As the pearling capital of Australia and western gateway to the Kimberley wilderness, Broome offers a huge range of natural phenomena and a host of fascinating heritage sights to satisfy the most curious of visitors.
Sitting on the western edge of the massive Kimberley region, Broome is a unique destination that holds visitors captivated by it's fiery red-ochre cliffs, the stunning azure waters of the Indian Ocean and an endless expanse of white-sand beaches.
Major attractions in and around Broome, include…
Choose your own slice of white-sand heaven for a spot of sunbathing or relax beneath a parasol on this sun-kissed 22km-long beach that shelves into the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
At the southern end of the beach, walking trails lead through the red dunes of Minyirr Park – a spiritual place for the Yawuru people. At the northern end, past the rocks, clothing is optional and locals are often seen in 4WDs enjoying sunset drinks overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Swim in the clear waters, chase a surf wave, hire a jet ski then enjoy the quintessential Broome experience – a sunset camel ride along Cable Beach.
Historical note: Cable Beach takes its name from the undersea telegraph cable from Java that came ashore there in 1899. It was used for international communications until 1914. However, little evidence remains of it today, except for Broome Courthouse, which is the old Cable Station.
More about Cable Beach …
Go hunting for dinosaur footprints below the red pindan cliffs of Gantheaume Point.
Beautiful at any time, but especially at dawn or sunset when the cliffs turn scarlet and the Indian Ocean brilliant turquoise, this peaceful lookout overlooks dinosaur footprints.
Located at the southern end of Cable Beach, these 135-million-year-old dinosaur footprints are impossible to find except at very low tides. Also, check out for ospreys returning with fish to their nests on the lighthouse, nearby.
This Broome beach offers stunning sunsets, but without tourists, camels or 4WDs cramping your style. The beach is located along Kavite Rd between Gantheaume Point and the port.
The beach is a favourite dog-walking spot, but due to the strong currents it's strictly for experienced swimmers only.
Marvel at the aptly-named, Staircase to the Moon, when for two nights every lunar month between April and October, reflections of the full moon shimmer above the glistening, exposed mud flats of Town Beach, creating the optical illusion of a golden staircase leading to the moon.
A lively evening market with food stalls sets up at Town Beach to celebrate this natural phenomenon.
Note: The small headland at the end of Hamersley St offers a less-crowded and arguably better view.
Elsewhere, a similar phenomenon occurs across the Kimberley and Pilbara coasts – in fact, anywhere with east-facing mudflats.
Other good viewing spots are One Arm Point at Cape Leveque, Cooke Point in Port Hedland, Sunrise Beach at Onslow, Hearson Cove near Dampier and the lookout at Cossack. Most visitor centres publish the dates on their websites.
Admire and ponder the 3m-tall bronze cast statue of a pregnant Indigenous female diver clutching a pearl that pays tribute to the role women played in the often-brutal pearling industry.
The front inscriptions reads 'And precious the tear as that rain from the sky / Which turns into pearls as it falls in the sea', – Thomas Moore.
The statue of an Indigenous woman coming out of the water with a pearl shell also seeks to acknowledge those who were exploited as divers along the coastline south of Broome during the 'blackbirding' phase.
'Blackbirding' was the forcible kidnapping of Aboriginal women to pearl luggers, where they dived for pearl shells in deep water, often without breathing apparatus. Unsurprisingly, many of the women drowned.
The Memorial to Women of Pearling is located on the foreshore overlooking Roebuck Bay.
Life-size bronze sculptures of a hard-hat diver and three Japanese divers also commemorate Broome's pearling past in the small park in the middle of Carnarvon St.
The three statues, in the heart of Chinatown, commemorate Mr. Tokuichi Kuribayashi, Mr Hiroshi Iwaki and Mr Keith Francis Dureau, who were pioneers in the cultured pearling industry in Broome.
Discover the origins of Cable Beach and Chinatown through exhibits devoted to the area's pearling history and WWII bombing in this quirky museum, occupying the former Customs House.
Don't miss this pleasant sandy beach with good fishing from the jetty. You might even see whales, turtles or dolphins.
Admire an amazing archival collection of photographs spanning over 100 years of interaction between the Sisters of St John of God with the people of the Kimberley.
The collection is housed in the heritage-listed Old Convent built in 1926 by a Japanese shipwright.
Catch a movie under the stars at Sun Pictures, built in 1916 and thought to be the world’s oldest open-air cinema.
The history of the Sun building is the history of Broome itself. A short 15-minute history tour runs on request during the Dry Season.
Discover the original pearl luggers' jetty located at the entrance to Dampier Creek. The jetty dates from the 1880s and has been rebuilt several times.
The thin rickety wooden structure pokes out into mangroves above brilliant water or stinky mudflats depending on the tides. The Yawuru name Jin-gurramarnin indicates where fresh water (from Dampier Creek) enters the mangroves. The jetty is still a popular fishing spot for locals. Interpretive panels detail the history.
