All quiet at the Kimberley Klub at 6am. All 150 backpackers fast asleep.
A black kite perched on the hostel fence. These birds dart and glide all over the Kimberley.
Waiting in the cool for our 7am pick up.
Only half an hour into our journey we hit the Pindan or red dirt highway as we head north up the Dampier Peninsular, directly north from Broome.
First stop was Beagle Bay Aboriginal Community (Nyul Nyul people). The original community was established in 1838 and the present church was built in 1917 by German Trappist monks.
The Dampier Peninsular is famous for its pearl industry. The church is adorned with pearl shell.
Morning tea in the shade. There are 10 in our group. Two ladies from Sydney, originally friends growing up in Gulargambone NSW, a tradie from Perth, a young psychologist from Melbourne, a Brisbane couple leaving their camper trailer for two weeks, a couple from Sydney who have just completed a Darwin to Broome backpacker trip and us.
The Beagle Bay community
More kites. Very intelligent birds who pick up burning sticks and light further fires to route out small creatures.
Then we visited the One Arm Point Community. Originally they harvested trochus shells for the production of pearl buttons.
With the introduction of plastic buttons the industry folded. Now they polish up the shells for sale.
The guide entertained us with fish feeding.
Clown fish
Turtles
Clams
Poison stone fish
Frog fish
Lunch on the shore
Our dynamic guides, Luke and Storm
The rushing tide
Mark created a crocodile sculpture
Our public first loo. 0/10. Hopefully they improve.
Arriving in Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. A very impressive operation begun by the Brown family in the 1940s. The cafe and restaurant with real coffee.
Complete with infinity pool
A boat trip on a Sealegs boat adapted to cope with the extreme tides on King Sound
Our illustrious group bumping on the waves for a two hour cruise
This is an algae reef and drains at a furious rate due to the giant tides
Fake killer whales - an unusual sight in the Sound
Sunset
A permanent Kimberley Wild camp set up in the Cygnet Bay Pearling Resort
M&M
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