Culture of Pearls - Triumph Bonneville

DEC/JAN 2017/18

TA K M E HO E ME

CITY OF DISCOVERY

5 fantastic reasons to visit Melbourne this summer

OUTBACK WRANGLER

A hair-raising ride with the Top End’s croc-wrestling conservationist Matt Wright

CYCLE OF YOUR LIFE The best biking events around the country

CULTURE The annual celebration that

champions the unique role Broome has played in Australian history, culture and folklore

OF PEARLS

AUTO REVIEW • ENTERTAINMENT • ART & CULTURE • MINING & INDUSTRY • EDUCATION

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contents

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03 Welcome

LIFESTYLE

06 Info/route map 0 8 Alliance news 1 0 Culture of pearls

Join us on a fascinating exploration of Broome's pearling culture that's culminated in one pearler of a celebratory festival.

01 ENTERTAINMENT 03 WHAT'S ON 05 CULTURE CLUB 10 TRAVEL NEWS 13 A TASTE OF ORANGE This country town is producing world-class cuisine.

DESTINATION 18 DANGEROUS TERRITORY Brave the crocodile-infested world of Outback Wrangler, Matt Wright.

23 CYCLE OF YOUR LIFE The best biking events around Australia.

30 INDIGENOUS SPECIAL The first 500-piece didgeridoo orchestra; the history of the Gwion Gwion paintings; the Elcho Island weavers making their mark in high-end design.

INDUSTRY 45 AUTO REVIEW The history of Triumph motorbikes.

51 ENERGISING THE FUTURE Is lithium mining's saviour?

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59 RURAL INSURANCE Are you adequately covered?

67 WOMEN IN MINING Making their mark.

73 EDUCATION SPECIAL Schools and universities.

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culture

A CULTURE

OF PEARLS Every year, Broome celebrates its own very special place in Australian history and culture with the ‘Festival of the Pearl’.

WORDS: Roderick Eime

t began like the pre-rumblings of an overripe volcano. Knives and forks suddenly froze, conversation muted and all eyes, wide as saucers, swung toward the source.

With the setting sun washing the sky with golden and crimson hues, Western Australian native and Opera Australia tenor Paul O’Neill built up to the famous climax of Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”, immortalised by the likes of Pavarotti.

And, boy, did he nail it.

We sat there for a second, stunned, before our legs catapulted us vertically.

“Bravo!” came the cry from 450 diners, whose baked barramundi and small talk was instantly rendered insignificant by

that one magnificent moment. I still get goosebumps just thinking about it.

But I’m by no means downplaying the food – equally deserving of praise were celebrity chef, Darren Robertson and his team of culinary craftsmen, who’d toiled for days preparing this exceptional feast, laid out on two 225-seat trestle tables along Broome’s iconic Cable Beach.

The evening before, against a similar sky (there’s something about sunsets in Broome), we’d walked the couple of hundred metres to the water’s edge, chasing the receding tide, with our floating lanterns and poignant messages. That was another tingling moment, as I quickly scrawled

Key dates and events for the 2018 Shinju Matsuri Festival The annual Shinju Matsuri (Japanese for ‘Festival of the Pearl’) originated from three cultural festivals – the Japanese Obon Matsuri, Malaysian Hari Merdeka and Chinese Hang Seng.

A View to Asia exhibition: 25 Aug – 2 Sept 2018 Float Parade: 29 Aug from 3pm Floating Lantern Matsuri: 31 Aug, 4:30–7pm Sunset Long Table: 1 Sept, 4:30–5pm Festival finale: 2 Sept, from 5 pm

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culture

“Pearls lie not on the seashore. If thou desirest one thou must dive for it.� Chinese proverb

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culture

Broome is like no other town you will see in Australia. It’s a curious amalgam of Asian, Aboriginal and European cultures a message to a much-loved and recently departed colleague and watched as the little tea-candle-lit shrine floated off toward the horizon.

