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Western Australia
ISBN 0864425449

Outback Australia
ISBN 086442504X

Broome

and

"The Great Northern Highway"

After a week far away for any civilisation we arrived at Broome.

Broome known as 'the Gateway to the Kimberley" (it is in fact the Kimberley's southerns gateway), is also very well known for something else. I am sure that 'Broome' sounds familiar to many of you and specially to you … Ladies. Yes, this little town also called 'the port of Pearls' is very famous for its pearl production.

The pearl industry started in 1880 with mainly Japanese divers. This is the reason why there is a very nice Japanese cemetery in Broome, which tends to prove that the pearl collection was, at that time quite risky.

When plastic buttons largely replaced shell, the pearl industry declined and nowadays we are only talking about cultured pearl farming, far more safe. But here again Japanese are on the front line! It seems they are the best for the insemination techniques.

So as you probably understood we had the opportunity to visit a' pearl farm'. It is really a complex process. Our hosts really insisted on the length and difficulties of the process, perhaps trying to justify the fact that some pieces are sold for up to 10,000 AUD (more or less 6000 Euros) with necklaces going up to 40,000 AUD … Should I add that we did not buy anything?

Broome has also one specific feature that is lacking in all other Kimberley's towns. It possesses sandy beaches such as Cable Beach.

After several days spent in the bush, Broome was also the opportunity, to perform some mandatory tasks such as to do the washing, cleaning the car (so that it will be 'super-clean' for the next bush track), cleaning all the camping gear from this dammed red dust, shopping, … and go to the restaurant to eat a steak (or a fish as you prefer). Here a steak is not a joke, don't be surprised to find a 800 g steak in your plate. It's normal. We also noticed that the interpretation of 'rare' , 'Well done', … is quite different here than in Europe. The Australian hates to have even only a bit of blood in its plate.

After four days busy but quite restful we are on the road again, heading East this time via the "Great Northern Highway". Four hundred kilometres further at dusk (care to the animals on the road), we are reaching Fitzroy Crossing. A small town without any great interest except that they have camping very close to the Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek et Geikie Gorge that we are planning to visit tomorrow. The limestone found in the region is at the origin of very nice formations such as Windjana et Geikie gorges that have some very special and interesting geological particularities.

Not being a geologist (amateur or professional) and having always been attracted by Indiana Jones style, my preference is clearly going to Tunnel Creek. A very dark cave, with flying foxes, and here and there some crocs (freshies only, not a salty as the one that attacked a German tourist last week in the Kakadu) that you must explore with a flash light and with half of your body splashing in the water. A real paradise, isn't it?

The day after we stopped at Halls Creek, an old mining town. We camped at the old town, which is now a ghost town.

One of the local curiosity (6 kms. from Halls Creek) is the 'China Wall', called like this for its passing resemblance to its namesake. This natural rock wall is claimed to be part of the longest quartz reef in the world.

After a quite night we re-started heading North, direction: The Bungle Bungle.