Broome

Broome is a sun-bleached frontier resort on the far northwest coast of Western Australia, the unofficial capital of the vast Kimberley region and a place where pearling history, Indigenous Yawuru country, multicultural cemeteries and 22 km of white sand collide. The town the Yawuru call Rubibi grew from the pearl rush of the late 19th century, when Japanese, Malay, Filipino and Aboriginal divers were sent into ever deeper water at terrible human cost — a story still legible in the Japanese Cemetery, the Pearl Luggers and the ironwork along Dampier Terrace. After the button industry collapsed in the 1950s and modern pearl farming took over, Broome drifted until Lord Alistair McAlpine's investment in Cable Beach Club in the 1980s turned it into the beach-and-sunset resort it is today. It is also a place of war memory: the Japanese air raid of 3 March 1942 destroyed flying boats full of evacuees in Roebuck Bay, and the wrecks still surface at the lowest tides.

Geography is brutally simple and the distances are large: Broome sits on a narrow peninsula about 1,680 km north of Perth and twice as far again from the next major city. Downtown and historic Chinatown cluster on Roebuck Bay on the east side; Cable Beach faces the Indian Ocean 7 km away on the west; Gantheaume Point, Reddell Beach and Kabbarli (Entrance) Point form the rocky southern tip. Climate dictates everything. The dry season (May–October) is the reason to come — warm days around 30 °C, cool nights, almost no rain, and the famous Staircase to the Moon visible on full-moon nights. The wet (December–April) brings 33–34 °C heat, oppressive humidity (feels-like temperatures into the 40s), tropical downpours, cyclone risk, closed businesses and impassable dirt roads to the wider Kimberley. Shoulder months (April, early November) can be excellent value but unpredictable.

The town is far smaller than its fame suggests — about 14,660 residents in 2021 — and its compact core means you orient quickly: Chinatown around Carnarvon and Dampier Terrace for shopping and pearl showrooms, Hamersley Street for the Visitor Centre and bus terminus, Cable Beach for sunsets, sand and the camel trains.

By Plane

Broome International Airport (BME), on Macpherson Street, is essentially in town — about 3 km from Chinatown and a 5–10 minute drive. Despite the name, scheduled international services are currently suspended; the on-and-off Singapore link is again on hold.

• Qantas flies 2–3 times daily from Perth (2 hr 30 min).
• Virgin Australia flies once daily from Perth.
• AirNorth flies daily from Darwin via Kununurra (3 hr 30 min).
• Aviair flies three days a week from Derby (about 1 hr).
• Nexus hops up the west coast three days a week from Geraldton via Karratha and Port Hedland.

The terminal is tiny with a single café and no air-conditioning airside — don't clear security too early. Taxis to Cable Beach run roughly A$25–35; to downtown A$15–20. The Broome Explorer Bus stops at Courthouse (a short walk from the terminal) and links the airport precinct to Chinatown and Cable Beach.

By Car / Road

Broome rewards road travel but demands respect for distance and the wet season.

• From Perth: 2,360 km via the North West Coastal Highway (Carnarvon, Exmouth, Karratha, Port Hedland) or 2,050 km via the inland Great Northern Highway (Newman). Both join at Port Hedland. Plan a minimum of 3 driving days each way.
• From Darwin: 1,870 km via the Victoria Highway through Katherine, Kununurra, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and Derby. Two long days with an overnight stop.
• Road quality: sealed and good on the highways above; almost everything off them in the Kimberley is dirt and 4WD-only, and impassable in the wet.

Buses (coaches):

• Integrity Coachlines runs from East Perth Station two days a week (Tue and Thu, departing 7:30PM), coastal route via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Exmouth, Karratha and Port Hedland — about 36 hours end-to-end. A third inland service via Mount Magnet and Newman runs to Port Hedland (22 hours) where you transfer.
• Greyhound Australia runs five days a week from Darwin via Katherine, Kununurra, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and Derby, taking about 24 hours.
• Both services terminate at the sun-baked square outside the Visitor Centre, 1 Hamersley Street, and are timed to connect with a roughly 3-hour gap.

Broome is spread out — 7 km from downtown to Cable Beach — and walking it in the heat will ruin your afternoon.

• Broome Explorer Bus is the workhorse: a shuttle loop between downtown, Chinatown, Courthouse (for the airport) and Cable Beach, about 20 minutes end-to-end. May to mid-October it runs daily 7:30AM–6:30PM every 30 minutes; mid-October to April it's hourly, 9AM–6PM (11AM start on Sunday).
• Taxis are easy to find at the airport, Cable Beach Club and downtown ranks. Cable Beach ↔ downtown is roughly A$20–25.
• Car hire: half a dozen national chains operate from the airport; several downtown specialists hire campers. A car is the only practical way to reach Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park, Coconut Well or anywhere outside the peninsula.
• Cycling: easy on flat roads with cycleways on the main routes, but there is no shade — ride early or late. Broome Cycles, 2 Hamersley St (corner Frederick St), +61 8 9192 1871, Mon–Fri 9AM–5PM, Sat 9AM–12:30PM, does sales, hire and repairs.
• Watch out for: extreme UV, dehydration, and crocodiles in tidal creeks anywhere outside designated swimming beaches. Box jellyfish (Nov–May) make sea swimming dangerous outside the netted Cable Beach enclosure.

