The best of Broome’s attractions
The frontier West Australian town is on the government’s list of subsidised flights. Here’s what to do when you get there.
1 Pearls
It’s said that Broome was founded on buttons. More than 2000km north of Perth, bordered on one side by the Great Sandy Desert and the other by the Indian Ocean, the town’s nutrient-rich waters and 10m tides proved perfect for nurturing Pinctada maxima oysters. The shell’s mother of pearl was used to make coveted buttons and fine cutlery in the 1880s, and migrants from across Asia descended to partake in the region’s good fortunes.
For decades, Broome’s rhythms were marked by the departure and return of pearling luggers; today, their cargo is the prized Australian South Sea Pearl, cultured in the P. maxima oyster. Day tours with Willie Creek Pearl Farm take you to the brand’s pearl farm, where visitors witness the full cycle of production, from shell to showroom: spawning, seeding and harvesting oysters, then growing pearls, valuing and turning them into jewellery. Visit the region between the end of end of August and early September to learn more at Shinju Matsuri, the annual festival celebrating Broome’s pearling heritage. It is definitely one of the best things to do in Broome; williecreekpearls.com.au.
2 Dinosaur footprints
Broome has a 135-million-year-old secret. Dinosaur footprints can be spotted at several coastal locations at very low tides, including Reddell Beach, Cable Beach and Gantheaume Point. But you must know where to look, which is why it’s best to go searching with someone in the know, such as Yawuru man Bart Pigram, who has been leading Indigenous Narlijia tours here for six years. In addition to finding these ancient imprints and visiting sacred middens, Pigram’s experiences offer a fascinating glimpse into the lives of traditional landowners during Broome’s pearling heyday. It's a great option if you're looking for things to do in Broome. The highlight, however, is getting to taste Pigram’s grandma’s fish soup and rice dish, which is so delicious his dad (applauded musician Stephen Pigram) celebrated it in his song, Feel like going back home; toursbroome.com.au.
3 Camel ride
Another perfect idea if you're wondering about things to do in Broome with the kids. If you’ve ever received a postcard from Broome, chances are it was of a camel train padding along the soft white sand of Cable Beach. This 22km stretch of Indian Ocean coastline takes its name from the undersea telegraph cable that came ashore here from Java in 1899. And it’s still a hub for communications today, if sunset hangout numbers are anything to go by. Locals descend at dusk, driving 4WDs north of “the rocks” to celebrate another spectacular WA day; this part of the beach is also where camel rides depart. Equally stellar sunsets can be enjoyed, minus the crowds, to the south at Reddell Beach and Minyirr Park, where walking tracks lead through spiritual Yawuru land, a place where dramatic red-sand dunes meet turquoise water; broomecamelsafaris.com.au
4 Sunset Bar & Grill
If you’re not on the sand, the next best place to watch the day disappear is Sunset Bar & Grill. Steps from Cable Beach, this restaurant’s menu is like a rollcall of WA produce: Shark Bay scallops, Margaret River rib eyes, Dorper lamb and plenty of top regional drops. The space is part of Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa, styled to reflect the Asian and colonial influences of Broome, all wrapped in tropical gardens. If you time your visit right between March and November, you’ll have the chance to catch the Staircase to the Moon, another light show on Broome’s east coast. This natural phenomenon is caused by the reflections of a full moon in the exposed mudflats of Roebuck Bay, and it creates the dazzling optical illusion of a stairway reaching skywards; cablebeachclub.com.
5 Stargazing
That astronomer Greg Quicke goes by the nickname of Space Gandalf could be the only reason you need to book one of his Astro Tours. Designed to be enlightening and inspiring, Quicke’s 2.5-hour stargazing experiences are held from April to November on a dark bush site just outside Broome. “Amid the chaos, the stars and planets are regular and display an amazing synchronicity, harmony and resonance with each other,” says the enthusiastic, white-bearded Quicke, who also loves surfing and meditating “in rhythm with the moon cycle”. If Quicke’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s regularly called upon to share expertise on TV shows including ABC’s Stargazing Live series with professor Brian Cox; astrotours.net.
6 Dining options
Dining options in many far-flung Aussie towns are often limited to, say, a couple of pubs, maybe a fish-and-chip shop and an Indian or Thai takeaway, if you’re lucky. But in multicultural Broome, the melange translates into a frenzy of flavours and cuisines in restaurants and cafes. Sample dim sum in the thriving Chinatown, try regional Japanese fare as sophisticated as you’d find in downtown Tokyo, and think nothing of having a Filipino meal one night and a fragrant Thai feast the next.
7 Sun Picture Gardens Cinema
A visit to Broome’s Sun Picture Gardens is all about atmosphere and history. This is the world’s oldest outdoor cinema still in operation, opened in 1916 and projecting movies for decades before drive-ins and moonlight cinemas became a thing. The fact it shows multiple films a day and is located on one of the town’s main streets just adds to its allure. Be sure to browse the black-and-white photo wall, revealing snapshots of past cinemagoers, including the locals who would bring their fishing rods along to make the most of the floodwaters that would regularly form around their ankles before Broome’s tidal levy was built in 1974; broomemovies.com.au.
8 Matso's Brewery
Described as the most remote brewery in the world, Matso’s has been fizzing up flavourful, tropical-influenced beers — infused with the likes of ginger, mango and chilli — for more than 20 years. These are sold across Australia but the best place to get a taste is at the source. After a tour of the Broome premises, pull up a pew in the on-site restaurant and order Exmouth prawns and garlicky mussels to go with your Pearler’s Pale Ale, Kimberley Draught or a Matso naturally brewed alcoholic fruit fizz in flavours such as raspberry and blueberry; matsos.com.au.
9 Snubfin dolphins
Sir David Attenborough visited Broome in 2017 for one main reason. He wanted to film Australia’s largest known population of snubfin dolphins. Recognised as a new species 16 years ago, these shy creatures are distinguished by their rounded forehead and “snubby” dorsal fin. They’re best spotted on boat excursions around Roebuck Bay, our country’s youngest marine park and also home to a migratory population of more than 35,000 humpback whales, with sightings practically guaranteed between July and September. Then from September to April, more than half a million wader birds arrive, having flown about 11,000km non-stop from breeding grounds in Siberia, North Asia and the Arctic Circle; broomewhalewatching.com.au.
10 Accommodation
From its beaches to the winding rivers and wild lagoons of the Kimberley region, water is a focus in the northwest corner of Australia. Upscale Kimberley Sands Resort (pictured), celebrates this abundance with a courtyard pool and fountains throughout. There’s water on the horizon at Cable Beach Club Resort which, while not as exclusive as the petite Sands, is only steps from the city’s most famous beach, and has multiple lagoon-style pools and restaurants. Alternatively, Pinctada McAlpine House has just eight colonial-style rooms, each with wide balconies where hammocks positively call your name.
Natasha Dragun was a guest of Tourism Western Australia.
This story was originally published in March 2021 and has since been updated.
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