Three days in Broome

Day 1

If the lure of the hotel buffet hasn’t caught your eye, grab your bathers and head to Cable Beach for an early morning stroll to enjoy the cool temperatures and a swim before breakfast. Everything you need for a relaxing morning on the beach is available from Broome Beach Hut, located on the beach just in front of the Surf Lifesaving Club.

The first day of a break is all about the wind down from everyday life, so why not spend the afternoon by the pool at your resort – perhaps even with a cocktail in hand!

If you’ve driven into Broome you might have seen a few road trains on your way – now it’s time for something a little different – a camel train! Sunset is the most popular time for the famous Cable Beach camel rides and as these unexpectedly graceful creatures stroll along silhouetted against the sun, a postcard perfect photo op is created for those viewing the sunset from the beach or the lookout.

For a fantastic dinner you won’t have to venture far from your hotel - many resorts around Cable Beach have wonderful restaurants on-site, including the Sunset Bar & Grill, for guests at Cable Beach Resort, and the café at Bali Hai Resort. Around Old Broome, The Mangrove Hotel has very popular al fresco dining, at The Conti you'll find the popular Papa Fuego restaurant and at The Oaks Broome the 1861 Restaurant awaits your order.

Day 2

Time to explore! Broome is quite small but concentrated in two main areas – Old Broome and Cable Beach, so transport is needed and really easy to arrange. Hop on the Broome Explorer Bus, hire a car, or join a sightseeing tour of Broome.

Getting a feel for Broome’s heritage as pearling capital of the world can be as easy as strolling the streets of Chinatown to see the unique corrugated tin construction of the buildings, the world’s oldest outdoor picture house on Carnarvon Street, and Streeters Jetty where the pearling luggers would offload their precious cargo of mother of pearl before it was shipped to New York and London. To delve a little deeper, the one hour tour at Pearl Luggers takes you back to the early days of pearling, and the Broome Historical Society Museum is well worth the short trip to Town Beach. The Jetty to Jetty Heritage Walk is an exciting way to discover Broome (app download here, or search for "Jetty to Jetty'" in the app store), or experience the culturally and ecologically diverse side of Broome on a guided walking tour.

As you walk through Chinatown you'll notice elements from its recent revitalisation -  public art celebrating Broome's Aboriginal, Asian and pearling heritage, as well as shaded outdoor seating and landscaping in materials complementing Broome's heritage and environment - the original Asian quarter, pearling, the mangroves and Roebuck Bay. At the southern end of Dampier Terrace, the Roebuck Bay Lookout offers elevated, sweeping views over the bay and is well worth a visit. 

All that exploring will leave you with an appetite, just in time for lunch at the cafés along Carnarvon Street and Dampier Terrace. Lunch and dinner with a spectacular view across Roebuck Bay is on offer at the Mangrove Hotel, savour Asian inspired fusion at The Aarli Bar in Chinatown or head to Matso’s Broome Brewery for lunch and dinner alongside its locally brewed beers!

Get a taste of the Kimberley’s creativity in the afternoon while wandering through the art and photography galleries, and the pearl showrooms along Dampier Terrace tempt many visitors into bringing home some beautiful South Sea Pearl jewellery.

While you are in Chinatown, check out the listings for Sun Pictures, the world's oldest operating picture gardens – it’s a true Broome experience to watch a movie while sitting on deckchairs under the stars, choc-top in hand!

Day 3

Ready to spread your wings? With so much on Broome’s doorstep, the opportunities for half- and full-day tours to some of the Kimberley’s finest spots are hard to resist. You could take to the skies for a flight over the world’s only Horizontal Waterfalls (you can even take a fast boat ride through them), fly over the spectacular Kimberley Coast along the Dampier Peninsula to see the white sands and red cliffs of Cape Leveque and tour a pearl farm, or do a full day scenic flight over the Kimberley to see waterfalls, gorges and even the Bungle Bungles! If you’d rather keep both feet on the ground, 4WD bus tours to the Dampier Peninsula and Tunnel Creek are really popular, offering just as many highlights as the scenic flight options.

Staying closer to Broome, one of the most popular tours is the half-day trip to the pearl farm at Willie Creek for a farm tour or eco-cruise. If you are keen to throw in a line or just get out on the water, a fishing or heli fishing charter or a whale watching tour might be the perfect tour for you or for something a little different, how about a hovercraft or kayaking tour?

Many visitors to Broome enjoy the Staircase to the Moon from the new viewing terraces at Town Beach, also home to a new purpose built market space for Staircase to the Moon and Thursday night markets (in dry season). Take a stroll along the beaches, and allow some time at the Broome Museum. For the kids, the amazing new nature-based playground and the water play area will keep them happy and occupied! 

If that all sounds like too much activity, some pampering might be in order! Broome’s spas offer relaxation and indulgence in beautiful tropical surroundings including some special Kimberley touches - try a facial or massage incorporating superfine mother or pearl so that you are left gleaming like the precious gem itself; a rejuvenating scrub with the local superfood Gubinge; or a "mud and bubbles" session with mineral rich mangrove mud.