For The Love of Travel

Had plans to visit the Beagle Bay, Lombadina and Ardyloon communities on my way up the Dampier Peninsula. I had my permit to visit community’s downloaded and attached to notes.

Beagle Bay, tick! It was the history that drew me to it. Established as a community in 1890 by French Trappist monks, it has a history of caring for stolen children. After the Trappists left for Palestine, in 1901, the mission was taken over German Pallottines and joined in 1907 by St John of God sisters from Ireland. The Beagle Bay church was completed in 1917 – it has a ceiling made of 4 gallon petrol tins that have been flattened and painted; a team of Aboriginal women decorated the interior with mother of pearl, cowrie, volute and olive snail shells. The result is a church which mixes Christian symbols, European mosaic techniques and “saltwater people” totems: dingoes, snakes, emus, fish, shields and spears.

In 1942 the Japanese invaded the WA coastline. Army Intelligence officers were staioned at Beagle Bay between 1942-44. The last Pallottine missionary left Beagle Bay in 2000. The community is now managed through its incorporated body, the Billard Aboriginal Corporation since 1996.

Author and ethnographer, Daisy Bates, began her life’s work at Beagle Bay Mission in the early 1900’s. Her accounts were among the first attempts at a serious study of Aboriginal Australian culture.

The community of about 300 people have access to a medical centre, bakery, general store, footy and basketball courts, and the Sacred Heart school that caters for kids from kindergarten to Yr 10.

No luck visiting Lombadina – on the day I arrived (checked at the roadhouse before I proceeded further down the road)……there was a community memorial service for one of their youngsters who had died in a car accident. Too sad!

Onwards to Ardyloon, or One Arm Point, also known as Bardi, with a population of about 500. Its hatchery has successfully produced trochus shell including reseeding the reef surrounding the area. Trochus shells are prized for their creamy white pearlescent colouring. Growing on atoll reefs, this sea snail has a conical spiralling shape and a camouflaged exterior allowing it to blend into the bright coral it grows alongside. The shells are used to make mother of pearl buttons, beads, pendants.

According to local indigenous, the name “One Arm Point’ originated from the tale of an unfortunate pearler, who had an accident with dynamite while attempting to catch fish using explosives in the bay.

‘No drones anywhere in the community’ were the signs, so after a brief drive around, off I went to my final destination for the day – Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. Unloaded stuff at bush tent and proceeded to restaurant/bar….and check out the infinity pool overlooking Catamaran Bay, just to the side of the bar!

Visited Gantheaume Point, named after Joseph Antoine Gantheaume, during the French expedition to map the coast of Australia in 1801, then known as New Holland. The point adjoins Cable Beach, and encompasses a stretch of white beach as well as red rock cliff-face overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. There are outcrops of sandstone, deposited in shallow water in this area in the Early Cretaceous period, some 130 miliion years ago. At low tide, you can see dinosaur footprints and plant fossils embedded in the sandstone about 30m out to sea.

Went on a morning of discovery to see the largest population of ‘snubbies’ (snubfin dolphins) in Australia and an array of marine life in Roebuck Bay. Snubbies live in small isolated groups along Australia’s northern coastline from Kimberley to Gladstone. Well, turns out most dolphin are a bit reclusive and dive when they notice paparazzi……unlike flat-back turtles, who surface everywhere (and then go for a dive when they have had enough). A few lovely manta-rays floated past too.

Some fun facts about snubbies : grow up to 2.7m; weight ranges between around 115-130kg depending on gender; live about 30 years; like being touched on their snout or forehead; shed their outer layer of skin 12x per day; they squeal with delight to express joy; dolphins are descendants of land-dwelling mammals of the artiodactyl order, having made significant adaptations to be the aquatic marvels we see today.

Broome has 4 tides a day ( two high and two low). “Spring Tides” every fortnight -when the moon, sun and earth are in alignment, higher than usual tides @ about 10 metres; “Neap Tides” – when then sun and moon are at right angles to each other, lower than usual tides @ about 1-2 metres. So you time your walks on the beach when the tide will be low and the sand is damp and hard packed. Fishing, during the last hour of the incoming tide. Photos….well, depends if you want water surrounding/abutting landscape features or mudflats….

I liked this image I took of the boat heading into the distance where the horizon is endless…and Wendy’s (from Tassie) dress was a colour contrast point.

Some brave fellow travellers decided to jump into the bay and be dragged along holding onto the boom net behind the boat at 6 knots or so..

Considered a Broome ‘must’ document, before I set out to drone, photo etc…its the sexy “Times and Heights of High and Low Waters” A4 sheet the Visitor Centre gave me. It confirmed that the morning needed to be spent in galleries. 🙂

So I discovered the Short St gallery exhibition, “Pink is Punk: Pink Bits from Across the Lands”. In modern history, pink has been a divisive colour – simultaneously evoking feeling of repulsion and attraction. Symbolising the feminine and docile, while also being underground and risque. In recent years, pink is being reclaimed. In remote contemporary Australian art practice, pink is gutsy and badass, a celebration and rebellion. The gallery has brought together works from around Australia – pink bits that are pretty, powerful and punk.

Friend Bev in SA, will go Gaga #*^{+!!, when she sees this: https://artbyfarquhar.com.au/collections/janice-stanley

I visited the delightful Anastasia’s of Broome and purchased some lovely earrings – peacock coloured Tahitian South Sea pearls. Will complement the ring I bought in the Abrolhos, perfectly!

The Broome Gallery shows off the etchings of James Down….such a talented artist, using brilliant colours and a sense of humour, to feature the Kimberley and Broome. Oscar, his dog, is a star!

There’s a unique experience that some visitors to Broome sign up to…a camel ride on Cable Beach at sunset. I had my unique camel experience in the Moroccan Sahara, so left camels well alone this time. Instead, walked across the rocks and beach to position myself to take photos of those lucky others…hahaha. Some nice shots but not ‘special’.

Reddell Beach is a favourite with Broome locals, with stark contrasts of red pindan bordering white sandy beach.There are unusual rock formations with intricate erosion patterns along the pristine stretch of beach.

And you have to be a local to find the tiny road that leads to Simpsons Beach, tucked in behind an industrial complex. Tide was really out but still found a couple of great shots to take.