A scenic drive of just over 2200 north-east from Perth will take you to Broome and its 22 km of white sand beaches, red cliffs and fascinating history.

Beginning in the 1880s, the pearling industry provided work for about 400 luggers (boats) and 3,000 men, and contributed 80% of the world's mother-of-pearl (until the plastic look-alikes became more popular than the real thing ). Natural pearling has since been replaced by cultured pearl farming, and tours are available so you can see how this process occurs. You can also purchase pearls at prices (supposedly) lower than in retail stores.

Broome is hot – there’s no other way to say it – very hot, all year round. The temperature reaches into the 30s Celsius for most of the year, and winter months are warm and dry.

What to See

Whale Watching

From May to December the whales migrate north, and Augusta's protected aspect is just perfect for whale watching. You’ll see both Humpback and Southern Right whales, local pods of dolphins, and New Zealand fur seals at the nearby colony in Flinders Bay.

Hamelin Bay

This magnificent sweeping bay is perfect for swimming and diving, and just observing the interesting limestone formations. You can feed friendly Stingrays that come to feed in the bay.

Open-Air Cinema

Dating from 1916, Sun Pictures, near the corner of Short and Carnarvon Streets, is one of Australia's few remaining open-air cinemas. Regular screenings of reasonably recent films are shown nightly. This is an experience to savour – reclining on the sling-back seats, looking up at the clear, starry skies ... it doesn’t matter what the movie is – you’ll always find something to look at!

China Town

This encompasses most of the old sections of the town and is bordered by Carnarvon Street and Dampier Terrace, Short Street, and Napier Terrace. It was once alive with saloons, billiard parlours, boarding houses, and pearling sheds, but has succumbed to the lure of the tourist dollar and is now lined with restaurants, souvenir shops, and the ubiquitous pearl sellers.

The Staircase to the Moon

This is a spectacular natural phenomenon created by the full moon reflecting off the mud flats at extreme low tides, and it occurs between March and October each year.

Willy Creek Pearl Farm

You can see how pearls are created by placing the huge Maxima shells on panels and suspended in the fast flowing tidal waters of Willy Creek. This region is responsible for the growth of the world’s largest and most precious pearls.

Cable Beach

Sunset over Cable Beach This famous beach is located six km from town on Gantheaume Bay, and is a white-sand and turquoise stretch for surfing, swimming, and sunbathing. Warning: Stingers invade these shores during the summer months – check with local authorities before swimming.

Dinosaur Footprints

If you love historical sites, you won’t find any much more historical than the 130 million-year old dinosaur prints that are only visible at low tide at Gantheaume Point, seven km south of Broome (at the end of Cable Beach).

Anastasia's Pool

Anastasia's Pool is located on the north side of Gantheaume Point. It was built by a former lighthouse keeper for his arthritic wife, Anastasia, and fills during high tide.

Broome Bird Observatory

The observatory is located on the shores of Roebuck Bay, and enables visitors to watch Broome's migratory shorebirds that come from as far away as Siberia. This area is regarded as the most significant viewing site in Australia for shorebirds and the fourth most significant in the world. More than 800,000 birds use the area annually.

Broome itself has five distinctly different habitats ranging from huge inter-tidal mudflats (roughly the size of Sydney Harbour) through the dry Pindan scrub to freshwater lakes and marshes and open grassy plains. This range of habitats has resulted in an abundance of bird life being present.

Check road conditions before you travel
Western Australia

Click on the "Touring WA" link and you’ll find a link for traffic and road conditions, and also links to information on roadside amenities and rest areas. Amenities and rest areas list shows toilets, shade, water, fireplaces, telephones, but not fuel.

RAC (Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia)

Travel to Australia

Broome - Diving and Pearling