The two events described above are just a part of the immersive Shinju Matsuri festival, which takes place every year in Broome. What began almost 50 years ago as a humble community event to celebrate the rich cultural diversity and industries scraped out of the sand and mud of Roebuck Bay has grown into a weeklong festival that incorporates visual art, cinema, music, oral history and gastronomy.

Above: Kevin Waina from the Kalumburu Community, at work in the Broome 6 Gallery; This image: Gantheaume Point, Broome.

Dow n lo a self- pp and ad the guid t ed ‘J ake the walk e liste ing trai tty to Je tt y nt lw peop o the sto hile you ’ r ie s le wh work o lived of the a fron ed in thi nd j2jbr tier tow s oom e.comn. .au

A celebration of pearling history, Indigenous culture and racial harmony Broome is like no other town you will see in Australia. It’s a curious amalgam of Asian, Aboriginal and European cultures brought together over more than a century. This is the traditional land of the Yawuru people and their culture, art and ancient heritage are celebrated throughout the region, typically

The history of this outpost is defined by the quest for the Pinctada maxima, the most valuable of all the pearl-producing oysters

The pearling industry has a rich history in Australia.

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through their magnificent art, sought after by serious collectors from all over the world.

The relatively modern history of this outpost is defined by the quest for the Pinctada maxima, the most valuable of all the pearl-producing oysters. Initially, the harvest was for oysters’ ‘mother of pearl’ shell for use in buttons and ornamental accoutrements, but it was soon discovered that the waters were ideal for cultivation of pearl-producing oysters at locations such as Cygnet Bay, where pearl farming has taken place for more than 60 years.

Today, visitors can stroll the length of Dampier Terrace, from the ‘rustic’ Roebuck Bay Hotel to Streeter’s Jetty and the revitalised Chinatown precinct, ogling a seemingly endless array of spectacular pearl jewellery at boutiques including Cygnet Bay Pearls, Willie Creek and – just off the main strip – Paspaley.

During the Shinju Matsuri Festival, Dampier Terrace is closed for the massive Pearl Harvest Party and is filled with music, artisan stalls, food trucks and colourful parades.

FESTIVAL OF THE PEARL 25 AUG - 2 SEPt 2018, broome

shinjumatsuri.com.au #shinjumatsurI shinjumatsuri.com.au

culture

The cruise option If you ask me, it’s a shame to come all the way to Broome or the Kimberley and not take a cruise. So cruise I did. The waters off the coast of Australia’s rugged North West region are quickly gaining a reputation around the world as one of the last ‘true wilderness’ cruises outside of the polar regions.

In previous years I’d sailed aboard the salubrious True North and her smaller cousin, Great Escape, on weeklong itineraries between Broome and the Mitchell Plateau, stopping to fish and frolic in the rivers, estuaries and freshwater pools along the way.

This time I sampled one of the newest boutique cruisers in the region, the 10-berth Kimberley Pearl.

When I say ‘new’, let me qualify that. The little ship first hit the water in 1976 as a pearl lugger for the big Kailis farm and, after a couple of subsequent roles, is now fully refitted as a luxury charter vessel for 10 lucky guests.

Four crew are all we need: two guides and general deckhands (Chris and Josh), a chef (Ty bro) and a skipper/engineer (Captain Rodney).

We visit the key sites at Raft Point, Montgomery Reef, Talbot Bay (and the Horizontal Falls) and take several short hikes to freshwater pools for sublime and refreshing swims.

But the Pearl’s strength is as a private vessel for groups, clubs and big families. Most customers, manager Paul Wettington tells me, are blokes wanting to do some serious fishing in between a bit of sightseeing. But there’s plenty else to do as well.

“The regular departures run to a loosely set schedule,” says Paul, “but the whole thing is flexible. If everyone wants to go fishing, we drop everything and go fishing! It’s that simple.”

One of the bonuses with your Kimberley Pearl cruise is an included air transfer with Broome Air Services, which will deliver you to a convenient embarkation point, such as Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, one of the Kimberley’s oldest, near the tip of the Dampier Peninsula.

Here, guests can tour a working pearl farm and learn about the intricate processes of culturing these exquisite marine gems as well as enjoying a scenic flight over the stark, yet beautiful landscape.

