OCEAN MEETS OUTBACK
WHETHER YOU’VE GOT YOUR EYE ON A PEARL OR A MANGO BEER, HERE’S HOW TO CLEAN UP IN BEAUTIFUL BROOME
By the time they get to Broome, most people have been travelling for quite some time. They’ve come from the Kimberleys in the northeast, Perth in the south or the real adventurers have arrived across the Tanami Desert from the east.
Either way, they’re welcomed by one of the most amazing sights you will ever see in Australia as the ocean meets the outback — red dirt glistening in the sun, right up to the edge of the Indian Ocean.
Broome is always a relief of sorts – relief from the hot desert, relief from the flies, or even retail relief for travellers who haven’t been shopping in a very long time.
The Broome Markets were definitely retail relief for Sheree after weeks in the outback.
They have a huge range of goods on offer, including handmade jewellery, natural soaps, clothing, toiletries, unique art and stunning pottery. The workmanship that has gone into some of these treasures is phenomenal.
From the markets we take a stroll through town and into Chinatown to read up on the history of the Chinese, who played an extremely important part in the development of Broome through the pearl trade. The Japanese cemetery is gorgeous too; each headstone is in pristine condition and dedicated to the 919 Japanese divers who lost their lives while pearl diving.
The Chinese and Japanese were a huge part of old-town Broome, which was very lively but also very lawless back in the 1900s. At the time, buttons, cutlery handles and other objects were made from mother of pearl. It was such a valuable commodity that any pearls that were found in the shell were only viewed as a bonus.
Within three short years the pearl industry in Broome supplied 75 per cent of the world’s mother of pearl. It was pearl shell, not pearls, that made Broome famous and to this day you just can’t go through Broome without purchasing a pearl piece for yourself. You’ll find some of the most stunning jewellery shops, with people coming from all over the world to buy Broome pearls.
Broome isn’t just about the pearls, however … it’s also about the mangoes.
The Mango Place is where they make the famed mango wine as well as just about everything else you can think of — chutney, jams, sauces, vinegar, dressing, tea, ice cream, candy, soaps, oils and even a great lunch menu starring mangoes.
If you fancy a mango beer, head to Matso’s Broome Brewery to while away the afternoon. The line-up also includes Smokey Bishop dark lager, Hit The Toad mid-strength, Pearler’s Pale Ale, and a very popular alcoholic ginger beer.
As the sun prepares to make her daily exit, we arrive at arguably the best attraction in Broome, the Broome Camel Safari sunset tour.
Ensure you go to the camels with the blue blankets, as they are the most well-behaved and the staff are sensational. The tour goes for two hours, riding along Cable Beach with the sun setting out to sea.
With the sea wind in your hair, the outback stretching to one side and Indian Ocean to the other, it is surreal to say the least.
Day two of our stopover in Broome sees us walk from Cable Beach along to the Gantheaume Point lighthouse and lookout. It’s a long walk but fairly easy as it is along the beach the majority of the way, with the last third climbing up through the sand dunes to Gantheaume Point.
Gantheaume Point has dark red and yellow jagged rocks in stark contrast to the crystal blue ocean. It is here you will find dinosaur footprints that are more than 130 million years old. They are only visible at low tide.
Just in case you don’t time it right, the local council have taken a plaster cast of them and embedded it into the rocks at the top of the lookout. Just sit here and try to imagine what this place looked like way back when the dinosaurs called it home.
With vibrant night-life, picturesque beaches, easy access to the ocean and great 4WD trips right on its doorstep, it’s no wonder people don’t mind travelling to experience Broome.