We arrived in Broome on the
18th of July and stayed at the PCYC Caravan Park which is a police
training ground and also used to accommodate the overflow of caravans that
arrive in Broome during the dry season, (which only lasts a maximum of 4
months). We landed in a dry, dusty paddock with no electricity or water, and
paid a whopping $36.00 per night for the privilege, but we were not too fussed as this was cheap in comparison to other Caravan Parks in Broome.
Broome is a beautiful town
and has a lovely beach called Cable beach which everyone flocks too as well as a
quaint town centre called Chinatown. While
we were in Broome we witnessed a salt water crocodile riding the waves at Cable
beach. It was a real strange sight that
we had never experienced before and it took us by total surprise.
Cable beach is also well
known for the camel rides which is very popular with the tourists.
Below: A panoramic
view of Cable beach
The next day we took a drive out to the Port of Broome and this too
was really lovely.
The rock formations on the Port beach were just amazing
with many different colours. Here is
Bernie struggling with the glare.
Below is a photo of a shell picked up from this beach.
We left the port and headed
to Gantheaum Point where dinosaur footprints have been found. This is an
absolutely amazing landscape with rock formations that change in colours and
honestly we were not disappointed. We were also blessed with the sightings of
whales playing in the sea not too far from Gantheaum Point.
Copy of dinosaur foot prints found below Gantheaum Point
at low tide. The photos below are of the
many cliff faces.
From Gantheaum Point we travelled to Cable Beach which is
the main beach in Broome.
We could not visit Cable
Beach without doing the tourist thing and that is to ride a camel.
Mission accomplished and below the queens wave
And the great trek is on
We took the opportunity while we were on the beach to do
some 4 wheel driving and drove to the end of the beach, we had a most enjoyable
day.
Another main attraction to Broome is the Staircase to the
Moon which is a natural phenomenon which occurs when a full moon rises over the
exposed tidal flats of Roebuck Bay. The
Staircase to the Moon happens 2 – 3 days a month between March and October.
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| Waiting patiently for the moon to rise. |
The next day we went on a tour to Cape Leveque, which is
north of Broome and is a bone jarring hour and forty five minutes by road. We decided that we were not going to risk the
drive in our car and instead we booked a day trip with a tour company that uses
an off road bus for this purpose.
See the photos below of the road that we travelled on
Our first stop was at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in
Beagle Bay. The alter and tabernacle are
in laid with mother of pearl shells, see photos below
Our next stop was to Ardiyooloon Hatchery at One Arm
Point.
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Some shells for sale after polishing.
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| Nemo amount the coral |
Our third stop was at the Cygnet Pearl farm in Cape
Leveque, however we were very disappointed as all they wanted to do was sell
their pearls.
One nice thing about this stop was the view from their restaurant balcony.
Our final stop was the much anticipated Cape Leveque.
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| Our friendly Kiwi tour guide for the day. |
This tour was money well
spent and we only got back to the caravan park around 8pm, we were very tired
and not to mention our bodies were well shaken.
Next day was a bit quieter so
we picked the dogs up from the kennels, then we went to Cable Beach and let’s
say both Bernie and the dogs have a fantastic day.
While we were there, the
authorities closed the beach as there was a crocodile swimming in the sea,
luckily it was further up the beach so we were safe. However we went to go see if we could spot
it, and yes there he was, surfing the waves.
It was a wonderful sight to see.
On our last day we went into
Chinatown to get some groceries and visit the town. On the fringe of Chinatown we came across
some savoury characters living next to a tourist shop selling pearls. This was an eye opener because it was a scene
of 1st world in one instance going straight to 3rd
world. Pictures are self-explanatory.
Here is some of the
accommodation for the locals, which becomes very festive on a Wednesday and
Thursday after their centre link payday.
And finally we focused on
the east side of Broome to see the lesser known beaches, which resembles more
wetlands and thus more tidal.
Next port of call is Pardoo en route to Port Hedland.
Map of this trip
