In the last episode I told you how we travelled from Broome to Hamelin Pool by way of the far northern coast, the industrialized north-west, and Ningaloo Reef. I also explained something about stromatolites and their importance in the history of the world. As I mentioned at the end, there are two more interesting stories to tell about Hamelin Pool. Both have to do with a particular type of tiny white cockle, the Fragum Eragatum which is found in great quantities around the Shark Bay area. When I say great, I mean to say that most of the shoreline up to a few meters deep is made up entirely of these shells. When settlers arrived in this area they couldn’t find much in the way of building materials. Like I intimated last time, it’s not an
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