Broome - Tears of the Moon

Visit the Willie Creek Pearl Farm and ride camels on Cable Beach to find that perfect pearl gift at the right price. The pearl shops certainly had some magnificent jewellery, but they are best visited after learning about pearling at Willie Creek. The local Chinese restaurant serves oyster meat. It's worth a taste, but mind the price! The open-air cinema is another must-do, but be warned, planes landing or taking off fly straight overhead!

Quick Tips:

Read Di Morrissey's book "Tears of the Moon" before visiting Broome. This gives you a really good background to the pearling industry and Broome. (It's still worth reading after the visit, as I did!) The historical society is also well worth a visit. It gives you an appreciation of Broome's past.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are buses, but the best way to get around is to hire a car. This gives you the flexibility to go when and where you want (but only on man-made roads!). It's very handy for a trip to Cable Beach for a camel ride and sunset photo session. The township of Broome is small enough to allow you to walk around. The "Conti" to Chinatown or the town beach is an easy walk. A visit to Matso's Brewery (great boutique beer and good food) is best done on foot!

The room was reasonably large, with an air-conditioner and bar fridge with basic tea/coffeemaking facilities. The bedroom had one queen-size bed and one single bed.

The hotel had laundry facilities and somewhere to hang washed clothes (many don't). It also had an excellent restaurant and a very large pool. The pool area had a section covered by shade cloth.

We had a room on the second floor at the back of the hotel. There was ample parking near the room. The pick of the rooms, though, would be those backing onto the pool area. It would have been nice to sit at the back door with a coffee and take a dip in the pool when you felt the need. From the second floor it was an effort.

The location of the hotel was great, within walking distance of the town (and Avis car hire!) and close to the historical society/museum. Return shuttle to the airport was included in the tariff, and it was quick and reliable, although a taxi ride would only have cost $5 or so. Clearly the Cable Beach resort (which we visited, as a friend was staying there) was streets ahead in terms of luxury, but for a comfortable bed in a good location, the "Conti" was fine!

Bookings are only taken for larger groups. For couples its a matter of turning up early and hoping for an available table.

Jan and I had a table outside, so we had a great for a view of the sunset, but you have to cope with the smokers! Being outside, though, meant that we only had to suffer the discomfort of the occasional waft of smoke. The sea breeze kept much of it away.

Not surprisingly, seafood figured prominently on the menu. After 5 weeks in the Northern Territory and Western Australia's Northwest, I had not tired of Barramundi. There were pasta and rice dishes as well as grills, and the bread entrees (seemed to be freshly baked) were delicious.

We chose this restaurant for the view of the sunset and arrived well before sunset to ensure we were able to get a seat. We were not disappointed with the food or the view and would recommend this restaurant as one of the highlights of Broome cuisine! Be prepared for a bit of a wait. The restaurant is large and very busy around sunset.

This was standard Chinese fare in the usual price range. The specialty, though, was oyster meat, which is very expensive, but when in Broome (Australia's pearl capital), you just have to try oyster meat.

The food was generally very good, although at times service was slow. It was worth a visit just to taste oyster meat. (You can get a small sample to taste at Pearling Luggers.)

For those on a budget, the traditional Chinese meals were very reasonably priced. Many of the locals chose to eat here!

Getting to Willie Creek Pearl Farm is best done as a bus tour (they provide the bus), as the road is very ordinary. It makes the Gibb River Road look good! It can only be done in your own car, hired 4WD, or the Willie Creek tour bus. A clause in car hire contracts prohibits use of the vehicle off made roads.

That said, the bus drive was pleasant enough. It's nice to be able to sit back, listen to the commentary, and let someone else do the work. The tour commenced with an explanation of pearl farming and an exhibition of pearling products. The talk was thorough and informative and included information on the types of pearls as well as the mechanics of farming pearls. A boat tour to show how the pearl shells were "farmed" was included, along with some advice about the resident crocodile (stay inside the boat!).

The tour concluded with a visit to the showroom to buy pearls, armed with some knowledge about what to look for and how much to pay! Prices at the pearl farm were quite reasonable compared with prices in Broome, but there is no such thing as a fine quality cheap pearl! Sorry, no doorbuster bargains!

This was one of the most fascinating tours I have done. All aspects of the tour had some interest, even the bus ride to the farm where local bird life was pointed out and photo opportunities were taken. My wife developed a renewed interest in pearl-buying and spent the next day going from shop to shop in Broome. See the last point in the previous paragraph--NO BARGAINS!

There seemed to be three companies offering camel rides on Cable Beach. We chose Red Sun Camels, and they appeared to be the largest group. They offered a good service. They matched riders to camels and kept couples and friends together within the limitations of camel capacity. (Some could carry heavier weights than others!)

Photographs were taken during the ride, one by their photographer (for later sales) and one with your own camera. It was a nice touch, as this meant that you could do with the photos as you wished! We chose the sunset tour, and it truly is the best time to do a camel ride. They walk slowly enough to be able to take sunset photos while on the move. Just watch where you point the camera. The camel walk is along the "free" beach. Some of the tourists were displaying their "wobbly bits!" Still, the less desirable sights can be edited out with digital photography now!

This is a must-do activity for a visit to Broome, but bookings are essential, as it is a popular tour.