Is that a mermaid I see upon a tree ? Kimberley cruise expedition notes.

 I am still following in the steps of Phillip Parker King on this cruise. We have reached picturesque Careening Bay, part of  Prince Regent National Park in the Kimberleys.

Parker King "parked" here back in 1821, when he discovered a crack in the hull of his ship HMS Mermaid. It was, and still is, a good spot to take time out to relax and recuperate.

 King was grateful for the chance to plug his leak here, and still found time to carve the name of his ship on a handy tree. You can still see this beautifully hand-lettered piece of graffiti today.  The memory of HMS Mermaid lives on, centuries later. 

Nowadays park authorities have put in a handy boardwalk, plus background information signs by the boab.   My own opinion ?  A most attractive bay to visit in the middle of nowhere, and historically speaking, "boabsolutely brilliant"