After 2 days in Derby and our wonderful trip to the Horizontal Falls it was time to head off towards Broome. The distance is only about 220 Km but because we are not on a tight schedule we took 3 days to get there. Just after crossing the Fitzroy River at Willare Bridge we turned onto a rough 4WD track and travelled about 7 Km to a campsite known as Tumble-goodie. This free camp is on Yeeda Station and right on the banks of the Fitzroy. Here we enjoyed the peace and solitude for 2 relaxing nights.
Arriving in Broome around lunchtime on the 15th our first stop was the visitor’s centre. Outside the centre they have a large whiteboard displaying the available vacancies at the various caravan parks. At this time of year finding a caravan site in Broome can be quite difficult, so they have several overflow areas for travellers. We chose the Pistol Club and at $27 per night it was quite a bargain when the minimum price asked at the caravan parks is in the high $30s with some in the high $40s. The Pistol Club has just basic facilities, which are small but clean, and power and water. You are camped on red sandy earth but then at most of the caravan parks the conditions are the same.
In Broome there is one thing you must do and that is, visit Cable Beach, of course. We visited on the first afternoon and what you find is a very long, very wide beach of hard packed white sand, with yachts moored at one end and nude bathers at the other. We chose a spot somewhere near the middle and raced down to the breakers for a dip in the Indian Ocean. This was Sue’s first swim in the Indian Ocean and we both reckon that somehow it feels different to swimming in the Pacific. You can call us mad if you like. The unusual thing about it is the population of bathers, which seems to be evenly divided between extremely white skinned southern tourists and seasoned locals who are mainly in their very senior years and are as suntanned as you can possibly get. There is a concession on the beach that hires out sun lounges, deckchairs, umbrellas and all other sorts of beach equipment, and they do a very good trade. The whole thing made us feel as though we were in the middle of an American movie or TV show shot on Miami Beach or Waikiki, it was not the sort of beach experience we are used to. The other unusual thing is that you can drive your car right onto the beach (only at either ends) and lots and lots of people do, right in amongst the sunbathers. Off corse we did all the other touristy things whilst in town but one of the highlights was meeting up with some newly acquired good friends for lunch at Matsos Brewery. We have been bumping into Jenny and Craig from Goolwa on occasions since we first met them in central NT and it was great to join them for lunch. Good food, good conversation and good beer – just great !
What was our impression of Broome? Well overall it was not really to our liking, very busy with tourists (there was even a circus in town) inflated prices and a little bit tacky, a bit of a tourist trap. Sort of like a Surfers Paradise in the making. We did get the impression that it would have been more to our liking 20 or so years ago when more of its original character would have been evident. We only stayed 3 days and then headed up the Dampier Peninsular to a place called Quandong Point.
Arriving in Broome around lunchtime on the 15th our first stop was the visitor’s centre. Outside the centre they have a large whiteboard displaying the available vacancies at the various caravan parks. At this time of year finding a caravan site in Broome can be quite difficult, so they have several overflow areas for travellers. We chose the Pistol Club and at $27 per night it was quite a bargain when the minimum price asked at the caravan parks is in the high $30s with some in the high $40s. The Pistol Club has just basic facilities, which are small but clean, and power and water. You are camped on red sandy earth but then at most of the caravan parks the conditions are the same.
In Broome there is one thing you must do and that is, visit Cable Beach, of course. We visited on the first afternoon and what you find is a very long, very wide beach of hard packed white sand, with yachts moored at one end and nude bathers at the other. We chose a spot somewhere near the middle and raced down to the breakers for a dip in the Indian Ocean. This was Sue’s first swim in the Indian Ocean and we both reckon that somehow it feels different to swimming in the Pacific. You can call us mad if you like. The unusual thing about it is the population of bathers, which seems to be evenly divided between extremely white skinned southern tourists and seasoned locals who are mainly in their very senior years and are as suntanned as you can possibly get. There is a concession on the beach that hires out sun lounges, deckchairs, umbrellas and all other sorts of beach equipment, and they do a very good trade. The whole thing made us feel as though we were in the middle of an American movie or TV show shot on Miami Beach or Waikiki, it was not the sort of beach experience we are used to. The other unusual thing is that you can drive your car right onto the beach (only at either ends) and lots and lots of people do, right in amongst the sunbathers. Off corse we did all the other touristy things whilst in town but one of the highlights was meeting up with some newly acquired good friends for lunch at Matsos Brewery. We have been bumping into Jenny and Craig from Goolwa on occasions since we first met them in central NT and it was great to join them for lunch. Good food, good conversation and good beer – just great !
What was our impression of Broome? Well overall it was not really to our liking, very busy with tourists (there was even a circus in town) inflated prices and a little bit tacky, a bit of a tourist trap. Sort of like a Surfers Paradise in the making. We did get the impression that it would have been more to our liking 20 or so years ago when more of its original character would have been evident. We only stayed 3 days and then headed up the Dampier Peninsular to a place called Quandong Point.
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