Discover pods of snubfin dolphins, dugongs, rays and turtles on a half-day cruise around Roebuck Bay.
Or enjoy the vistas from Roebuck Bay Lookout. Located at the end of Dampier Tce, the lookout also features interpretative panels from the local Yawuru.
Check out the wreckage of WWII aircraft that poke out of the mud in Roebuck Bay.
During low tide (less than 1.3m) it's possible to venture out across the mudflats from Town Beach to the wrecks of Catalina and Dornier flying boats.
The planes had been attempting to evacuate refugees from Java during WWII, when they were attacked by Japanese Zero warplanes on March 3, 1942. More than 60 people and 15 flying boats (mainly Dutch and British) were lost. Only six wrecks are visible, with the rest hidden by deep water.
Check with the visitor centre for tide times. It's best to start your walk about an hour before low tide and head southeast for 1.5km (about 30 minutes). Note: the mud is very sticky and can hide objects. Watch out for marine hazards including jellyfish.
If that seems too much of an effort – just take the hovercraft tour.
Established in 1988 by the RAOU (Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union), BirdLife Australia (formerly, Broome Bird Observatory) (www.broomebirdobservatory.com), is a research and education facility, that works for the conservation of the migratory shorebirds which visit Roebuck Bay.
The tidal mudflats of Roebuck Bay are a vital staging post for thousands of migratory birds, coming from as far away as Siberia.
The observatory is located on the shores of Roebuck Bay, in a peaceful coastal setting 25km east of Broome. BirdLife Australia offers quiet walking trails, secluded bush campsites and a choice of low-key rooms.
There are a number of tours and courses available as well as volunteering opportunities. (Photo: Red Headed Honeyeater)
Check out the crocs (don't miss the 3pm feeding), as well as kangaroos, cassowaries, emus, dingoes, jabirus and numerous other birds at this 30-hectare animal wildlife reserve located 16km northeast of Broome.
Head out to Willie Creek Pearl Farm to learn more about cultured pearls and the pearl farming industry. The farm (www.williecreekpearls.com.au) occupies a stunning coastal location around 7.5km north of Broome.
There's a choice of several tours that give an unique insight into the process of modern cultured pearl farming, from shell to showroom, including a cruise along Willie Creek’s azure waters to view live oysters suspended in their natural environment amid native flora and fauna.
Don't be tempted to swim, as there are large salties (saltwater crocodiles) around.
Spend a pleasant afternoon out of town wandering beneath the amazing red pindan cliffs of the Dampier Peninsula at James Price Point.
The striking red pindan cliffs of Walmadan (named for a local warrior) are located in the middle of the Lurujarri Songline, around 35km from Cape Leveque Rd and 60km from Broome airport.
This is an important cultural site of the Goolarabooloo people.
Bush campsites (three-night maximum) sit on the bluff overlooking the cliffs and Indian Ocean.
Discover some of the best diving in Australia at Rowley Shoals Marine Park, which lie approximately 300km from Broome in the Indian Ocean, on the edge of Australia's continental shelf.
Protected by a marine park, there's more than 600 species of fish and 200-plus different varieties of coral. It's a good 12-hour cruise from land, and the shoals only see a small number of visitors each year. Several Broome operators offer multi-night cruises for experienced divers. The shoals also attract large numbers of migratory sea birds.
Broome is also the gateway to the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, home to Karijini National Park, Purnululu National Park, Bungle Bungle Ranges and Kunumurra.
Covering nearly 423,000 km2, the Kimberley region offers some of Western Australia’s most unique wilderness, as well as several coastal and outback towns that offer vastly diverse experiences.
Explore ancient gorges, swim in freshwater pools under plunging waterfalls and experience the quintessential Australian landscape of blue skies, red earth, gum trees, wallabies and crocodiles.
Follow ancient cave systems in Tunnel Creek National Park, walk through the spectacular Windjana Gorge, cruise the vast inland sea of Lake Argyle and discover the world’s second largest meteorite crater at Wolfe Creek Crater National Park.
More about The Kimberley…
Covering more than 500,000km2 (195,000mi2) – twice the size of the United Kingdom – the Pilbara region offers some of Western Australia’s most stunning natural landscapes, dating back more than four billion years.
This ancient region is home to the awe inspiring Karijini National Park, Millstream-Chichester National Park and Murujuga National Park. Here you can explore deep rocky canyons that lead to tranquil freshwater plunge pools filled from tumbling waterfalls and experience the quintessential Pilbara landscape of fierce blue skies, red earth, ancient gorges and dry scrub land.
The Burrup Peninsula is the perfect place to discover the unique art, history and culture of the Aboriginal people of the Pilbara. Explore some of the more than 700 historic Indigenous archaeological sites and one million rock engravings (petroglyphs), many dating back 40,000 years.
Offshore, unwind on a choice of dazzling white-sand beaches and swim in untouched coral gardens in the Dampier Archipelago and Mackerel Islands.
More about The Pilbara…
Latest update: Broome Sights & Attractions: 5 May, 2022
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