Page 185 - Mit dem Wohnwagen durch Australien 2

INDIAN OCEAN
We have arrived in Broome, at the Indian Ocean, and wonder over wonder; we get a camping spot at the only
campground directly on the beach. And more wonder, despite Mangroves there is a beautiful sandy beach which is
presently free of jelly fish, Salty Crocodiles, does have not Algae and no bacteria, so it is fit for swimming. There is
just a little setback. Broome has a tide of about 12 m and when we arrive, there is no water for kilometres on end.
It has gone out and we have to wait until 10 pm, when it comes back splashing on the beach. Next morning at 10
am, it is here again and beautifully aqua blue and inviting. We take its invitation up immediately and enjoy the balmy
water, a really rare treat. Soon the stingers will be back and on the other side of the peninsula on the famous cable
beach, there was a visiting croc which had that beach closed for almost a week. Sadly, Malcolm Douglas the
ultimate Crocodile man who became world famous with his documentaries on the Kimberleys and who live here in
Broome, had a freak fatal accident in September in his wilderness park here. He wanted to stop his rolling heavy
Toyota, opened the door and tried to pull the hand break, when the car hit a big tree sideways and squeezed him
against the metallic door frame. Malcolm would have caught that croc in no time!

In Roebuck bay, where we are, we can walk far out at really low tides and see the Catalina flying boats which were
bombed by the Japanese in WWII while sitting on the ground, full with women and children who should have been
evacuated. The allies had misjudged the reach of the Japanese airplanes and it Broome was considered safe from
airstrikes. During winter and at full moon and low ebb, a phenomenon, called the stairways to the moon can be
seen. The ascending moon throws a way of light over the mud planes and makes it look like shimmering stairs to
heaven.

Broome is the centre of pearling in Australia. The beautiful white-pink, champagne coloured, gold and silver-white
pearls are grown here. In the olden days last century, the large mussels were harvested for their mother of pearl in
the shell. It was used to produce buttons, salt spoons, furniture inlays, jewellery cases etc. The large South Sea
pearls were just a nice extra. Meanwhile the mussels Pinctada Maxima, are now farmed locally. They inserted with
a little mother of pearl seed and then hopefully grow a lovely pearl around it. This takes about two years. Sometimes,
the mussel rejects the implant, but still produces a pearl. However, these Keshi pearls are not round, but have all
kind of bizarre forms. Some of them are flat, look like boomerangs, triangles or little sausages. After two years and
the first harvest, the mussels are implanted another seed. Only few of them can produce a second pearl, but these
are then much bigger and dearer, because also the Pinctada Maxima is older and bigger. Meanwhile the mussel
meat has become very popular, especially in Japan and the mother of pearl is still used for evening dress buttons
and other luxury goods.

We are in luck and the nesting period for the huge marine turtles has begun. We have seen lots of tracks on the
beach and followed them at night. There we detected huge flat back turtles shovelling out their large nests in order
to be able to lay their eggs and then cover them carefully. In February all hatchlings of one nest will all appear at the
same time and speedily waddle towards the sea. There they remain for decades until, one November evening, they
will return to their birth beach to burrow their eggs in turn to create another generation.

THE GREEDY TURTLE – A STORY TOLD BY ABORIGINES
Gubil, the lazy turtle enviously watched Julan, the dolphin catching fish after fish and feeding in seeming easiness.
Gubil went to Jilanyi, the large snake who was connected to the people in the bay and asked him for help. Jilanyi
agreed and together they built a large fish trap in the bay. The trap is very effective and Gubil can gorge on fish every
day and leaves nothing for Julan the dolphin. Gubil gets fatter and fatter and one day cannot move any longer
because he was such a glutton. No he repents his greediness and he turns himself into a large red sand dune. This
is still visible on Cable beach just in front of a natural stony Amphitheatre.

THE PILBARA
The mining operations are all present in Western Australia. This is one of the richest lands in the country but also
one of the most expensive. Port Hedland is one of the large shipping harbours for Iron ore and Salt. Salt is produced
right there in huge paddy fields and waits in large white heaps to be transported to all our tables. Iron ore is dug out
of the earth in many larger and smaller mines.

It is impossible not to notice the mining activities. The majority of the vehicles on the road have yellow safety strips,
a little orange flag on a high pole and the number of the mine where it is allowed to enter. There are a lot of posh new
houses and they all have these cars in the car port. There is an air conditioned shopping centre which provides for