Torres Strait Islands, QUEENSLAND
Airing Date: Feb 3rd, 2003
From Seisia in Queensland it's only an hour's boat ride to Thursday Island, the starting point for the exploration of the Torres Strait Islands.
The Torres Strait Islands were first discovered in 1606 by Spanish Captain Torres, who named the newly found islands after himself.
It was another 160 years before Captain Cook entered the region and claimed the entire east coast of Australia. These waters then became a trade route for ships travelling to India and Britain.
Over the years the waters have continued as a trade route, but the old ships and sailors could never have imagined the thriving Port Kennedy markets. Thursday Island holds market days on the first Saturday of every month, selling everything from fresh fruit and veggies to bric-a-brac and pearls.
If you're after a real bargain, head to Friday Island. A water taxi takes 20 minutes from Thursday Island to Friday Island, and it's here you'll find the best pearls.
The Kazu property on Friday Island has been farming pearls for 45 years. The property is so popular they now offer full day farm tours teaching visitors about the process of cultivating pearls.
Pearls can be completely natural or human encouraged. The human helped pearl procedure starts when a piece of mussel shell is placed inside the gonad of an oyster. The irritation causes the oyster to cover the material with nacre, or pearl, and two years later it is ready to harvest. The harvesting process simply involves using a pair of tongs to open the oyster and pulling out the pearl.
Only 10 per cent of all implants produce a perfect pearl - one which is completely round with no spots and a lovely satiny sheen. These original jewels of the sea can be very expensive, with a perfect pearl wearing a $400 price tag.
A cheaper way to buy pearls is to purchase one straight out of the shell at Kazu and take it back to the mainland where you can get it scrubbed and made into the jewellery of your choice.
Before you head back to the mainland, one final sight to see is Green Hill Fort. The fort houses a great collection of indigenous artefacts gathered over a century ago by pioneer pearling merchant Augustus Charles Hockings.
The facts:
Qantas flies to Horn Island from Cairns daily.
Qantas
Tel: 13 13 13
Torres Strait Tours run transfers from Horn airport to Thursday Island for $11, and from Seisia to Thursday Island for $40. The Jardine Motel on Thursday Island has rooms starting from $110 a night.
Jardine Motel
Tel: 07 4069 1555
Grand Hotel
Tel: 07 4069 1557
A 20 minute water taxi ride costs about $25 each way between Thursday Island and Friday Island.
A full day Kazu farm tour costs $44.
Torres Strait Tours
Tel: 07 4069 1586
