LUXURY

service since the beginning of 2005, the sleek, all-white, 50-
metre, 36-passenger vessel lifts Kimberley cruising to a new
level of luxury. There are also some unusual rules. Don’t hang
your arms over the side when fishing or a crocodile might
think it’s a cocktail sausage.
breathtaking moments every day.
No sooner have I installed myself in my quarters, bounced
on the bed and fiddled with my personal DVD player than
lunch is announced. From the galley come a series of culinary
wonders, tastefully arranged in a way that would do credit to
a foodie magazine.
The next morning, we’re at Rocky Cove in Vansittart Bay and
we’re having a picnic, but this is no ordinary picnic. As well as
bathers and towels it involves the Bell 407 chopper and a secret
destination. It’s a 10-minute flight from the vessel to Eagle Falls,
where a boisterous river steps down from the escarpment in
a series of waterfalls with rock pools in between. Each pool is
clear, cool, edged with palms and iced with foaming water,
and perfect for swimming.
There are several vessels that cruise the Kimberley coastline, and
they do a fine job of showcasing the region, but the helicopter
is a real point of difference. A helicopter gives access to places
that are impossible to reach on foot - such as Eagle Falls - and
the only vessel with its own helicopter is True North. By the
time we’ve splashed, swum, jumped off the falls and quaffed
a glass of sauvignon blanc, the crew have prepared a feast of
scallops seared in the shell, giant prawns, fish streamed in foil,
salads and fruit.
On day five we reach King George Falls, the scenic highlight
of the voyage. Once clear of the sandbar at the mouth of the
King George River the vessel enters a narrowing gorge with
50-metre rock walls. After cruising for about an hour upriver
True North rounds a final bend and the river widens at the
amphitheatre of King George Falls, where the river above has
split to create twin cascades with tonnes of water exploding
at the base and sending a plume of spray into the sky. We
nose in closer to the western falls. And closer still. We’re
almost touching the white curtain of the falls. The spray coats
our arms in tiny, glistening beads of captured light and then
the nose is swallowed up by the falls and we hover, water
sluicing across the deck. Half the crew and a few of the braver
passengers stand at the bow with the water crashing down on
their heads. The initial impact sucks the breath from your lungs,
the water pounding down from 80 metres above. It’s a shower
unlike any other, but then redefining the limits of experience is
what the cruise aboard True North is all about.
Cruise cost:
6-7 nights from NZ$11,200
per person, Ocean Class
Reservations: For bookings or enquiries please call
Mondo Travel on 0800 955 655.
Sometimes when you travel, you have moments so perfect it takes
your breath away. It might be an achingly beautiful view, or a meal
you’ll remember forever. Or the simplicity of rustling palm trees under a
star-studded sky. Te Vakaroa Villas is a place far away from the rest of the
world, where these kinds of moments happen every day.
Situated on the tropical island of Rarotonga, Te Vakaroa is an exclusive,
boutique hideaway on the shores of Muri beach. All you need to do here
is choose: an afternoon swim in the infinity pool, or in the impossibly
turquoise lagoon? The four-poster bed with feather-down pillows, or
the large balcony day-bed? A meal in the privacy of your villa, or at the
acclaimed Sails restaurant right next door?
In each of Te Vakaroa’s six villas, our aim is to provide you with every conceivable comfort and requirement. Enjoy a cocktail
on a sun-lounger or in the shade of the pavilion. Use the broadband or LCD TV. Listen to music on the iPod docking station -
or simply enjoy the sound of the waves crashing onto the reef in the distance.
So come as a guest, but leave as a friend - with memories to treasure forever.
Phone 682 25590
tevakaroa@villavacations.co.ck
www.tevakaroavillas.com
TE VAKAROA VILLAS
MURI BEACH, RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS
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From top to bottom: Atlantis Pool (photo by Michael Gebicki),
King George Falls, Helicopter on True North