Beaches and natural sites

• Cable Beach — the reason most people come: 22 km of white sand on the Indian Ocean, gentle waves May–October, a netted swimming area in stinger season, and the sunset camel trains. Named for the 1889 telegraph cable laid from here to Java.
• Gantheaume Point — 7 km south of downtown, ochre-red rocks against a turquoise sea. Concrete replicas of dinosaur prints are signposted near the lighthouse; the real 130-million-year-old theropod prints are only uncovered at the lowest tides on the reef beyond the jetty. Wear sturdy shoes.
• Reddell Beach — quiet, southwest-facing sandy beach between Gantheaume Point and Kabbarli Lookout, about 10 km from town.
• Kabbarli (Entrance) Point — the peninsula's tip, with red rock formations and views over the shipping approach into Roebuck Bay. Boat ramp and parking; the drive in passes the industrial port.
• Town Beach — small east-facing beach by the museum, sheltered by Croc Jetty; the prime spot for the Staircase to the Moon optical effect (rising full moon on a low tide reflects in the rippled mudflats; dates posted by the Visitor Centre).
• Flying-boat wrecks — reachable on foot from Town Beach at very low tide beyond Croc Jetty. Six aircraft destroyed in the 3 March 1942 raid; another ten lie in deeper water. Stout footwear essential.
• Fruit-bat roost — at the end of Short Street; thousands ascend in noisy clouds at dusk.
• Coconut Well — lagoon outlet 20 km north of town at the north end of Cable Beach; best visited 2–3 hours before a 9+ m spring high tide for the famed inflatable-tube float back along the flooding channel.

Museums and heritage

• Pearl Luggers, 31 Dampier Terrace, +61 8 9192 0044, daily 10AM–4:30PM. Two restored pearling vessels with an excellent 90-minute guided tour on the industry's brutal human history. Adult A$30.
• Broome Historical Museum, 67 Robinson St, +61 8 9192 2075, daily 10AM–1PM. Strong on pearling and the 1942 air raid. A$12 adult / A$10 concession / under 16 free.
• SSJG Heritage Centre, 9 Barker St, +61 428 692 993, Feb–Nov Mon–Fri 9AM–noon. Sisters of St John of God exhibit on their work with Aboriginal communities. Donation entry.
• Japanese Cemetery — west end of Frederick Street where it turns into Port Drive, open daily 7AM–8PM. Around 900 young Japanese pearl divers are buried here; adjacent Chinese, Jewish, Aboriginal and Muslim (Malay pearlers and Afghan cameleers) sections.

Galleries and wildlife

• Short Street Gallery, 7 Short St (corner Carnarvon St), +61 8 9192 2658, Mon–Sat 10AM–3PM. Contemporary Aboriginal art from across the Kimberley and Pilbara.

• Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park, Broome Road, Roebuck, +61 8 9193 6580, daily 2–5PM. Saltwater and freshwater crocs, birds and other fauna; feeding time is 3PM — wear old clothes. A$40 adult / A$35 concession / A$25 child.

• Cable Beach camel ride at sunset — the iconic Broome experience. Several operators run trains; book ahead in peak (Jun–Sep) and arrive 30 minutes early for sunset.

• Drive your car onto Cable Beach — locals do it daily north of the rocks; check tide times and stay on firm sand.

• Pearl farm tour at Willie Creek — Willie Creek Pearls' farm 38 km north of town runs half-day tours from Broome covering the seeding and harvesting of modern Pinctada maxima pearls (book via the Pearl Luggers showroom).

• Scenic flight over the Buccaneer Archipelago and Horizontal Falls — half- and full-day floatplane or fixed-wing tours from Broome airport are the only practical way to see the Kimberley coast.

• Staircase to the Moon night — 2–3 evenings each month in the dry season; Town Beach hosts a food-and-craft market on the main nights.

• Stargazing astronomy tours — Broome's latitude (18°S) and dry-season clarity make for excellent Southern Hemisphere skies.

• Roebuck Bay birdwatching — one of Australia's most important shorebird sites; Broome Bird Observatory at the eastern edge of the bay runs guided walks.

• Day trip to Cape Leveque / Dampier Peninsula — Indigenous-owned communities at One Arm Point and Lombadina, red cliffs over white sand. The road is now sealed; allow a full day.

Broome's food scene punches above its size thanks to a multicultural pearling legacy — expect Asian flavours, fresh barramundi, mud crab and tropical fruit. Most kitchens close by 9PM in the dry season and many close entirely in the wet.