"If everyone wants to go fishing, we drop everything and go fishing! It’s that simple"

s ome ell c t and p s s ry ugu ing he d As t end, A are fish e of n m r a i e t o b t this es tem Sep hs – at stuari fish t e f n o e mo ar, th ozens ly ye ith d i al c e w esp teem ecies, endar y sp e leg di. th ramun bar

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INFO GUIDE

Shinju Matsuri Festival 2018

25 August–2 September

2018shinjumatsuri.com.au Land tours: Kimberley Wild Single and multi-day options kimberleywild.com Kimberley Pearl Charters 7, 10, 12 and 14-night cruises kimberleypearl.com.au Broome Air Services (BAS) Flightseeing and charters flybas.com.au Cygnet Bay Pearls Ready-made and custom pearl jewellery cygnetbaypearlfarm.com.au The writer visited Broome as a guest of the Shinju Matsuri Festival and sailed as a guest of Kimberley Pearl Charters

EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF A KIMBERLEY CRUISE

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auto

Take me back to

Bonneville The term ‘iconic’ has been bandied about so much, it has little meaning left. But when it did mean something, it referred to brands like Triumph. And to achieve ‘iconic’ status, you need to earn it.

t may have been a rough road, but Triumph Motorcycles weathered two World Wars, a Great Depression and the biggest threat of all: Asian competition.

It built personality, prestige and an irresistible desirability through associations with such masculine style icons as Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, Bob Dylan, James Dean and even Elvis Presley. Now, if that pedigree team of superstar riders doesn’t make a boy want to get on a bike, I don’t know poo from clay.

Like James Bond and Aston Martin, Ayrton Senna and TAG Heuer, the male brand-bonding between Steve McQueen and Triumph Motorcycles, in particular, was a

match made in heaven. In fact, so enamoured with the brand was McQueen that he even had Germans riding them in his 1963 WWII classic, The Great Escape. You didn’t know that? Look closely. Triumph didn’t seem to mind this historical faux pas either. The marque even celebrated it with a limitededition Triumph Bonneville, released in 2011.

Triumph revival One of the oldest brands in motorcycle history, the first Triumph motorcycle went on sale in 1902 and continued until 1983 when, like so many established yet complacent European brands, it was overtaken by the rush of

WORDS: RODERICK EIME

Japanese machines including Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki.

Reborn in 1985 through the acquisition of the brand by John Bloor (now an OBE), and despite numerous global subsidiary operations, the company remains 100 per cent UK-owned. By all accounts, Triumph is riding high with its superbly crafted, retro-styled machines that channel both the extensive history of the marque and the trademark styling of its ’60s classics, particularly the big twin Bonneville. The full range of Triumph machines, however, includes everything from touring to adventure, naked, sports and cruiser models.

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Aussie riders embrace new Bonnies The big new Bonneville T120 sold almost 300 units in 2016 from an April start – about the same as the Ducati Scrambler and Honda CB500 did for the full 12 months.

2017 has seen it take off, leaving both those rivals for dead and selling close to 100 units by the end of March, helping Triumph secure the #5 spot on the list of Australian road sales by brand.

Like a tenacious prize fighter’s old ‘one, two’, Triumph is following up this success with the T100, a new entry point for riders wanting to be as one with their own ‘Bonnies’. Powered by the soothing and percussive 900cc parallel twin, the T100 and its evil twin, the T100 Black, bear an immediate heartwarming resemblance to the original 1959 model that began this stalwart heritage.

The Street Cup is Triumph’s other 2016 release that employs the same 900cc Bonneville engine in an immaculate ‘café racer’ chassis, complete with stylish accoutrements like the bullet seat, tiny ‘flyscreen’ windshield and bold paintwork to match its ‘racer’ silhouette. The bike pays homage to the incredible feat of Welshman Malcolm Uphill, who rode a Bonneville to win the Isle of Man Production TT race in 1969, while recording the first 100mph lap for that class.

