Priceless pearl a tourism winner
Giving tourists the chance to experience an operating pearl farm — and to see the world’s biggest perfectly round pearl — has helped Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm emerge as one of the big winners at the two-yearly Australia’s North West tourism awards.
The farm, on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, also gives visitors the chance to sail on a luxury catamaran to the Horizontal Waterfalls and to explore the Buccaneer Archipelago.
The farm’s Broome shop houses the giant pearl — 22.24mm in diameter, 70mm in circumference and weighing 15.75g.
A long-time employee who only wanted to be known as Jacko said the pearl was priceless and all offers to buy it had been rejected.
The farm won two tourism awards, including The West Australian retail tourism award and Tourism WA’s general award.
The ecotourism award went to East Kimberley Tours, the cultural award to Kooljaman at Cape Leveque, the new product development award to Kingfisher Tours and the accommodation award to Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa.
The individual award for excellence went to Paul Wainwright of East Kimberley Tours.
