A new benchmark for Kimberley exploration
Few corners of the world remain as genuinely remote as Australia’s Kimberley, a rugged expanse of sandstone gorges, tidal waterfalls and hidden coastline unfurling across the country’s remote northwest coast, roughly between Broome and Darwin. It’s a region larger than California, yet home to only around 50,000 people, and so isolated that most travelers only ever see it from the deck of an expedition ship. Now Pearl Expeditions, the boutique operator founded on the Paspaley family’s 90-year pearling legacy, has assembled its most ambitious itinerary to date: a 13-night journey that stitches together an adults-only wilderness lodge, a suite of exclusive Paspaley experiences and an intimate 10-night sailing aboard the Paspaley Pearl.
Announced for 2027, the Ultimate Kimberley Experience is designed less as a checklist of highlights than as a single, continuous story—one that begins in the red-dirt cattle country of the East Kimberley and ends on the pearling shores of Broome.
Two nights at the edge of the wilderness
The journey opens with two nights at El Questro Homestead, the award-winning, adults-only retreat set within 700,000 acres of gorge country. El Questro typically requires a minimum three-night stay, so the itinerary’s two-night inclusion is a genuine concession—one that grants guests privileged, low-key access to one of Australia’s most sought-after luxury lodges without the longer commitment. Days here run on Homestead time: fine dining under the stars, premium wines and guided excursions into the surrounding wilderness before the real expedition even begins.
Ten nights aboard the Paspaley Pearl
From El Questro, guests transfer privately to Wyndham to board the Paspaley Pearl for a 10-night expedition along the Kimberley coastline. Built to carry no more than 30 guests, the ship trades scale for intimacy, allowing naturalists and expedition leaders to tailor each day to the group in front of them rather than a fixed script.
Over 10 nights, the itinerary reveals the Kimberley at its most elemental: towering sandstone cliffs, hidden waterfalls, ancient rock art and anchorages that few vessels ever reach.
“The Kimberley is one of the world’s last great wilderness frontiers, and experiences like this play an important role in showcasing its significance while helping protect its future. Paspaley has 90 years’ history in the Kimberley region and we have created an exclusive itinerary that is only possible due to the incredible heritage. This itinerary has been designed to feel both deeply personal and truly extraordinary, the kind of journey that stays with travelers long after they return home.”
Mick Fogg, general manager of Pearl Expeditions.
Ninety years of pearling heritage
What separates this itinerary from a standard Kimberley expedition is its direct line to the Paspaley family’s history in the region. Guests are treated to a bespoke tasting of Paspaley pearl meat, a delicacy rarely offered outside the industry itself, alongside premium pours from Bunnamagoo Wines, the family’s own vineyard in Mudgee. Where schedules allow, the ship also grants exclusive access to Paspaley’s floating pearl farms, a rare behind-the-scenes look at the origins of Australia’s most celebrated pearls.
Flight-seeing over the East Kimberley
For aerial perspective, the itinerary includes scenic flights aboard Paspaley’s Grumman Mallard flying boats where scheduled, plus an inclusive AUD $1,000 per-guest contribution toward additional flightseeing, including helicopter tours. From above, the East Kimberley’s scale becomes fully apparent—gorge systems, tidal flats and coastline that are otherwise impossible to grasp from sea level alone.
A Broome finale
The expedition concludes at the newly renovated Pinctada Hotel Broome, a boutique retreat beside Cable Beach that pairs contemporary design with the town’s pearling character. As the spiritual home of Paspaley’s 90-year legacy, Broome supplies a fitting final chapter: guests settle into a relaxed stay before joining a VIP tour through the town’s pearling and cultural history, closing the loop on a journey that began in gorge country and ends where the pearling industry itself was built.
If you go
The Ultimate Kimberley Experience has 2027 departures scheduled for April 15, May 12, June 5, July 23 and August 19. Full inclusions cover fully inclusive dining and premium beverages, private transfers throughout and luxury accommodation at both El Questro Homestead and Pinctada Hotel Broome. Further details are available through Pearl Expeditions or a professional travel advisor.
About the Author: Jason Kerr
