali]

I love Darwin, was there late June. For those that are heading that way a sunset at Nightcliff and fresh cooked fish and chips and ice cream (food trucks at Nightcliff) is a nice way to avoid the tourist sunset clappers at Mindil Beach.

 

[RooFlyer]

I lived in Darwin 1985-1989 and have only been back once since then, so I came a few days early both as insurance against a cancelled Qantas flight and to have a bit of a look around. Unfortunately, my recent operation site was giving me a bit of grief, so I decided to lay low. Plus, I was paranoid about catching covid, as we had to do a RAT prior to boarding. So it ws mostly walking about the city centre area and making my own meals in the unit.

Darwin has changed!!! OMG the apartment and office buildings etc.





The waterfront precinct is new since I left and is gorgeous. Stinger-free sandy lagoon for the littlies





Convention center



Wave pool



Big rows of restaurants, so I had lunch of oysters, outside. This reminded me of 'Territory time' - took forever - to serve oysters at 11:30am??



Government house



Memorials to both the Japanese bombing o Darwin (more intense than Pearl Harbour) and Cyclone Tracey are everywhere



Parliament House

 

[RooFlyer]

What the hell ... I walked past my old place. It was my second posting as a geo - after an underground mine in the outback of WA, I was 'exploring' in the Top End. Fabulous!!



A harbinger of Climate Change?



On the 16th floor of the Zen Quarter is a beer garden, with seating all the way around. Fabulous views:









... and to have a sundowner, watching the sun go down

 

[RooFlyer]

The sunset sequence:

 

[Denali]

I love Darwin sunsets!

 

[drron]

My father spent a couple of months in Darwin in the early 40s. For some reason he didn’t like the Japanese.

But @RooFlyer I knew you would love this sort of cruising.

 

[Quickstatus]

The ship looks a bit small. I wonder what the rock and roll will be

 

[love_the_life]

My father spent a couple of months in Darwin in the early 40s. For some reason he didn’t like the Japanese.

But @RooFlyer I knew you would love this sort of cruising.

My father was posted to Darwin during WW2 and was there when the city was bombed. He didn't speak of it much though. He wasn't too fussed but an uncle was aghast that I travelled to Japan with the children in the 1990s.

 

[love_the_life]

The ship looks a bit small. I wonder what the rock and roll will be

It will be fine - we went across Drakes Passage on Poignant - was rough but the ship handled it well, some of the passengers not so well.

 

[zig]

Great to hear that you are a cruising convert.
I'm looking forward to the report as I have booked the same cruise / ship for 2023. I usually cruise with Silversea, but couldn't justify the price they were asking as a solo traveller. Ponant had no single supplement, so I bit the bullet and booked with them. I have a few trepidations about it though, so hoping your report will allay them.

 

[Quickstatus]

It will be fine

yeah sure, always beware when they say "It will be fine"

 

[tgh]

yeah sure, always beware when they say "It will be fine"

There are quite a lot of us here who have already been "just fine" on smallish expedition ships in very heavy weather.
Your personal experience to make for such a cynical remark is ??

 

[Cossie]

My father was posted to Darwin during WW2 and was there when the city was bombed. He didn't speak of it much though. He wasn't too fussed but an uncle was aghast that I travelled to Japan with the children in the 1990s.

My father spent a couple of months in Darwin in the early 40s. For some reason he didn’t like the Japanese.

My uncle was also there when Darwin was bombed. I’m sure I have some photos of him there with the artillery unit he was with.

 

[drron]

My father was in the RAAF, But not even remotely connected with planes. He was in charge of designing and managing the construction of dunnies. Well someone has to do it.,
He actually learnt to fly at Temora and was being shipped off to England. But the ship stopped in Adelaide and he developed severe diarrhoea. Some years later diagnosed as Ulcerative Colitis. He was going to be discharged as medically unfit but he protested and was given the job described.
Had he not developed his illness I would never have existed.