From Broome, we headed north to the Dampier Peninsula, where a striking contrast of pindan cliffs, white sandy beaches, and clear turquoise waters creates the perfect backdrop for a unique cultural and coastal adventure. We chose to base ourselves at Pender Bay, which is on land managed by a local custodian. Although he had closed the area for all of May for maintenance work, he kindly allowed us to stay there. The road in was fairly short, but due to the corrugations and large bumpy sections, it took much longer than we had anticipated. By taking it slowly, we arrived in one piece and were rewarded for our efforts with a campsite right on the cliffs overlooking one of the most breathtaking locations we had seen on our trip. Since it was closed, we practically had the place all to ourselves apart from two other vans.

We spent two relaxing days taking short strolls along the beach, which was very enticing but definitely off-limits due to the croc risk. Lily and Oliver did get a chance to cool off in an outdoor bathtub, which was a lot of fun. We also went fishing and were lucky enough to catch a bald chin groper and a red fin perch. They were big enough to keep, so I practiced my newly learned filleting skills and prepared enough fillets to cook for lunch. They were both delicious! Robyn also had a long chat with the custodian about some fairly recent foreign nationals who had landed on his property and the ensuing chaos that created for him.

Our last day happened to be Mother’s Day, so the kids made Robyn a pancake breakfast and gave her homemade cards along with whale shark earrings they had been keeping a secret since Monkey Mia! We then made our way further north to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, where we had two nights booked. First on the agenda was a tour of the facility, where we learned a lot about how the pearling industry started by reverse-engineering a heavily guarded Japanese technique that made commercial pearling possible. We even got to see them open an oyster and pull out a pearl which, after grading, turned out to be worth $700. We also saw and got to hold one of the world’s largest pearls and a necklace worth a million dollars. After the tour, we enjoyed a lovely Mother’s Day lunch overlooking the ocean before relaxing in the infinity pool for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening, the kids joined some other kids around the campfire and toasted their first marshmallows of the trip.

The next day, we woke early as we had an all-day cultural tour booked with Brian Lee, a custodian for Cape Leveque, who would show us around the area and teach us about Bardi culture. This was a tag-along tour where he led the expedition, and we followed him in our own vehicle. The first stop was by the roadside, where he showed us some of the area’s plants and their uses such as one used as an aticeptic, the reasons behind burn off and all about the use of boomerangs. He then took us to the old, run-down resort at Cape Leveque and shared fascinating insights into the area and Aboriginal culture. We set off to explore the property, and since the resort was permanently shut down, it was very run-down, and the tracks were overgrown. This made the going slow and increased the risk of scratching the car. At one point, I was out in front of the lead car with a machete, pruning the overhanging branches to clear the path. We eventually reached the beach and were amazed by the stunning view, lamenting that the closure made it even more special for us to experience.

Driving along the beach a short distance, Brian pulled over, announcing it was a great time for fishing. Setting up some rods, his first cast was successful, and he handed it over to Oliver to reel in a large trevally. Over the next 30 minutes, the group reeled in a total of 20 fish. Oliver alone caught six, with the biggest measuring 45 cm. All were trevally, with one I caught being the golden variety. As we reeled in these fish, a couple of meter-long reef sharks hovered in the shallows attempting to steal our catch, but thankfully they were unsuccessful.

We then returned to our cars and drove along the pristine beach until we arrived at the mouth of the Hunter River, following it to a secluded area among the mangroves where we would spend the next few hours. We tried a bit of spear fishing, kayaking through the mangroves, and, after Brian assured us there were no crocs, enjoyed a refreshing dip. While we were engaged in these activities, Brian made a fire and started cooking some of the fish we had caught along with a surprise he had mentioned earlier: dugong ribs that his grandson had killed in a recent hunt. Once all the food was ready, Brian carved up the ribs and invited us to taste them. Dugong meat was rather nice, best described as slightly fishy pork. We were happy to see the kids give this ????delacacy a try. I even had the chance to gnaw on a rib bone!

After a pleasant, relaxing afternoon, it was time to head back. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Cygnet Bay for happy hour by the pool. Although it was only a few short days of the trip, they certainly stand out as some of the most memorable.