ausjackaroo sailing

Broome 17th April 2023

 

                                             Sunrise over Roebuck Bay, Broome

Beautiful start to the day. I sat out on our balcony, early. It must have been around 5.15am and I wasn't going to miss this sight. It was pitch black for many minutes before the sky started to lighten, then this golden hue appeared in the east, over the bay. I sat, marveling at the change of colors as night transformed to day. We have experienced quite a few mornings like this during our 4x4 camping days and sorely miss witnessing this amazing sight. This morning I felt blessed to be able to do so again. (one of the drawbacks of city living).

I waited for the rush of passengers departing on their tours before joining the shuttle bus into town. The bus drove past the historical cemetery where Broome's Japanese and Chinese grave sites are located. Broome had quite a few Japanese and Chinese migrants who settled  and prospered in Broome for its lucrative pearling industry. 

View from lookout.

The bus dropped me off at Chinatown, the heart and soul of Broome. Firstly I walked to Roebuck Bay lookout on the foreshore of the bay. From there I walked along Dampier Tce. where there are quite a few jewelry shops promoting the locally farmed Willie Creek and Paspaley Pearls. Amongst these shops was a display of various Pearling Luggers used during the height of production. 

The DMcD lugger was used for pearling in Exmouth, Onslow, Point Samson, Port Hedland, Cone Bay in King Sound and Broome. It holds the record catch of more that 100 tonne of pearl shell in 1979. It is currently awaiting funding for restoration. 

The Sam Male lugger named in honour of Sam Male, a well-known Broome pioneer who died in 1976. The lugger was part of the fleet, fishing Mother of Pearl shell and collecting live shell for its cultured pearl farms at Kuri Bay. 

Display of pearl shells. 

The pearling lugger is a gaff-rigged ketch or lug-sail rigged. The wooden 36-40 feet long vessels were built from malalueca, jarrah and imported teak or beech.  When pearling, the lugger uses a drifting anchor regulating the speed for the pearling divers as they walk across the seabed, collecting and farming the pearl shells.