Our Trip Around Australia: Broome,Broome

Here we are sitting by the pool in the shade from the midday sun, it’s currently 37.9 degrees at Halls Creek and we’ve decided to type our blog after spending the morning changing our second flat tyre in two days! We were suppose to be relaxing and swimming in the pools of Sawpit Gorge until a rock decide to piece our tyre. So not wanting to take any further risk on the gravel track we headed back to town and back to the same guy who fixed our tyre yesterday when we punctured it at fitzroy crossing.

Anyway back to Broome, we arrived in town at about 7am in the morning and headed straight towards the tourist information centre. However as it didn’t open until 8.30am the only place we could go at that time was Macca’s . So after having breakfast and drinking at least a pint of coffee we headed back to get as much information about Broome as possible. We got to cable beach caravan park and didn’t take us long to bump into a young couple we had spoken to in Exmouth who were traveling the same direction we were. While we were catching up and trading stories, a guy form the tourist information centre approached us and offer the four of us free basketball tickets (normally valued at $25 each, Bargain!!) So we spent the afternoon watching a couple of games, along with the half time and time out dancers . Although the games were OK we were more amused by the players names, as most of the teams where from Asia, we don’t think they would have got the humour of Folkoff and Hire (having the number 4, so the back of his shirt read 4 Hire!). Later that evening we sit around Ben and Steph’s minivan and watched paranormal activity with a few beers .

Next day we had a look round town, tried to see the dinosaur footprints, had a look at Cable beach and visited the local brewery ‘Matsos’. We visited Broome’s open air cinema (Sun Pictures), but unfortunately we could not agree on a film to watch (both were girly films) so we didn’t watch anything but had a look round instead. Fact: The Sun Pictures officially opened on December 9th 1916 with a silent movie!. As the tide was too high in the morning to see the footprints we met up with Ben & Steph at Matso for a tasting paddle (five different types of beers). Which was followed by a pint of Chilli Beer; which burns the back of your throat if you try and skull it, as I (James) quickly discovered Smile . We went back to the dinosaur footprints in the evening, but to no avail, so we all drove onto the beach to watch the sunset with what seem to be everyone else in Broome.

From Broome we headed up to Cape Leveque along an 89km dirt track (4wd only), to visit a Pearl farm, a church and a hatchery. Which in fairness, doesn’t seem a lot to travel out that far for, but it was beautiful and well worth it. We had a lot of fun travelling in the red dirt with bumps and deep pockets.

First on the list was Beagle Bay and the Sacred Heart Church. The church was built during WW1 when the German priests and Brothers were under house arrest. It took 3 years in total to build and everything was done by hand. All the decoration inside the church is Mother of Pearl shells. Back on the dirt road and up to Cygnet bay to have a look at the pearl farm, however we had missed the tour and had to go back the following day. Knowing that we were not going to be able to drive back to Broome and get back here in time for the tour we looked for somewhere to stay, We found a camp ground (field with some toilets and showers in) that was just of the track, as we were only staying one night and had to leave early we didn’t bother unpacking and slept in the car again. There was no-one else around us just the birds and the frogs that appeared after night fall in the bathrooms and sinks. They gave James a shock. Back at the Pearl farm the following morning we did the tour, heard all about the area and how to grade pearls and were able to handle a few of them one worth $5k on it own. However James was caught trying to slip it into his pocket!!. Onwards and upwards toward One Arm Point (no sure how it got that name) and to the hatchery. This place was good and the tour guy/owner was great. He showed us around the large pools that contain Barra, turtles, octopus, clown fish, starfish etc. James volunteered to hand feed the Barramundi fish, which made him jump as the fish were so quick and make a massive splash after taking the food.There was also a baby turtle that was only 8 days old, it was very cute. This was the furthest point we would go so it was back down the track for about 2 hours of bumps, corrugations and sand.