After a morning paddle from Middle Lagoon and failed attempt at catching more fish (see – it is a hoax), we took a back road to Beagle Bay. Yes, it was a short cut, but not one that John found himself. It’s a “locals only” road that the lady at Middle Lagoon said we could use. So it wasn’t an epic.
Beagle Bay started as a missionary settlement, and has been run by various religious orders since 1890, including caring for children of the Stolen Generation. The church was built during World War 1, and decorated with shell and cowries. It’s a work of art.

Most people will have seen this pic of the church somewhere. It’s pristine white – which is amazing, given how much red dirt there is round here.

They’ve even used a clam shell for the holy water!

It is still the parish church for the area, with mass said daily.
Once you’ve seen the church in Beagle Bay, you can pretty much leave. We tried to visit the store to get some bread during trading hours, but it was closed. You get that.
From Beagle Bay to the bitumen on the Great Northern Highway (about 120km), it’s really red, really straight and really WIDE. You could have a four lane dirt freeway there. Easy. There is a bend, maybe two. So you have to keep your eyes open.
We left the wide red dirt road for a narrow red dirt road out to Willie Creek. We had planned to camp there, but found it to be small and over grown, with hard core fishermen filling all the vacant space. Whilst there, we looked at the Willie Creek Pearl Farm. A top notch award winning showroom, café and all the extras – tours of the pearl farm and chopper flights over the area. Quirky, given it’s a stone’s throw from the dreadful camp sites.
So it was on to Broome – along a bit more of the wide dirt road.