The Great EscapeBroome

The Rowley Shoals is the most remote dive location in Australia. Only a couple of cruises a year visit this pristine atoll. Diving here is something that has to be experienced to be believed, and no one knows the secrets like Chris Tucker, and the crew of the luxurious Great Escape. The vessel is a 26 metres (85 ft) long catamaran and perfect for remote diving in comfort and style. Diving at the Rowley Shoals is seasonal, trips are only available from November to early December. During the rest of the year, non-diving excursions along the Kimberley Coast of Western Australia are scheduled.

The liveaboard is fitted with the latest electronic navigational, safety and communication equipment. Fresh water is on-board for both drinking and bathing and an ice machine is available. A fully equipped galley with large cool room prepares fresh gourmet meals three times daily. Towels and linen are supplied and a large, covered back deck is used for relaxed entertainment and alfresco dining. A specially designed 8-person spa is located on the bow, the perfect place to enjoy a cold beverage and a spectacular Kimberley sunset.

Diving charters are well catered for with two below deck compressors and air banks for quick refills. There are three control stations for visual manoeuvring when picking up divers from drift dives. The three 5 metres (16 ft) long dive tenders are used for exploration and some fishing adventures. Furthermore there is a very large back deck area with great personal space for divers kitting-up and breaking- down dive gear. The dive platform has been specifically designed for easy access on and off the vessel with 4 gradually sloping stairs to the back deck. In addition the Great Escape has a dedicated camera work and storage area with fresh water for camera wash-downs.

The liveaboard is built to accommodate just 14 passengers in 7 cabins. All cabins are fitted with ensuites and queen size, walk around beds and air-conditioning.

Horizon View Staterooms: The 4 Horizon View Staterooms are located on the lower deck, all with private ensuites, large port-hole style windows, personal fridges, flat screen televisions and DVD players. These rooms have queen-size beds you can walk all the way around, and two can be configured as twin-single beds as well.

Panoramic View Staterooms: 3 Panoramic View Staterooms are located on the mid-level and on the upper deck. This is the superior level of accommodation onboard MV Great Escape, providing added space, larger windows, and larger ensuites.

A thousand nautical miles north of Perth, and only an hour's direct flight from Bali, lays the fabled Kimberley Coast. A day's cruising west of Broome, discover the Rowley Shoals, an eco-dive experience unmatched anywhere else in the world. Rowley shoals is a chain of three spectacular pristine coral atolls - each covering 80 square kilometres and rising up to 400 meters (1312 ft) from the ocean floor on the very edge of the widest continental shelf in the world. Comparable to the Coral Sea on the East coast, the all year round warmer waters and the stronger prevailing currents make this a unique underwater environment.

Rowley Shoals offer some of the most pristine diving anywhere. Only a small number of divers have experienced this, as yet, relatively undiscovered underwater paradise. A day's cruising west of Broome will discover the Rowley Shoals, an eco-dive experience unmatched anywhere else in the world.
Dive on one of the largest untouched coral gardens on earth. Dive amongst the Giant Clams, shellfish, Giant Potato Cod and Maori Wrasse. Discover over 200 species of coral and over 650 species of fish. With visibility in excess of 60 metres (197 ft) and a warm tropical climate - this is one dive adventure not to be missed! Dive excursions are offered between October and December each year.

Dive cruises: The Great Escape visits the Rowley Shoals on 7 and 5 night itineraries. Rowley Shoals diving is limited to a few months per year for weather reasons. Cruises are starting late October, ending in December.

Kimberley Coast cruises: During the other months of each year, the Great Escape offers sightseeing and fishing excursions, cruising along the beautiful Kimberley Coast of Western Australia in comfort and style. No diving is offered on those itineraries. They even have a helicopter on board during these excursions. We are happy to email you details of you are interested in one of these special adventures.

The Great Escape is a very luxurious vessel and one of only two vessels which offers dive trips to the Rowley Shoals at all. Diving the Rowley Shoals is a fantastic experience and should not be missed, if you plan a holiday between October and November at the west coast in Australia. Make sure you book it well in advance, as the few excursions are fully booked early in the year!