Beagle Bay 22 September – 3 October 2006

Peter here, flying solo while Heather is away. I decided to get a job at a pearl farm on the Dampier Peninsular (about 150km north of Broome) as I want to see more of the country and also have a closer look at an Aboriginal community. The road north was all dirt (or sand) and got progressively rougher and narrower the further I drove. The Arrow Pearl Farm is a big enterprise and employs up to 30 people. My job is to paint the staff accommodation. As well as your wage, you get free board and lodgings, including laundry. As there is nothing to spend your money on out here, most people save quite a bit of money, which to be honest is the only reason they can get staff to stay. By working long hours for 13 days, I was able to finish painting all the accommodation before I left, in need of a holiday! Also drove up to the local Aboriginal community to have a look at their local church. This is well known as it is entirely decorated with pearl shells – a remarkable sight.