ODESSEY EXPEDITIONS CRUISE – part 1

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ODESSEY EXPEDITIONS CRUISE - MITCHELL PLATEAU to BROOME. Saturday to Tuesday

Sat, 19th June, We slept in our van at the Odessey Expeditions depot last night and we were able to leave the car and caravan there for the duration of the cruise. A taxi arrived at 8-00am to take us to the airport for our flight up to the Mitchell Plateau. The 2.1/2 hour flight in a five passenger Cessna 210 was a bit slow
but the view of the Kimberly’s from 9500 feet was quite spectacular even if it was a little too hazy to take decent photographs. After landing at the airstrip we then were taken over the Mitchell Falls by helicopter
on the way to land on the beach at Naturalist Island to meet up with Odessey.

The Odyssey is a 24 metre catamaran design expedition vessel that draws only 1.8 meters, that takes only
20 guests, ( 6 deluxe double cabins and 4 twin share single cabins. ) It also has a 12 metre expedition vessel named ‘Homer’ that carries 20 guests in comfort and safety.

We were taken in Homer out to Odessey where we were allocated our cabins and introduced to the crew and the other passengers as they arrived over the next few hours. When everyone was on board we cruised around to the lee side of the island to moor for the night.


Sun, 20th June, Up at 5-30 and out in Homer at 6-00, up the Hunter River where we saw 6 or more crocs and many birds amongst the mangroves. After breakfast ( we normally had breakfast after a morning outing in the boats ) we headed out of Prince Frederick Harbour to Boongaree Island where we all went fishing. I caught nothing today but some of the others caught some. During lunch we cruised around Cape Torrens to Port Nelson where we went ashore in Homer to see the “Mermaid “ boab tree originally carved by it’s crew in 1820. From there we cruised another 3.1/2 hours to Lushington Valley (below Mt Trafalgar in the St George Basin) where we moored for the night. The sunset was absolutely brilliant.

Mon, 21st June, An early start at 4-30 as we need to be into the Prince Regent River at high tide so that we can access the Kings Cascade waterfalls by about 8-30am. This was well worth the early start as the crew nosed Homer up under the falls so we could all have a nice cool shower.
On the way back to Odessey we passed a colony of fruit bats in the trees and spotted some river dolphins going out with the tide. Later in the morning we again went fishing where most people caught a fish or two
including myself who caught 3 finger mark fish about 45-50cm each. Not bad for a non fisherman.
After lunch we went out in Homer up Camp Creek where we hiked from the end up to a small waterfall and swam in the cool waters of the rock pools. We got back to the boat about 5-30 to another great dinner.
We moored in the Prince Regent River for the night.

Tues, 22nd June, Up at 6-00 and off in Homer to see an Bradshaw aboriginal art site on some rocks up near the Kings Cascades. Some stiff climbing but well worth it. We left the mooring at 8-00am and headed out through the St George Basin to Uwins Island in Hanover Bay. We all swam at the beach there with Richard keeping an eye out for crocs in the clear waters. Odessey went off to Sampson’s Inlet to moor whilst we went off in Homer out to Walden Isle and Bowpus Island where we listened to some whales through an electronic sounder suspended beneath the boat. More fishing but no luck in this area. Great sunset though.
After dinner there was a 3-4 metre grey nurse shark cruising around the back of the boat for some time.

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