Sea trips, whale watching, Indigenous tours and camel rides await
Top 10
- At low tide, retrace 120 million-year-old dinosaur footsteps around Gantheaume Point and Reddel Beach.
- Grab a bargain at the courthouse markets on Saturday morning.
- Catch a barramundi on a fishing charter.
- Watch the Staircase to the Moon from the Mangrove Hotel or Town Beach
- Try a chilli beer at award-winning Matsos Microbrewery.
- Ride a camel along Cable Beach, or watch them from Sunset Bar & Grill.
- Take a tour from Gantheaume Point and watch adolescent male whales at play.
- See an old-school pearl diver’s suit (and lift a lead boot) on the Pearl Luggers Tour.
- Sit back in a deck chair at the oldest operating outdoor picture gardens in the world – ignore the low-flying planes, they’re traditional.
- Experience an Indigenous adventure on the Dampier Peninsula.
Sea trips
A sea trip from Broome should be on everyone’s bucket list. The remote and untouched Kimberley coast stretches to the northernmost tip of WA, offering a unique beauty with its thousands of islands, reefs, gorges and waterfalls, and abundant marine and bird life. The Kimberley cruise experts in Broome can help book your perfect trip.
Whale watching
Forget whale-watching in wild winter waves – head north like the whales do. Between June and August, more than 30,000 whales spend the winter in the warm, calm waters off the Kimberley Coast. They share the sea with manta rays, snubfin dolphins, turtles, dugongs and more. You can get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures on daily tours during whale-watching season.
For kids
Malcom Douglas Wilderness Wildlife Park, a short drive north of Broome, is great for kids of all ages. View some of the largest crocodiles in captivity, plus other native Australian animals. You can even hold a baby croc. Get there at 3pm for the daily feeding.
Indigenous tours
Local Broome guide Bart Pigram of Narliji Cultural Tours, has heritage that dates back to the first Filipino missionary settlers and the Yaruwu Indigenous tribe. On his walking tour, Bart tells many fascinating stories around Roebuck Bay and Broome, including the history of Dampier Creek and the rich pickings in the mangrove forests and the jabalbal (mudflats). Bart went to his elders to learn the oral history of the tribes, and has taught his own kids the stories and customs, as well as how to hunt for mud crab.
Camels
You simply must join a camel train and ride along the sand on these gentle giants! Bask in the dying sun during a safari along the 22km of Cable Beach. The camel rides are one of the most popular experiences in Broome, and continue to accrue fans of all ages.
Pearls tours & shopping
Broome is the home of the South Sea pearl, the finest in the world. Learn more about how this mysterious gem is cultivated by visiting a pearl farm at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, or the new tour with Paspaley Pearls, by helicopter, aircraft, bus or self-drive. Head out on the water and see the oyster beds close up, learn how oysters are cared for and harvested, and hear more of Broome’s amazing pearling history. If you’re staying in town, pop down to Dampier Terrace in Chinatown to discover some of the finest pearl jewellery in the world, including the world’s biggest pearl.
Fishing
After a huge Wet, locals expect a cracking barra season. Early April, (after the floodwaters have settled) is the best time to try your luck. As Ryan Mills, a pilot with Kimberley Aviation says, “When the mangoes are ripe, the barra are on the bite.” From June to August, it’s too cold for barra, then from late August until the end of October they get livelier again. If you intend on keeping your catch, barramundi must be between 55cm and 80cm, and the daily limit is two per person. Fishing camps, day charters and tackle stores are plentiful.
As well as barra, Broome’s waters are populated by giant trevally, tuna, bluenose salmon and more; catch them from the creeks, jetties and beaches, or from a boat. Ask at the visitor centre and tackle stores about when, where and how to snag them.