Dampier Peninsula
Encyclopedia
The Dampier Peninsula is a peninsula
located north of Broome
and Roebuck Bay
in Western Australia
. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean
to the west and north, and King Sound
to the east. The northernmost part of the peninsula is Cape Leveque
.
, Beagle Bay Community
, Bobeiding Community, Djarindjin Community and Ngardalargin Community with numerous other smaller communities, pearling camps, tourist resorts and outstations.
woodland
.
.
By road:
The Cape Leveque road from Broome to Beagle Bay is generally of poor condition and often closed during the wet season. Four wheel drive is recommended. It is bitumened from Beagle Bay to the northern towns. There are numerous tour operators running bus services on the peninsula.
By Air:
There are air strips at Cape Leveque, Bardi, Djarindjin (Lombadina), Beagle Bay and some of the smaller communities and pearl farms.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
located north of Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
and Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay is a bay on the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Its entrance is bounded in the north by the town of Broome, and in the south by Bush Point and Sandy Point. It is named after HMS Roebuck, the ship captained by William Dampier when he explored the coast of...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
to the west and north, and King Sound
King Sound
King Sound is a large gulf in northern Western Australia. It expands from the mouth of the Fitzroy River, one of Australia's largest watercourses, and opens to the Indian Ocean. It is about 120 km long, and averages about 50 km in width. The port town of Derby lies near the mouth of the...
to the east. The northernmost part of the peninsula is Cape Leveque
Cape Leveque
Cape Leveque is the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Cape Leveque is 240 km north of Broome, and is remote with few facilities. Nevertheless, the Cape's sandy beaches are attracting an increasing number of visitors.A 13-metre-tall...
.
Aboriginal heritage
The peninsula is home to a rich heritage of aboriginal culture, with the communities of Bardi CommunityBardi people
The Bardi people are the Indigenous Australians from the area north of Broome and parts of the Dampier Peninsular in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.Djarindjin, Lombadina and One Arm Point are three Bardi communities in the area....
, Beagle Bay Community
Beagle Bay Community, Western Australia
Beagle Bay is a medium-sized Aboriginal Community on the western side of the Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome.-Background:The community is situated adjacent to the Indian Ocean. Beagle Bay is the gateway to communities further north such as Djarindjin Community, Bardi Community, Bobeiding...
, Bobeiding Community, Djarindjin Community and Ngardalargin Community with numerous other smaller communities, pearling camps, tourist resorts and outstations.
Ecology
Many small trees, shrubs and animals live on and in the sea surrounding the peninsula, the most characteristic vegetation being pindanPindan
Pindan is a name given to the red-soil country of the south-western Kimberley region of Western Australia. The word “pindan” was first mentioned in print in August 1884 in the Perth Inquirer...
woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.
Transport
The peninsula is traversed from south to north by the Cape Leveque RoadCape Leveque Road
The Cape Leveque Road is a regional Western Australian road that runs through pindan woodland for between Broome and Cape Leveque on the Dampier Peninsula. The road is bitumened from south of Beagle Bay to the northern towns, and the unsealed southern section is often closed during the wet season...
.
By road:
The Cape Leveque road from Broome to Beagle Bay is generally of poor condition and often closed during the wet season. Four wheel drive is recommended. It is bitumened from Beagle Bay to the northern towns. There are numerous tour operators running bus services on the peninsula.
By Air:
There are air strips at Cape Leveque, Bardi, Djarindjin (Lombadina), Beagle Bay and some of the smaller communities and pearl farms.