About this tour
Explore Broome's pearling legacy on a guided 90-minute tour through Willie Creek Pearls' restored pearl lugger and recreated foreshore precinct. Walk amongst authentic vessels and salvaged artefacts that shaped this frontier port's identity, learning how divers risked their lives pursuing the coveted Pinctada maxima oyster. The tour unfolds against Dampier Creek's mangroves, where the industry's boom and bust shaped the town's multicultural character across 150 years.
Highlights
- Fully rigged and restored pearl lugger in Chinatown
- Taste rare pearl meat from Pinctada maxima oyster
- Handle original pearling artefacts and mother-of-pearl pieces
- Learn the shift from hard-hat diving to modern methods
- Mangrove foreshore setting where history unfolded
- Reconstructed tidal jetty and period pearlers' store
What to expect
Your guide walks you through the restored vessel and surrounding reconstructed precinct, explaining how the pearling trade shaped Broome from the 1860s onwards. You'll learn about the divers—many from Asia—who undertook dangerous deep work for precious oysters. The tour includes a tasting of pearl meat, an expensive delicacy rarely offered. You're invited to handle museum-quality pearling tools and mother-of-pearl artefacts. The setting amongst mangroves adds authenticity; you're standing where luggers once anchored and fortunes shifted with the tides.
Good to know
Maximum 40 per tour keeps groups manageable. Located in Broome's Chinatown with nearby public transport. Fully wheelchair accessible. Vegetarian options available—request when booking. Infants sit on laps. Comfortable shoes recommended for uneven foreshore surfaces.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.