True North

For 30 years, TRUE NORTH’s team have led the way in small group expeditions of the Kimberley, Papua and beyond. The convenience of these small groups allows your crew the opportunity to cater for personal preferences and specific interests such as fishing, birdwatching and photography excursions.

TRUE NORTH features enhanced levels of comfort and luxury throughout, allowing passengers the opportunity to experience wilderness in surroundings more akin to one of the world’s most exclusive hotels. Enjoy personalised service – a passenger limit of 36 and a crew of 18 ensure attention to detail and excellence in service. Guests can take advantage of a number of lavish vantage points including a sundeck, a forward observation lounge, a lounge and an alfresco bar. The naturalist presents interpretative information on wall-mounted screens in the lounge and, an internet café enables convenient communication with the outside world.

TRUE NORTH is purpose-built to explore coastal areas including the upper reaches of shallow river systems – guests need only step out of their cabins to experience wilderness. But the adventure doesn’t stop there! Multiple adventure boats provide guests with a greater opportunity to do “what they want, when they want” and, to add yet another dimension to adventure, most itineraries feature an onboard helicopter.

Dedicated adventure boats

The TRUE NORTH operates with dedicated adventure boats. Our adventure boats are 20’ runabouts. We have deliberately chosen this configuration to provide greater comfort, practicality and safety. These boats feature ample seating and when the boat is not under way, it is possible to stand-up and walk around.

Helicopter

When helicopter excursions are offered – the chopper generally remains on the TRUE NORTH for the duration of the cruise. This allows helicopter activities to be scheduled for most days of the itinerary and, for personalised excursions such as sunrise and sunset flights.

Please note – helicopter flights are an additional extra and are not included in the cruise price unless they are part of a transfer at the beginning or end of the cruise.

Wow – who would have thought, I have never been in a helicopter before, now I can’t get enough. I can’t speak highly enough about the whole operation. I felt completely safe and I could not have hoped to have seen all that I saw if we didn’t have a helicopter onboard.

Cuisine

A popular venue on any TRUE NORTH itinerary, the lower deck dining room offers the ultimate in comfort and uninterrupted vista – large panoramic windows ensure that guests never miss any of the action, even when they are enjoying the ‘finest in fine dining.

The TRUE NORTH offers sustainable and organic Australian cuisine. Our menus are also destination inspired and feature the very best of locally sourced ingredients. Modern technique is used to showcase alongside more traditional methods.

The galley delivers continuously evolving dishes drawing from an array of different cuisines to ensure that each dining experience is unique to every itinerary.

Fish with the chef

It’s not very often that you find an opportunity to accompany your chef as he or she hand-picks the evening’s fare. It’s even more-unique to stand side by side as you negotiate with an un-negotiable mud crab, or an aerial barramundi or a marauding mackerel. Hear their stories, witness skill beyond the galley and, make your own contribution to the menu. Land the catch of the day and then stay alongside as the chef demonstrates the processes involved – from the sea to your plate.

Savour the flavours

​Take a seat next to a fellow-adventurer as the last of day’s light dances on a horizon never obscured. Invitation is extended by hand-crafted marri and immaculate settings whilst in the galley the chefs ready to plate what they started to prepare no less than 72 hours previous.

They have brined shoulders of lamb, cooked sous-vide with goose fat and herbs, slowly roasted and then chilled, pressed and portioned ready to serve.

Confit garlic and thyme roasted lamb rumps sliced medium-rare, resting on wild mushroom potato puree and sticky lamb jus. With peppery watercress, yellow bean and hazelnut salad to finish.

Later, double-skin glasses are placed before one and all – topped with a disc of tempered white chocolate and five dots of burnt raspberry coulis. A drizzle of warm Kimberley honey then reveals cold-pressed seasonal nectarines and vanilla bean from Papua New Guinea.