Jar Island

We had travelled overnight and by the time we woke up our ship was anchored several hundred metres of Jar Island, so named because an early explorer, believing he was the first non-native person to visit the area found shards from pottery jars littering the beach. (Later it was found that the jars had originated from Indonesian trochus fishermen). The main point of the day was visiting some very early Aboriginal cave paintings, possibly dating back 14000 years. We were warned that it would be hot on the tiny island, which it was, and that some agility would be needed in order to reach the two caves - also true. We’d be away for about an hour and a quarter.
Our Zodiacs duly deposited us on the beautiful sandy beach and both of us were glad to have our walking poles with us to navigate the uneven terrain. The paintings themselves don’t stand out clearly, and it is difficult to do full justice to them in photographs. We were forewarned that access to the second cave, 100m or so away, was even more challenging and that anyone with limited mobility shouldn’t try. Those paintings were from a different era and in a different style. Despite the warning both of us managed to clamber over the boulders and succeeded without injury. On return to the ship everyone realised how hot and dehydrated we had all become. The two of us successfully self-medicated with cool cleansing ales.
After lunch Dannii, one of our knowledgable and competent naturalists, gave us a fascinating hour-long presentation “Kimberley, Land of Extremes.” In it she covered a broad range of topics including the area’s history, climate, geology and wildlife. It was most informative and has certainly whetted our appetites for the days which lie ahead. Later in the afternoon Brian attended a workshop run by the ship’s photographer for the few SLR camera owners on board. It took the form of one on one discussions, which we could all tune in to, about making the most of the camera equipment we had. Brian certainly picked up some very useful pointers.
An unexpected but spectacular highlight took place when we went up to the Observation Lounge to watch a spectacular Kimberley sunset. This was the first evening where we’d had a truly cloudless sky, and it so happened that our ship was heading due west at the time. The lounge is located immediately below the bridge and offers a 180 degree view. It was quite an experience to watch the sunset from that vantage point.Read more