My elderly mother desperately wanted to visit Broome. As I lived in Singapore and she in Sydney, I thought this could be a novel way to spend some quality time with her. So we met at Broome airport and our adventure begun. I was in charge of booking activities and wow, was that a smorgasboard. By the end of our stay I was a raving Broome ambassador!
Broome is a natural splendour everyone should see at last once in their life. It’s where the beautiful long beaches of the Indian Ocean, the deep red earth and the azure sky all meet in spectacular style at the top of Western Australia. I’d timed the trip in May, to take advantage of all Broome has to offer, including Staircase to the Moon. For two to three days from March to October, the full moon rises over the tidal flats of Roebuck Bay. It creates a natural phenomenon that looks just like a staircase ascending to the brightly lit moon. I keep mistakenly calling it Stairway to Heaven! Indigenous didjeridoo playing in the background was a simple rhythmic accompaniment that truly stirred the soul.
We were also keen to do some stargazing, as Broome has 300 clear nights a year and little ‘light pollution’. It was an excellent decision. It was surreal looking through telescopes in the middle of ‘nowhere’ while hanging onto the educational tales of our self-taught astronomist guide. His absolute passion and ability to describe the Milky Way so vividly and accessibly made him a natural teacher.
The following day was whale watching and I was completely unprepared to be blown away by the hundreds of humpbacks. I put my camera away to simply enjoy these graceful marine giants lolling around, swimming under our boat, showing off their tails and magnificent breaches. Each year, 20,000 whales migrate from the freezing Antarctic to frolick and calve in the warmer tropical waters of The Kimberley from June to October. It left me dazzled and spontaneously smiling.
There are a myriad of activities you can enjoy in Broome. Sunset cocktails and swimming at Cable Beach, plane rides or 4WD drives to view the endless outback or just visiting town. It is also a foodie heaven with many eateries featuring food from the ethnically diverse and friendly population that calls Broome home. All in all, it’s the perfect place to have a healthy holiday and it totally lit me up. Pleasing my mother never came so easily! Oh and by the way, find some accommodation with a swimming pool. It is totally blissful to cool off after a busy day in the sunshine.
