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Published: October 12th 2012
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Days on the Road = 75 Days (10 Weeks & 5 Days)
We've had a massive day on the road full of adventure. Our first destination was our tour booked out at Willie Creek Pearl Farm, then onto Beagle Bay and finally to Cape Leveque.
Willie Creek Pearl Farm Willie Creek Pearl Farm is located out of Broome town and takes us down the road that leads to Cape Leveque, however, prior to hitting the sandy road we turn left and head into the farm across the salt flats. Approaching the farm we notice the crocodile signs where it warns us that there is to be no swimming in the creek, it's amazing we're not too far from Broome and already we're seeing the croc signs! The water is crystal clear and aqua in colour just amazing.
Our tour starts with an informative and entertaining demonstration on the detailed processes involved with cultured pearling. I couldn't believe how much was involved in getting a pearl.
The seed (nucleus) which is formed from a small part of the shell of the Mississippi mussel is placed in the oyster’s gonad. Ohhhh poor oyster. After that a piece of nacre secreting mantle tissue develops around the seed and then the
oysters are placed in pearling panels and taken out to the pearling farm in the ocean where they are continuously turned to form the round shape of the pearl. Technicians x-ray the oysters to see whether the oysters are being good and producing a pearl, if they're not, they are then sent to the naughty farm where they will be used to produce Mabe or half pearls. The good oysters after two years can then be harvested and reseeded to produce a bigger pearl than the first one. They can reseed up to three times. Even after they have finished producing pearls the oyster's value comes from other products it can produce Mabe pearls and then the oyster meat is sold off at extortionate prices of $140/kg, I suppose if you need an aphrodisiac that's how much it's going to cost you. I think I'll pass! The Mother of Pearl shell is then also used to produce buttons, jewellery, furniture inlay, additive to car paint and cosmetics. So there is absolutely no wastage now that's not bad going.
Fact File ~ Pearling technicians work for three months of the year and can earn in excess of $100K during that period. Not bad earnings!
After our demonstration we had morning tea which was lovely and we then boarded a boat to view the pearl
panels in the naughty farm and travel around Willie Creek in search of one of the local residents, a salty! Unfortunately we didn't see any! We were told that a few days prior a European tourist had decided to take a swim in the creek and the skipper of the boat saw her and a croc not far from her and he promptly put his boat between her and the croc and told her to get out! That's living on the edge!
After the boat ride we then went into the lovely showroom where we were shown how to pick a good pearl and how to care for it. Prior to the tour I was privileged to be able to wear a pearl necklace worth $200K, not my style but just thinking I had a necklace around my neck worth that much was mind blowing especially knowing it will be the one and only chance of ever having something that expensive on again.
After finishing here we headed out to Beagle Bay.
Beagle Bay We turned left out of Willie Creek Farm to be hit with an unsealed dirt track that ran for 100km up into
the Dampier Peninsula. Its tough going and we were contantly on the lookout for pot holes along the way, of which there was plenty of these and burnt out cars!!!!
The road seemed to go on for an eternity, however, we eventually arrive at Beagle Bay. When we entered the township there were bush fires burning on the sides of the road which had been lit by the local community volunteers (FESA) to backburn any threat of future fires away from the township. As the road verge is very dry the fires are quite fierce and we could feel the heat through the car windows. I've never been that close to bush fires before and I don't think I want to be again, fires are very unpredictable.
Beagle Bay is home of the Nyul Nyul people who are the traditional owners of this land and the town received its name by J C Whickham in 1838 as he surveyed the northwest coast aboard HMS Beagle. The town is also home to a magnificent Catholic Church (Sacred Heart) built in 1915 with a crisp white exterior and an altar that is made from Mother of Pearl shells, it's spectacular
and many tourists visit here throughout the year.
Its early afternoon so we decided to keep heading 100km north up to Cape Leveque which is now a sealed road so it will be quicker to get there. We turn off the main road to the Cape and had to switch to 4WD as the road has now turned into soft sand, nothing like abit of adventure.
Cape Leveque Cape Leveque is a popular tourist destination with red cliffs, wide sandy beaches and perfect tropical sunsets. After we arrived we were abit disappointed as I think we had built this massive hype up about the place only to not see much.
I think if we had more time or even spent a couple of nights out there we would have experienced it differently. We had just arrived too late in the day to even explore and knew that we had a big trip back to Broome and part of that would be in the dark, not ideal.
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