Nov 10 - Broome

 Nov 10 - Broome

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Today we are in Broome, once renowned as the pearl fishing capital of the world. the temperature was 34°C, and with the humidity it felt like 45°C!  It is an industrial port requiring us to cross the long jetty by bus.  The difference between low tide and high tide can be 6 to 11 feet!  Broome is actually closer to Singapore than to Melbourne!

 

Our tour took us first to Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park which houses rogue estuarine crocodiles, captured after tormenting fisherman or frequenting public waterways.  Rather than shoot them, they are taken to this park.  They are very aggressive creatures and are fenced in their habitats.

From there we went to the Pearl Luggers Museum to hear about the history of pearling on the Kimberly Coast.

Divers were mainly  Japanese  and we learned about the dangers these divers faced in the early days and saw how they were outfitted in very rudimentary gear for dives.  Pearling came to a halt when World War II started and Broome was the target of Japanese bombings.

In 1956 the  cultured pearl industry took off.  In the shop we saw a pearl estimated to be worth $100,000!!!

We stopped for a photo opportunity at the world-famous Cable Beach, where pristine waters meet pure white sand and red soil. The beach was named after the cable laid in 1889 which was used to send telegraphs between Java and Broome.

Our last stop was at Gantheaume Point to see red sandstone cliffs standing in contrast to the azure waters of the Indian Ocean.

Unfortunately, due to the sand paths,  I was not able to push my walker to the viewing spots!  So the tour was a bit of a disappointment. 😢

We are back in the theatre for tonight’s show, a Rock ‘n Roll Retrospective.  I think it is a repeat of one we saw a week or so ago, but we’ll enjoy it anyway!!

Tomorrow is scenic cruising on the Kimberly Coast and hopefully some good photo ops!

Until then…..

The Two Sailors