Getting Down and Dusty in the Off-Grid Paradise of Broome

If you’re looking for a holiday so off-the-grid that your bills literally can't find you, Broome is your ticket. It’s so laid-back, the houses don’t even have letterboxes.

Fresh seafood is on your fork hours after it’s hauled in from the Indian Ocean, backyard barbecues sizzle with Kimberley cattle marinated in local spices, and visitors relax, unwind and slip into ‘Broome Time.’

Broome forces you to slow down and appreciate life’s simplest pleasures: no traffic lights, an ocean that’s roughly the temperature of bathwater, and the occasional saltwater crocodile to keep you on your toes. These are the choicest things to do in Broome.

The Traditional Owners of Rubibi, the land and sea of Broome, are the Yawuru (pronounced Yah – roo) People. The Yawuru work around six seasons every year, predicted by the wangal (winds), the wula (rainfall), the temperature, and the changing plants and animals.

As you may have worked out, Broome is a place of dramatic climates. The wet season (roughly November to April) can turn the town into a tropical cauldron of steamy days, monsoonal downpours, and humidity that’s tough enough to fog your glasses in seconds. The prize for visiting then is wild and lush landscapes and far fewer people, and in the wet season you’ll notice another Broomian quirk: there are no gutters on the buildings in town as they stand no hope against the astonishing downpours.

The dry season, May to October, is Broome’s time to shine (and shine and shine). Long, warm days with a gentle breeze skimming the turquoise waters. This is when most travellers descend on the Kimberley but either way, Broome’s weather is part of the show. Embrace it.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a stretch of family friendly sand more perfect than Cable Beach. This 22 kilometres of white sand set against the Indian Ocean is tailor-made for sandcastle-building, frisbee-throwing, and SPF protected sun-worshipping. If you’ve got adventurous little ones, a sunset camel ride across the beach is about as Broome as it gets. Broome is also the fat bike capital of Australia, with more of these sturdy, beach bashing fat tyre bikes being sold per capita than anywhere else in the country.

Sign up for a boat tour around Roebuck Bay or along the coastline, where dolphins play in the wake and dugongs occasionally surface for a cameo. Or for a hit of adrenaline, Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park is a pass to primal fear and fascination where you can come face-to-teeth with enormous crocodiles. Just 15 minutes from Broome, this sanctuary hosts some of the largest saltwater crocs you’ll ever see, launching themselves at fences with jaw-snapping intensity.

Give the kids something amazing for show-and-tell with a visit to Gantheaume Point where you can see dinosaur footprints embedded in the beautiful, red rock outcrops. Just make sure you visit this real-life Jurassic Park at the right time of day as the footprints are only visible at very low tide.

There are actually three different dinosaur track encounters to be found along Broome’s coastline. The most easily found footprints belong to hefty, four-legged, plant-guzzling sauropods from roughly 130 million years ago, then there are the three-toed impressions left by two-legged, meat-chomping theropods and by their plant-loving cousins, the ornithopods.

Pro tip: The most family friendly place to stay in Broome is Mantra Frangipani. The apartments are large, open Bali-style accommodation, with two pools, a dreamy waterfall, and outdoor showers for long beach days.

Address: Mantra Frangipani Broome, 15 Millington Road, Broome 6726

Broome’s pearling industry is the stuff of legend, a legend that takes the literal grit of a blue collar trade and elevates it to high art. Head over to Pearl Luggers on Dampier Terrace and peel back the layers of sweat and salt that defined this town’s early fortunes. Hear tales of Japanese divers risking their lungs in dark waters, and Malay and Indigenous workers toughing it out on wild seas.

If that’s not enough to spark your curiosity, Cygnet Bay Pearls boasts the largest, finest quality round pearl ever harvested. Offered over a million dollarydoos for it, they politely declined. Time your visit around Shinju Matsuri (Festival of the Pearl) in late August or early September, to help Broome celebrate the voluptuous milky gems that put their city on the map for a fortnight of music, dance, and excellent street food.

In Chinatown, hawker-style stalls serve up fragrant satays and dumplings that nod to the town’s vibrant Asian heritage. When midday hunger hits, chase the bold flavours at The Aarli. Their menu is a tapestry of Asian fusion and modern Australian. Do your mouth a favour and sample the Crispy Pork Belly, complete with vibrant herbs and a tangy dressing that sings on your palate.

The Indigenous art of Short St Gallery, also in Chinatown, glows with the vivid ochres and stories of the Kimberley. Each piece reflects an artist’s bond with the land, ancient songlines brought to life in swirls of earthy reds and sunlit yellows. If textiles are your thing, drop by Nagula Jarndu, run by Aboriginal women who channel their experiences into bold, hand-printed patterns paying homage to the bush and shoreline.

Or catch one of the two nightly movies at Sun Pictures, the world’s oldest open-air cinema. Back in the day, locals say you could catch a fish while you watched a flick at high tide.

Pro Tip: Don’t skip the Courthouse Markets every Saturday (and Sunday from April to October) between 8am and 12pm. Tuck into sizzling satays, handmade souvenirs you’ll keep forever, and live tunes make for a heady, sensory brew that perfectly captures Broome’s spirited soul.

Address: Broome Markets, 8 Hamersley Street, Broome 6725

For a day of high octane fun without cracking your wallet, Broome delivers. Head to Cable or Eco Beach and look out for adorable flatback turtles. Nesting females can deposit up to 50 eggs at a time, and their tiny hatchlings weigh just 43 grams compared to an adult’s hefty 90 kilograms.

For a mini road trip, visit possibly the most beautiful church in Australia. Sacred Heart Church at Beagle Bay on the Dampier Peninsula is a glimmering pearl-shell mosaic that stands as a testament to Broome’s history. If nature is your church, don’t miss the ‘Staircase to the Moon.’ On certain nights from March to October, the lunar reflection creates an otherworldly set of steps across the tidal flats at Roebuck Bay.

Pro Tip: Nearby at Town Beach, an extra-low tide will reveal the haunting remains of Dutch Catalina flying boats sunk during WWII. If that’s not enough, 35,000 humpbacks migrate through these waters every year, alongside quirky-looking Australian snubfin dolphins.

Address: Town Beach, 90 Robinson St, Broome 6725

Broome is a place that wants you to linger, to feel the crunch of red pindan dirt beneath your shoes, to breathe in the salty air, and to soak up tales of pearl divers and crocodile wranglers under the blazing sun. You’ll quickly realise that time here goes well beyond just ticking off the bucket-list.