Entering a maze of muddy islands, the mouth of the Victoria is a vast delta within the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf that does not easily explain itself to mariners. We are in the 65-foot Island Explorer, decked out for group fishing tours but now temporarily repurposed in an attempt to locate two anchors that were cut free from the Beagle at a point on the river named Holdfast Reach 180 years earlier.

If Pete’s home was on AirBnB – which it is not – but if it was, his balcony would get a 5 star rating – the view is spectacular and it was from here, I first spotted Chris Naden’s family owned, Broome built, pearling lugger STREETER.