Thursday, 29 July
This morning we headed along the Cape Leveque Road on the way to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. The first 14 kms was sealed, then it was red bull dust and corrugations until we reached the mud flats – dry, fortunately – for the final 5 kms before the farm.
Wow – the colour of the sea water was just fantastic! The most superb blue, due to the limestone deposits evidently being suspended in the water. We had a very entertaining and informative “lecture” on the cultured pearl industry in Australia, as well as learning about how the pearls are actually cultivated. The men in the audience were a little horrified as to where the implant is actually made in the oyster (brought a tear to many a manly eye, and laughter from the women!). Following the supplied refreshments of wonderful coffee and damper made with beer, we boarded a boat for a tour of Willie Creek and a look at some oysters in the “Naughty Nursery” – oysters that weren’t destined to be good pearl builders. The tide of 10 metres was almost full in and running so fast that foam was created on the surface. After seeing how the oysters are suspended in their frames (usually some kilometres out to sea in clean water), we moved slowly up a creek among the mangroves to view the obligatory crocodile. He/she is a well trained crocodile and moves out on to the mud flats when the tide is low and the creek no longer exists!
Back to the reception building and the pearl showroom for some retail therapy. It didn’t take Cat long to select an $80,000 collar. I did spend a bit more time before making a contribution to the Australian pearl industry economy.
On the return journey through the mud flats, bull dust and corrugations, we came across a Wicked camper (fellow travellers will know these, for all you others it is a very old Kombi style van rented out to the likes of backpackers and usually with a top speed of 80 km/h) being driven by two mature age females and stopped in the bull dust. They should never have attempted this 4WD road in such a bomb, and the car in front of us stopped to offer assistance.
All in all, it was a good morning – one received his “fix” of red dirt driving and the other increased the family heirlooms!
We also decided today not to make the 100 km (each way) drive to Beagle Bay – neither of us could stand the corrugated road for such a long period of time.
This morning we headed along the Cape Leveque Road on the way to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. The first 14 kms was sealed, then it was red bull dust and corrugations until we reached the mud flats – dry, fortunately – for the final 5 kms before the farm.
Wow – the colour of the sea water was just fantastic! The most superb blue, due to the limestone deposits evidently being suspended in the water. We had a very entertaining and informative “lecture” on the cultured pearl industry in Australia, as well as learning about how the pearls are actually cultivated. The men in the audience were a little horrified as to where the implant is actually made in the oyster (brought a tear to many a manly eye, and laughter from the women!). Following the supplied refreshments of wonderful coffee and damper made with beer, we boarded a boat for a tour of Willie Creek and a look at some oysters in the “Naughty Nursery” – oysters that weren’t destined to be good pearl builders. The tide of 10 metres was almost full in and running so fast that foam was created on the surface. After seeing how the oysters are suspended in their frames (usually some kilometres out to sea in clean water), we moved slowly up a creek among the mangroves to view the obligatory crocodile. He/she is a well trained crocodile and moves out on to the mud flats when the tide is low and the creek no longer exists!
Back to the reception building and the pearl showroom for some retail therapy. It didn’t take Cat long to select an $80,000 collar. I did spend a bit more time before making a contribution to the Australian pearl industry economy.
On the return journey through the mud flats, bull dust and corrugations, we came across a Wicked camper (fellow travellers will know these, for all you others it is a very old Kombi style van rented out to the likes of backpackers and usually with a top speed of 80 km/h) being driven by two mature age females and stopped in the bull dust. They should never have attempted this 4WD road in such a bomb, and the car in front of us stopped to offer assistance.
All in all, it was a good morning – one received his “fix” of red dirt driving and the other increased the family heirlooms!
We also decided today not to make the 100 km (each way) drive to Beagle Bay – neither of us could stand the corrugated road for such a long period of time.
2 comments:
Bugger The Cat. Remember your relations:) Pleeeeeeeease
I LOVE family heirlooms!
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