The modern Bonnevilles deliver plenty of satisfying, silky-smooth acceleration in an easy-to-manage, neutral-handling package that is a breeze around town and just as

Model spotlight: Street Cup With a name inspired by the club racing scene, the Street Cup is designed to deliver all the attitude, personality, presence and style of a contemporary custom café racer for today’s riders.

Sharing the same styling principles as the Street Twin, the new Street Cup has the unmissable Bonneville silhouette combined with clean lines, minimal bodywork and modern finishes. Cast wheels, an elegant fuel tank with a locking fuel cap, black sculpted engine covers with the Triumph makers’ mark

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triangle and Bonneville engine badge, this exciting bike is rounded off with an elegant single-throttle body with aluminium finisher and distinctive finned head and header clamps.

To match its ‘street racer’ attitude, the Street Cup packs more sports-focused ergonomics without compromising rider comfort.

Compared to the Street Twin, the rider is seated slightly higher and further back, and the ‘Ace’-style handlebars are positioned lower and slightly forward to improve physical turn-in.

Key specs Engine type Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin Capacity 900cc Maximum power 55 PS/54 BHP (40.5kW) @ 5,900 rpm Maximum torque 80Nm @ 3,230 rpm

Model spotlight:

Bonneville T100 and T100 Black Inspired by the legendary ’59 Bonneville and styled to incorporate more of the signature design, silhouette and character of the original, the T100 and T100 Black each have their own distinctive character, enhanced by the premium finishes and familiar touches of that classic, original motorcycle.

Sharing the instantly recognisable Bonneville lines and many of the key features of the T120, the new T100 and T100 Black both reflect the same timeless beauty. From the sculpted form of the 14.5-litre fuel tank to the intricately detailed Bonneville engine plate and feature-rich twin clocks, the new T100 incorporates new standards for quality and finish.

The Bonneville T100 features the classically inspired detailing and stunning chrome finishes you’d expect on such a bike. Gleaming brushedaluminium covers and classic bolt-on Triumph badges unique to these two models are teamed with deep chrome mirrors, mudguard stays, handlebars and headlight bezel.

Contributing to the classic Bonneville profile on the T100 are the detailed comfort and pillion seats, finished in contrast piping with deeper foam for extra comfort.

exciting on the open road. The mildermannered T100 is a little easier to manage than the T120 which, by comparison, is the big, bare-chested 1200cc brute of a brother. Similarly, the 900cc Street Cup just feels fast, in an ‘old-school’, understated manner, without the grotesque modern and luminous fairings that seem to typify today’s struggling sport bikes.

‘Brutal beauty’ Bobber Bonnie a surprise hit To take the retrospective to a whole new level, the single-seat ‘bobber’ version of the Bonneville has proven another massive hit, with riders seeking both street cred and a thoroughly enjoyable ride on a machine not stapled together with rusty chicken wire, proving a modern ‘café racer’ doesn’t have to be some stunt bike from a Mad Max sequel.

Maybe it was the ‘hot-rod’ exhaust

tuning or low-down power from the re-tuned high-torque 1200cc engine it shares with the T120 but, released in late 2016, it became the fastest-selling motorcycle in Triumph’s 115-year history and kept the marque swimming in the early months of 2017 as many big names floundered in a sudden sales slump.

And, wait for it – 2018 sees the ‘darker, meaner, stronger’ Bonneville Bobber Black in showrooms with an even more aggressive, lightweight package.

Style never goes out of fashion If ever there was a demonstration of “what was old is new again”, it’s the enduring affection motorcycle-lovers – old and new – have for a brand that respects classic heritage and current technology, combining both in a package that delights riding purists and design geeks in equal measure.

Apart from the key components of the new T100, the T100 Black goes dark and sophisticated with fully black components including wheel rims, a twin-skin, matt peashooter exhaust and blacked-out engine cover for an unmistakable look.

Key specs (both models) Engine type Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, SOHC, 270° crank angle parallel twin Capacity 900cc Bore/stroke 84.6mm x 80mm Compression ratio 10.55:1 Maximum power 55 PS/54 HP (40.5kW) @ 5,900 rpm Maximum torque 80Nm @ 3,230 rpm

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