RV TRAVEL
A tour of the Japanese
Cemetary is a must.
Historical Society and
Museum; this will give you
insight into the history and
culture of the area. The pre
WWI pearling boom centred
on harvesting shells for
mother-of-pearl; post WWII
pearling saw the farming of
shells seeded to grow cultured,
‘south sea’ pearls in huge
underwater beds.
Many of the early pearl
divers were Japanese; they
worked in highly dangerous
conditions for little or no pay,
trying to pay off their passage
to Australia and suffering a
50 per cent death rate.
Nothing brings the drama of
the pearling industry to life like
Historical pearl
diving memorabilia.
the Willie Creek Pearl Luggers
Tour in Chinatown. The venue
is nestled beside two restored
pearl luggers and includes
an array of pearl diving
memorabilia and a riveting
presentation that cannot
fail to intrigue even the
most apathetic visitor.
This tour should be followed
by a visit to the Japanese
Cemetery that houses the
graves of 900 Japanese,
mostly men who died in
diving accidents.
BROOME CENTRAL
A walk around town is most
certainly in order. Cafes sit
beside jewellery shops selling
strands of pearls costing
$8000-plus. There is other
shopping too, of course, and a
visit to the Sun Picture House,
an outdoor cinema where you
can sit in a heritage-listed
building and watch a flick
under the stars, is in order.
If the scenery in town
attracts you, then a drive
out to Gantheaume Point is a
must for its spectacular vistas.
Nearby is a sandstone flat;
at low tides less than 2.16m,
you can carefully pick your
way across a slippery surface
to find the 130-million-
year-old footprints of a
megalosaur dinosaur.
A camel ride on Cable Beach is a must.
gorv.com.au
31