Before leaving Pender Bay Allthego had a wander around some of the headland camping spots. They all had pretty good views but mostly of ocean and other camp sites. The people in a van at one spot had a good view of us, looking down from on high!

We made it up to Cygnet Bay in good time. The track out of Pender Bay seemed better than the track in! After a close look it was the same track. Often the case!

We only encountered two vans coming in and that was near the turnoff from the main road. So no problems getting out.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm is near the top of the Dampier Peninsular and we took up residence there for three nights. It was our first powered site since Home Valley Station on the Gibb almost four weeks ago. A bit of luxury.

The Pearl Farm runs a tourism operation alongside its pearl business. Camping grounds, infinity pool, restaurant and various daily tours of farm operations. There are also boating excursions on the waters surrounding the tip of the peninsular.

We gave the fish n chips a go at the restaurant. Very generous serve of barramundi pieces and the usual pile of chips buried underneath with the tasty tartar sauce. I think the best F&C so far! The rose helped.

Nearby is the Ardyaloon Aboriginal Community. The pronunciation in these parts emphasises the first syllable and the rest rolls off! Very phonetic too.

So

AR d a loon!

I think that is right?

It is interesting that the little book mentioned below spells it totally differently….Ardiyooloon. Maybe because indigenous languages were not written the English spelling relies on the nuances of pronunciation over time?

Native Title and a small fee of $11 each to have a look around the town and environs. The waters and beachfront here are pretty special, the tides rip through the channel between the islands and the mainland. Eerie noise!

The kids at the local school have published a book discussing their traditional life, plenty of pictures and annecdotes. The Bardi Jaawi people are ‘sea people’ and live in it and from it.

It is a great read, better than a text book or an ABC documentary! Also bought a polished trochus shell, $35 ……mmm…on what shelf am I going to put this now?

They have a hatchery originally set up to grow out trochus for the button trade, now dead because of plastics.

The hatchery is now a mini aquarium with various sea-life from the region. Well worth the visit, a resident turtle entertains!

Back at the camp we had a short tour/chat about the origin of the farm and pearl production. There was of course the opportunity to acquire a pearl or pearls at various prices.

There were a couple of nice strings of pearls ranging from the low $38,000 through to $58,000. These appeared to be slow moving stock items. We did not increase the stock turn rate.

Interesting, it seems this operation is part of the Brown family business empire. No one has ever mentioned this to me, I must investigate any unknown ownership interest.

Our last day at the farm involved a visit to Garaan-Ngaddim. But more of that next time.