Your guide to Broome: the gateway to the Kimberley
Stay
The five-star Kimberley Sands Resort & Spa (kimberleysands. com.au) is a short stroll from Broome’s Cable Beach. Its prime position is matched by elegant villas and suites, Japaneseinspired interiors, award-winning dining options, meditative gardens designed by prolific landscaper Jamie Durie, a first-class day spa and a beautiful central pool area.
Breakfast
The town still has a frontier, anythinggoes spirit. So you might see patrons at the ocean-facing Matso’s Broome Brewery (matsos. com.au) enjoying breakfast with a mango-flavoured beer. The Pearlers dish – eggs, chipolatas, bacon, spinach, tomato, mushrooms, hash browns and toast – will break your fast. Maybe your belt buckle, too.
Lunch
There’s no shortage of places to eat that are influenced by the town’s pearling history and immigration. Cable Beach Club (cablebeachclub.com) has Japanese restaurant Zensai and South-East Asian poolside diner Rambutan. But for a sumptuous cultural meld, head to Azuki Japanese Fusion (08 9193 7211) and try the raw scorched salmon on sushi rice with mayo, barbecue sauce, crisp onions and pickled ginger.
Dinner
An intimate little spot with a large drinks list and a great view of Roebuck Bay, 18 Degrees (08 9192 7915) brings a dash of small-bar cool to Broome. Enjoy the ocean breeze while you tuck into share dishes such as scallop ceviche and herbcrusted barramundi with watermelon, peach and fetta salad and salsa verde.
Do
A sunset camel ride on Cable Beach is always popular but Kimberley Dreamtime Adventure Tours (kdatjarlmadangah. wordpress.com) will take you deeper into the country. Starting at Mount Anderson Station, a three-hour trip from Broome, tours range from a 2.5-hour camel trek to multi-day journeys.