Leading light

Staircase to the Moon, Broome, Western Australia

In north-western Australia’s vivid sunlight, the mudflats of Roebuck Bay might not be Broome’s prettiest view. But for three nights a month between March and October (and on occasion into November), a mesmerising effect, best witnessed from Town Beach and the eastern shoreline of Broome, draws thousands who hold their breath at moonrise. As the glowing orb detaches from the horizon, the corrugation exposed at low tide is transformed into steps that reach towards the light.