Salties at Willie Creek

(28 Mar 2011, Broome) We took a tour today to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm about 10 miles north of Broome to learn about the modern day pearl industry. Reg survived an attack by a salt water crocodile (a "saltie"). Much bigger than the croc at French Bay that attacks chipmunks but similar mobility.

Broome was built on buttons - pearl buttons made from the oyster shell. The modern day cultivated pearl industry is a long way from the old button industry. Pearls were an occassional find, now they're a managed find in cultivated pearls.

We were driven in a van with about 20 or so folks - mostly old geezers like us, the "grey nomads" - on red dirt roads through the scrubby landscape. You could go yourself but I really wouldn't want to drive those roads. And they're rivers of mud when the rain comes down. The driver goes fast enough that you skim over the rough bits. Just on the edge of out of control.

Willie Creek is an estuary where they do a bit of cultivated pearl farming. Most of the farm (some 250,000 or so oysters) is out on the ocean. Here there's only a couple of thousand -- the naughty oysters who have managed to eject the pearl seed. Pearl farming is a big industry here just behind tourism.

We managed to spot a few goanna (lizards) and snakes on the way in. If you went wandering through the scrub you'd find more. No doubt some nasties, but "you'd have to be very unlucky to be hurt by them" (an oft repeated Aussie aphorism).

We did a little boat ride on Willie Creek to see the oyster farm and look for the "friendly" neighborhood croc who lives in the estuary. But he wasn't to be found.

The shop has lots of pearl jewelry but fortunately Kate isn't a jewelry kind of gal so we made it out without going broke.

The tie-dye T-shirt (Kate collects them) was quite a hit last night at the Waif's concert. A lady offered me $50 but I explained that it was Kate's shirt (no doubt one Cindy bought for her) and if I didn't bring it back I'd end up with two broken legs. And a newspaper photographer took our picture -- will have to see if we're published in the weekly paper.

Another day in Broome, on the road soon enough.