Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10am to 3:30pm November through April. Tours depart at 9am, 11am, and 2pm
in the Dry, and 11am and 2pm in the Wet. Closed Christmas.
A
dinosaur footprint
120 million years old is on show at very low tide on
the cliff at Gantheaume Point, 6km (3
3
⁄
4
miles) from town. The town authori-
ties have set a plaster cast of it higher up on the rocks, so you can see it anytime.
Bring your camera to snap the point's breathtaking palette of glowing scarlet
cliffs, white beach, and jade-turquoise water.
You should also take a peek at the haunting
Japanese pearl divers' cemetery
on Port Drive. Entry is free.
During a tour of the
Willie Creek Pearl Farm
(
&
08/9192 6000
), 38km (24
miles) north of town, you will see the delicate process of an oyster getting
“seeded” with a nucleus to form a pearl, learn about pearl farming, and learn
what to look for when buying a pearl. You can also buy them in the showroom.
The tour costs A$25 (US$16) adults, A$12 (US$7.80) children, and A$65
(US$42) for a family of four. The road to the farm is four-wheel-drive-only, and
tides can cut it off; it is wise to take a coach tour, which will cost you A$59
(US$38) adults, A$30 (US$20) children or A$160 (US$104) for a family of
four. Tours run daily April to September and every day except Tuesday and
Saturday from October to March. You must book for the tour whether you self-
drive or not.
If you have not seen any crocs in the wild during your travels, you can see
them on a 1-hour tour at the
Broome Crocodile Park,
next to Cable Beach
Club Resort Broome, Cable Beach Road (
&
08/9192 1489
). Admission is
A$15 (US$9.75) for adults, A$12 (US$7.80) for seniors and students, A$8
(US$5.20) for kids 5 to 15, and A$38 (US$25) for a family. Tours run once or
twice daily, but hours vary with the seasons, so call ahead.
Several art galleries sell vivid oil and watercolor Kimberley landscapes and a
small range of Aboriginal art. A historic pearling master's house,
Matso's,
60
Hamersley St. (
&
08/9193 5811
), stocks the biggest range of European and
Aboriginal paintings, sculpture, pottery, carvings, and books in its Monsoon
Gallery. It has a lovely veranda cafe and boutique brewery turning out unusual
recipes like alcoholic ginger beer. The gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm;
the cafe is open daily from 8am until late.
On Saturday from 8am to 1pm, browse the
markets
in the gardens of the
colonial Courthouse at the corner of Frederick and Hamersley streets. It used to
be the official station for the cable from Broome to Java. Don't bet the ranch on
this tale being gospel, but locals like to tell you that when the British authorities
Staircase to the Moon
You've heard of a stairway to heaven? Well, Broome has a
staircase to the
moon
. On the happy coincidence of a full moon and a 10m (33-ft.) tide
(which happens about 3 consecutive nights a month Mar-Oct), nature
treats the town to a special show, as the light of the rising moon falls on
the rippled sand and mudflats in Roebuck Bay, looking for all the world
like a “staircase to the moon.” The best place to see it is from the cliff-top
restaurant at the
Mangrove Hotel
(see “Where to Stay & Dine,” below),
or from the food and crafts markets held at Town Beach. Live music plays
at the Mangrove most staircase nights, including a didgeridoo player to
accompany the rising moon.
Moments
