January 11, 2019 - Broome, WA
We arrived at Broome early in the morning before I was up and about. When I did leave the cabin I was astounded to see the the significant tidal range reflected in the water marks on the dockside. The captain had said we would arrive shortly after high tide. That was was several hours ago. The tide was now out and we were about 9 feet below the water level on our arrival. It was 5:30 and t he tide was still flowing out. It would return by the time we leave this afternoon. Now a vast expanse of sand extended out from the shore and the ship’s lines ran up to the dock. The sun had risen at 5:20 and the temperature was already in the 90’s.
We have a tour schedule for 10:00. This allowed for a leisurely morning. I work on this blog until 7:00, when I returned to the cabin to get ready for our day.
As we were eating breakfast a large strange looking vessel approached the other side of our dock. The name on the bow is Lay Vessel 108. With judicious use of our internet I later learned that this is a pipe laying vessel for liquified natural gas. Their are vast fields being harvested all along the coast of Western Australia. The reserves here exceed tho of the North Atlantic fields ten fold.
When we arrived at the meeting point for our tour the temperature had risen to 96 and the humidity was keeping up with it. Fortunately much of our time would be spent on an air conditioned coach until we arrived at the walking portion of the tour in Broome’s center. Bart Pigram, our tour guide, is a local Aboriginal gent who lives in Broome. The tour focused on Aboriginal language and cultural heritage.
Bart is a young man eager to share the history of his people in this region. He explained how the Filipinos had come here to participate in the pearling industry. They were later joined by the Chinese and Europeans. Their ability to hold their breath for extended periods of time as they dove in search of the large pearl oyster shells made them desirable in the industry. This mix of nationalities led, as one might expect, to intermarriage. Bart’s grandmother was Aboriginal and his grandfather was Filipino. They instilled in his parents and they in him a love for his heritage.
He showed us the sites that make Broome important. He explained how the pearling industry evolved here and why Broome is such an important part of the industry in the The Kimberley today. We learned about the mangroves and the role they play in providing sustenance. He explained the 6 seasons the area experiences. Australians come for the summer vacation here and stay as long as 3 months after the rainy season. Sounds like us going cruising to avoid winter. Right now is the beginning of the rainy season. Fortunately we had only hot sun and light clouds.
After passing a high hill of discarded shells said to have been started thousands of years ago, we arrived at an overlook. Bart pointed where the city originated in the 1800’s, and shared more history with us. He distributed a local plum fruit that has the highest concentration of vitamin C of any fruit. He also gave us samples of the bird pea. This looks like an Origami swan and has a slightly bitter taste.
Before the coach ride back to the ship we stopped at Runway Cafe. This local pub is very near the end of the airport’s runway. Bart’ father is a well known and highly regarded entertainer. He sang played guitar and sang for us as we enjoyed fish and rice soup. This is a local traditional dish. It was very good as was Bart’s father’s singing. Bart sat in with hi for a couple of songs. We met Bart’s wife and children. Then we returned to the coach.
As we rode the long elevated road from the shore to the ship we could see that the tide had indeed started to rise while we were gone. It was 12:30 when we bid Bart farewell and thanked him for this excellent experience. We walked up the now steep gangway to return to our cabin.
After leaving our water bottles onboard we went out to take the shuttle back to town. This let us off at the visitors center. We got directions to the book store and headed off. The directions proved to be a bit sketchy but after asking for help again, we were directed the right way. The book tore was very nice and Marie, the owner, was veery helpful. We were looking for book that would share some Dreamtime stories as well a some of the things Bart had mentioned about local heritage. Marie spent a good deal of time with us, showing us some excellent titles. Four of these will find their way home with us.
We took the shuttle back to Maasdam. The water was even higher and the gangway even steeper. It was time to shower and prepare for dinner. At dinner a couple from New Zealand sat at the table next to ours. We had a nice conversation with them. Dinner passed quickly with just enough time to get to the evenings lectures about whale sharks and then the Kuri Bay pearling.
We arrive at Kuri Bay in the morning. As I look out the library window now I can see the cliffs in front of us. It is time to get out for pictures of our arrival at anchor here.
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