• Matso's Broome Brewery, 60 Hamersley Street — Broome institution in a heritage building. Mango-beer-battered barramundi, Thai green curry and burgers; mains A$28–45. Best for lunch on the veranda.
• The Aarli, 6 Hamersley Street — small-plates restaurant blending Asian and Mediterranean; tuna sashimi, salt-and-pepper squid, slow-cooked lamb. Sharing for two A$70–100. Book ahead.
• Cable Beach Sunset Bar & Grill, Cable Beach Club Resort — for the sunset view as much as the food; wood-fired pizzas and seafood, mains A$30–50.
• Mai's Vietnamese, behind the Chinatown precinct — straightforward pho, bun and rice plates, A$18–25; the local pick when you don't want resort prices.
• 18 Degrees, in the Mangrove Hotel — modern Australian with Roebuck Bay views; tasting plates A$25–35, mains A$40–55. Strong cocktail list.
• Town Beach Café, Robinson Street — casual all-day breakfast and burgers facing Town Beach; A$15–28.

Vegetarian options are reliable at Matso's, The Aarli and Mai's; halal is more limited — ask, and look for Asian-run kitchens. Gluten-free is well marked at most modern restaurants.

• Matso's Broome Brewery is the local craft brewery; the mango beer, ginger beer and chilli beer are the souvenirs everyone takes home. Tasting paddles A$16–20.
• Sunset Bar at Cable Beach Club — the textbook sundowner spot, on the lawn above the dunes. Cocktails A$22–28; arrive an hour before sunset.
• Divers Tavern, Cable Beach Road — the local pub end of the scene, live music in season and cold schooners around A$10.
• Roebuck Bay Hotel ("the Roey"), Carnarvon Street — Chinatown's rowdy old pub, multiple bars and a sometimes raucous beer garden.
• Good Cartel, Frederick Street — best independent coffee in town; flat whites around A$5.50 and decent breakfast plates.
• Tap water is safe to drink across Broome (town supply meets Australian drinking-water standards). On the Dampier Peninsula and at remote stations, ask before drinking from tanks.

Budget

• Kimberley Klub YHA, 62 Frederick Street, +61 8 9192 3233 — large hostel with pool, bar and tour desk; dorms from around A$40, private doubles from A$120.
• Broome's Last Resort Backpackers, 2 Bagot Street — small, central, close to Chinatown; dorms from around A$38, twins from A$110.

Mid-range

• Mangrove Hotel, 47 Carnarvon Street — Roebuck Bay views, pool, the 18 Degrees restaurant; doubles A$220–320 depending on season.
• Bayside Holiday Apartments, 16 Weld Street — self-contained one- and two-bedroom units a short walk to Town Beach; from A$240 in the dry, less in shoulder.

Upscale / heritage

• Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa, Cable Beach Road — the Lord McAlpine resort that put modern Broome on the map; bungalows, pools and direct beach access. Doubles from A$520 in the dry, well over A$800 for villas in peak.
• The Pearle of Cable Beach, Murray Road — designer apartments and villas a short walk from the sand; from around A$450 in the dry.

Book 3–6 months ahead for July–August dates and Staircase to the Moon weekends. Rates can drop 30–50% in the wet, when the town is quiet.

• South Sea pearls — Broome is the world centre for the large white Pinctada maxima pearl. Reputable downtown showrooms include Willie Creek Pearls and the historic Paspaley boutique on Dampier Terrace. Expect A$200 for entry-level pieces; loose strands run into five figures. Bargaining is not the norm at established showrooms.
• Contemporary Aboriginal art — Short Street Gallery (see above) and several other small galleries in Chinatown carry work from Kimberley art centres. Ask for provenance and the artist's community.
• Courthouse Markets — Hamersley Street outside the Visitor Centre, Saturday mornings April–October (and Sunday mornings in peak). Local crafts, food, jewellery and pearl shell.
• Town Beach Night Market — runs on Staircase to the Moon evenings; food trucks and craft stalls.
• Broome-style pearl shell carving (riji) — engraved shell traditionally worn by Indigenous men of the Kimberley; sold through cultural galleries with provenance.

• Derby (220 km, ~2 hr 15 min by road) — boab trees, the Prison Tree, 11 m tides and the gateway to the Gibb River Road.
• Cape Leveque & Dampier Peninsula (220 km, ~2 hr 30 min on now-sealed road) — Indigenous communities, red cliffs and white-sand beaches; doable as a long day trip or overnight at Kooljaman.
• Fitzroy Crossing & Geikie (Danggu) Gorge (400 km, ~4 hr) — boat tours through limestone gorges along the Fitzroy River.
• Kununurra & the East Kimberley (1,040 km, ~10 hr by road or a short flight via AirNorth) — base for the Bungle Bungles (Purnululu) and Lake Argyle.
• Karijini National Park (~1,100 km, 2 long driving days via Port Hedland) — spectacular Pilbara gorges and swimming holes.
• Horizontal Falls & the Buccaneer Archipelago (scenic flight only, half-day) — tidal "falls" between cliff gaps in one of the world's most remote coastlines.