Why go? It’s not easy to reach the Buccaneer Archipelago. This uninhabited scatter of around 1,000 islands is strewn off Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast – which itself is fairly inaccessible. You don’t accidentally pass through the Kimberley: this is the end of the road. And the Buccaneers are beyond it. Subsequently, they are almost flawless, fringed by white sands and mangroves, fuzzed by rainforest and teeming with critters – from crocodiles to fish, bats and birds. There has been some human interference, however: hikes onto the islands will reveal Aboriginal rock art daubed on cave walls and the burial sites of the pearlers who used to work these waters.
When to go: The dry season is May to October. Waterfalls are fullest April-May, just after the wet season. July-September is the best time for spotting humpbacks.
How to go: Cruises and sea safaris operate from Broome and Derby in Western Australia. Scenic flights also run from Derby. Helicopter and float-plane charters are possible.