The Kimberley Coast

Ben Cropp and his sons, Dean and Adam explore from their vessel, Freedom II, the vast and remote coastline of Australia's far north. It’s an adventure along the top end - Cape York, The Gulf of Carpentaria, Arnhem Land, and the Kimberly coast. Stunning scenery, waterfalls, good fishing, and way too many crocodiles to swim! Remote wilderness, pristine landscape and adventure!
Very few road tracks lead to this remote area, but by boat, Ben and his family can explore it all. They meet aborigines in the wild on out-stations, still harvesting their food in their forefathers ways, by primitive spear. The aboriginal rock art is spectacular - magnificent Wandjina paintings depicting legends of old and even early explorers that visited our land.
The Fishing is just great, prolific wildlife and crocodiles abound in this area.
Ben visits his dream place, what he feels is the most spectacular and beautiful place in all of Australia. A six mile deep water inlet at King George River terminates at twin waterfalls tumbling 100 metres from the river above to the gorge below. This inlet is alive with fish, mud crabs, dugong and crocodiles. It's the only place in Australia where Ben sees the beaches are bare of the usual flotsam of human garbage that litters all others places.
The discovery of Australia began at the top end. Willem Janz landed in the gulf in 1606 to become the recognized European discoverer of Australia. Ben believes the Portuguese came much earlier, in 1522 to the Kimberley coast, and Ben searches for signs of their landings.
At Bigge Island, Ben finds a cave full of magnificent Wandjina aboriginal paintings. The man figures they painted are amazing - obviously Dutch sailors smoking pipes and carrying water bags, coming ashore from a sailboat with a large side oar - a Dutch Galeot. Ben believes te aborigines are depicting the landing of Abel Tasman in 1644.
Ben also finds ancient Macassan camp sites in the Kimberley and gulf regions. They came from the Celebes for hundreds of years before Cook's arrival, setting up camps to harvest the Beche-de-mer. The Macassans had a great influence on the local aborigines.
It's an adventure expedition - to a great wilderness area of rugged beauty, devoid of civilization and the impact of man.