For The Love of Travel

In 1946, Dean Brown was navigating the pristine Kimberley coastline in a wooden lugger, and he discovered the secluded, unspoilt beauty of Cygnet Bay along with the precious gift of the Pinctada maxima pearl shell.

When Dean’s son, Lyndon had mastered the art of growing pearls, he shared his secrets with his dedicated and talented work mates in 1960. The first were local Bardi and Jawi men, Aubrey Tigan, Tom Wiggan and Gordon Dixon. Up until this moment, only the Japanese had the expertise to successfully culture pearls. A pivotal point in time of global significance, as the ‘magical’ process of growing these valuable gems was only known to select Japanese technicians, one white Australian and three Australian Indigenous men. And so the face of pearling culture changed forever.

And the strong connection developed between the Brown family and the Bardi Jawi! They remain proud custodians of their grandfather’s 75 year legacy, running one of only a few commercial pearl farms still operating in Western Australia. And Indigenous history, culture and practices remain an inherent part of the core tourist ‘offerings’ on the Farm’s events menu. Until 2009, the pearling industry had been a secretive business, until this family opened its doors to the public. And James Brown (not to be confused with the R&B one)…has won many awards re sustainability of the pearling enterprise.

The coastline is varied and interesting, changing with the tidal movements. Mangroves turn into tidal creeks and rocky points offer fresh oysters and great spots for fishing. Imagine what it’s like when 26x Sydney Harbour’s volume of water enters and drains 2 times a day in the Buccaneer Archipelago. A veritable maelstrom!!

I stayed at Divers Creek, only accessible by 4WD and about 1km from the main pearling village.

No worries about putting the drone up here at the beach area around Mangrove Bay and White Rocks, and here are some images taken at low tide (sunrise) and high tide (bright turquoise @ noon)…..the purply/green image was also taken at sunrise and I have played with colour enhancement in the processing phase, but the 2 earlier ones are pretty much as they were photographed.

I went on the ‘Giant Tides’ tour, where I felt the power of the world’s largest tropical tides as we cruised amongst the giant whirlpools and standing tidal waves. Woo hoo, it was an exhilarating boat ride on the incoming tide.

I also went on the Waterfall Reef Sea Safari which allows you to witness a tidal phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed. You first see an incredible abundance of islands that are heavily weathered, sculpted smooth-rounded or with jutting peaks, contributing to making up the Buccaneer Archipelago…

…..and then there is the emergence of a reef with a cascading waterfall, on the outgoing tide to the Indian Ocean. This one was 2m high, would have loved to see the 6m!!

On my last morning, went to brush teeth in trough in the camp facilities area….and was greeted by a fellow camper “just be careful of the snake”……whattttt??? Definitely a teenie tiny brown snake….OMG.

Had plans to visit the Beagle Bay, Lombadina and Ardyloon communities on my way up the Dampier Peninsula. I had my permit to visit community’s downloaded and attached to notes.

Beagle Bay, tick! It was the history that drew me to it. Established as a community in 1890 by French Trappist monks, it has a history of caring for stolen children. After the Trappists left for Palestine, in 1901, the mission was taken over German Pallottines and joined in 1907 by St John of God sisters from Ireland. The Beagle Bay church was completed in 1917 – it has a ceiling made of 4 gallon petrol tins that have been flattened and painted; a team of Aboriginal women decorated the interior with mother of pearl, cowrie, volute and olive snail shells. The result is a church which mixes Christian symbols, European mosaic techniques and “saltwater people” totems: dingoes, snakes, emus, fish, shields and spears.

In 1942 the Japanese invaded the WA coastline. Army Intelligence officers were staioned at Beagle Bay between 1942-44. The last Pallottine missionary left Beagle Bay in 2000. The community is now managed through its incorporated body, the Billard Aboriginal Corporation since 1996.

Author and ethnographer, Daisy Bates, began her life’s work at Beagle Bay Mission in the early 1900’s. Her accounts were among the first attempts at a serious study of Aboriginal Australian culture.

The community of about 300 people have access to a medical centre, bakery, general store, footy and basketball courts, and the Sacred Heart school that caters for kids from kindergarten to Yr 10.

No luck visiting Lombadina – on the day I arrived (checked at the roadhouse before I proceeded further down the road)……there was a community memorial service for one of their youngsters who had died in a car accident. Too sad!

Onwards to Ardyloon, or One Arm Point, also known as Bardi, with a population of about 500. Its hatchery has successfully produced trochus shell including reseeding the reef surrounding the area. Trochus shells are prized for their creamy white pearlescent colouring. Growing on atoll reefs, this sea snail has a conical spiralling shape and a camouflaged exterior allowing it to blend into the bright coral it grows alongside. The shells are used to make mother of pearl buttons, beads, pendants.

According to local indigenous, the name “One Arm Point’ originated from the tale of an unfortunate pearler, who had an accident with dynamite while attempting to catch fish using explosives in the bay.

‘No drones anywhere in the community’ were the signs, so after a brief drive around, off I went to my final destination for the day – Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. Unloaded stuff at bush tent and proceeded to restaurant/bar….and check out the infinity pool overlooking Catamaran Bay, just to the side of the bar!

Visited Gantheaume Point, named after Joseph Antoine Gantheaume, during the French expedition to map the coast of Australia in 1801, then known as New Holland. The point adjoins Cable Beach, and encompasses a stretch of white beach as well as red rock cliff-face overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. There are outcrops of sandstone, deposited in shallow water in this area in the Early Cretaceous period, some 130 miliion years ago. At low tide, you can see dinosaur footprints and plant fossils embedded in the sandstone about 30m out to sea.

Went on a morning of discovery to see the largest population of ‘snubbies’ (snubfin dolphins) in Australia and an array of marine life in Roebuck Bay. Snubbies live in small isolated groups along Australia’s northern coastline from Kimberley to Gladstone. Well, turns out most dolphin are a bit reclusive and dive when they notice paparazzi……unlike flat-back turtles, who surface everywhere (and then go for a dive when they have had enough). A few lovely manta-rays floated past too.

Some fun facts about snubbies : grow up to 2.7m; weight ranges between around 115-130kg depending on gender; live about 30 years; like being touched on their snout or forehead; shed their outer layer of skin 12x per day; they squeal with delight to express joy; dolphins are descendants of land-dwelling mammals of the artiodactyl order, having made significant adaptations to be the aquatic marvels we see today.

Broome has 4 tides a day ( two high and two low). “Spring Tides” every fortnight -when the moon, sun and earth are in alignment, higher than usual tides @ about 10 metres; “Neap Tides” – when then sun and moon are at right angles to each other, lower than usual tides @ about 1-2 metres. So you time your walks on the beach when the tide will be low and the sand is damp and hard packed. Fishing, during the last hour of the incoming tide. Photos….well, depends if you want water surrounding/abutting landscape features or mudflats….

I liked this image I took of the boat heading into the distance where the horizon is endless…and Wendy’s (from Tassie) dress was a colour contrast point.

Some brave fellow travellers decided to jump into the bay and be dragged along holding onto the boom net behind the boat at 6 knots or so..