Broome: Australia's Pearl

Today I'd like to share a guest post from Archie. This is an interesting look at an area of Australia that not too many tourists have discovered yet. It's so gorgeous though, so I know that they'll soon be discovering all of its charms. Enjoy!

There’s nothing quite like the sense of discovery that comes from visiting a hidden pearl of a travel destination. Outside of the intrinsic value of experiencing a new place for the first time, there is the delicious benefit of bragging rights. One can say, casually, to friends: “We spent the summer in Broome, have you heard of it?” with a dreamy and nostalgic gleam in the eyes, gracefully pitying the uninformed.

Broome, Australia
 

Broome, Australia is the perfect destination to bring about this twofold pleasure. It is not yet a ubiquitous travel destination for beach-seeking world travelers yet has the goods to contend with the perennial summer hot spots. Additionally, its local culture is some of Australia’s most diverse, at once the native ground for the indigenous Yawaru people, and a melting pot for many world cultures that were represented by pearl divers that flocked to the town in the late 19th century. Japanese culture is one of the most strongly represented influences in Broome: every year Broome unites for the Shinju Matsuri (Festival of the Pearl) which is a favorite for tourists and natives alike.

Japanese Cemetery in Broome
 

While taking in the striking Japanese cemeteries or researching Broome's harrowing experience in World War II can be intellectually rewarding, nothing is more beloved and recommended in Broome than to hire a car and take a leisurely drive to one of its white sand beaches. Cable Beach is one of Broome’s finest, stretching fourteen perfectly flat miles beside the sweet blue tide. Four-wheelers are available for ambitious beach combers, and sunset camel rides are also offered daily. For those seeking to truly let loose and shake off the material burdens of home, Cable Beach also hosts one of Australia’s most famous nudist spots north of the main access road. Also, close at hand is Minyirr Park, a coastal reserve area ripe with exotic vegetation and wild life for the enterprising explorer.

Broome, Australia
 

Roebuck Bay is another of Broome’s most-prized beach offerings. Situated on the Eastern shore, the waters extend from Port Drive to Sandy Point and offers more white sand and idyllic ocean views. One of the most spellbinding attractions in Broome occurs here on “Staircase to the Moon” nights – when a receding tide and a rising moon collaborate to engineer one of Nature’s finer spectacles. On these special nights, there is a charming food and craft market operated on Town Beach, contributing further to the charged air. Bird watchers also rejoice in Roebuck’s incredible diversity of migratory shorebirds. Many tourists hire a car and head straight to the Broome Bird Observatory on Roebuck’s northern shore to take in the vast array of East Asian species.

Although the beaches are serene and scenic enough to justify a visit, Broome also offers immaculate golf courses, charming dining and endless local flavor. Already one of the fastest growing towns in Australia, Broome will continue to attract more and more international visitors. There’s no better time than the present to book a flight to Broome International. Get some culture, take in some sun, and notch an experience that will be the object of envy for years to come.


This post comes from Archie, an Australian expat living in Thailand. He has been compiling a list of nearly every Australian destination for his commercial travel website, Skedaddle Car Hire.