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Published: July 17th 2009
We have had a great couple of days. Yesterday we went on a tour to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. Once we'd had afternoon tea, we were taken by boat into the creek - a beautiful blue, as are all the waterways here - and were shown the pearl shells which are kept in cages underwater to show the tourists. Most pearl shells are farmed a few kilometres out in the ocean. We were then taken on a little trip up the creek, viewing their resident crocodile and a huge brahminy kite's nest and then back to the Farm to listen to a talk on how the shells are seeded and the way they're farmed. The visit concluded with a tour of their shop but Doug wouldn't fork out the necessary $100,000 for the necklace I'd chosen!
Today was fabulous. We had to be at the caravan park's front gate at 7am where we were met by a taxi and taken to the airport. There we boarded little Cessna's, there were five plus the pilot in our little plane. We'd had to give our weight when we booked the tour and I was hoping everyone had been reasonably honest! As
always up here at this time, it was a perfect day to fly.
We first flew north over the Dampier Peninsular, where we could see how lonely the surrounding area actually is - a cattle station here and a remote pearl farm there. We flew over Malcolm Douglas' wildlife reserve where we were told he farms his crocs for the skins - $11 a square centimetre!
Then it was over the King Sound where we could see the hundreds of islands that are there then over the King Leopold Ranges, once as high as the Himilayas but now a big range of low rounded mountains. We then flew over the Horizontal Falls, rapids racing through two narrow areas with a drop of a metre or more. It is a neeptide which meant not as spectacular but watching tour boats going through, I was glad I was in the air. http://www.waratahsoftware.com.au/wp_postcard_horizfalls.html
The pilot landed the plane on a red dirt strip at Cape Leveque - a popular but remote area known for camping and fishing and reached by a lonely dirt road out of Broome. We were given refreshments and could have swum but, thought the weather is
An opened pearl shell
the meat is prized too, $300 a kg in Asiaaround 28Cdegrees, the water is only 20 and I like 23 for swimming. We did have a nice walk along the beach and tested the water though.
We flew back over the coast, the colours amazing - red soil, white beach, turquoise water. We saw four whales having a lovely time below us and then further on a long whale just stretched out on top of the water. A taxi was waiting to take us back to the caravan park when we landed - a great day!
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anonymous
non-member comment
wow! Best photos of this trip..Exciting day ..