Broome is one of those romantic places you hear about and always mean to visit one day.  With clean air and spectacular scenery, Broome is definitely one of W.A.’s must see destinations.

The pristine environment, great climate, accessibility to major tourist attractions like the Kimberleys and its interesting history and cultural diversity make it an exciting place to visit.

Choosing what to do in the time allotted to you on your holiday is the hard part.

All roads lead to one of Broome’s signature features however - Cable Beach, which is a great spot to start your Broome experience.

Rated as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Cable boasts a superb sandscape and a turquoise ocean that seems to stretch forever.

Many visitors explore it by camel train whilst others simply toast the spectacular sunset with a glass of champagne.

If the allure of Cable beach is too hard to resist, you can always stay at the Cable Beach Resort.  Perched right near the sand this location is hard to beat.

Being a world famous tourist destination Broome boasts a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets from back packers to five star and there are often great accommodation deals to be had.

Before taking off on your sightseeing activities it’s a good idea to acclimatise for a day or so and see what the town of Broome has to offer.

Settled in 1883 Broome soon became a thriving pearl port with at one stage 550 luggers working out of Port Roebuck.  Remnants of the old pearling industry can still be seen dotted around the coast.

In the 1880’s pearl divers were eagerly sought from all over the world and soon there were people from Malaya, China, Japan the Philippines and Europe living in the bustling, rough and ready port.

Broome is full of historic interest and within a fairly short space you can visit places that demonstrate the true cultural diversity of Broome.  For starters there are Chinese, Japanese and Muslim cemeteries to wander through.

The Broome Museum and Courthouse are also repositories of the early history of the town and well worth a visit.

Broome still has a thriving cultured pearl industry and tourists from all over the world come to purchase these jewels of the sea.

If your credit card can take it you must go shopping for pearls.  Two places to start with are Kailis Pearls in Marine Terrace and the famous Paspaley Pearls located right in the town centre.

After all the sightseeing and shopping, food will certainly be on the agenda and you’ll want to sample some of the culinary delights of Broome.  Given its rich cultural heritage where do you start?

If you’re in the mood for modern Australian try Frangipani on Cable Beach.  If seafood is what you are looking for, the Wharf is the place or for Italian seafood try Blooms.

Of course Broome has a thriving Asian culture and there are heaps of great places to go like Noodlefish, Tongs or Madura Pearl.  To search a full list of restaurants in the area go to www.australianexplorer.com/restaurants/broome

Once acclimatised to the weather in Broome you should take some tours further afield.  There are so many famous and spectacular sights all within easy reach, it’s really is hard to choose.

Here are a few just for starters – the Bungle Bungle Ranges in the Purnululu National Park are some of the most spectacular rock formations you will see.

Karijini National Park has some superb gorges and swimming holes just perfect for photography and cooling off.

The world famous Kimberleys with brilliant scenery and wild life plus Ningaloo Reef and the rare spotted Whale Sharks are all within reach of Broome.

If Dinosaur spotting is your thing, just 6kms out of town you can see 140 million year old footprints at a place called Gantheaume Point.

For visitors interested in knowing more about the cultured pearl industry there is a fascinating tour to Willie Creek Pearl Farm just 38kms north of Broome.

Set in a warm turquoise estuary on Willie Creek large pinctada maxima oysters lay undisturbed, growing world famous South Sea pearls.

Willie Creek is the only pearl farm in the Kimberley to provide tours for visitors so if you are interested in how pearls are made Willie Creek is well worth a visit.

The best time to visit Broome is during the Dry Season from April to October.  During this time you will experience warm nights, clear sunny days with temperatures in the mid to high thirties.

For more detailed tourist information on this fascinating place go to www.broomevisitorcentre.com.au

By Yvonne Williams