Local favourites

Top 10 local secrets – Sharni Foulkes

Growing up in Broome and the wider Kimberley, I was always looking for an adventure. As any Kimberley kid from the 80’s or 90’s will tell you, not a lot has changed. But the town has grown immensely, you no longer burn your bottom sliding down those old metal slides at the park and there are some great new attractions and tracks to explore. 

Coming back to Broome as an adult, my favorite things are still evidently the same, and I’m proud to say that I still very much get the same itch for an adventure as I did as a child. Below are my favourite things to do; they are unique and fun for any age to enjoy.

1. Go hunting for Dinosaur footprints

My grandfather, Paul Foulkes found some of the dinosaur footprints here in Broome in the 80’s and as a child we would scale the rocks, splash around in the rock pools at Gantheaume Point or Cable Beach and pretend we were dinosaurs. Chasing the waves as they came in and went out, roaring and laughing with one another and making our very own footprints in the sand. The dinosaur footprints are in abundances throughout the West Kimberley, but my favorite ones to spot are at Gantheaume Point or Cable beach. There are local tours that you can book to find out more, or read up on the history at the local museum. 

2.  Watch the sunrise and sun set over the ocean

We very rarely ever get the opportunity to watch the sun rise and set over the ocean in the same place on the same day. But Broome offers this luxury, and I can promise that the sun rise, and sun set colours are extraordinary. My favorite place to watch a sunrise is at either Entrance Point, perched on a rock and looking out over the bay, or from the Town Beach Jetty. Keep your eyes out for local turtles popping their heads out to say hello and the cheeky local dolphins. Anywhere along Cable Beach is perfect to watch the sunset. There are some fabulous sunset cruises that you can head out on and spend the afternoon soaking up the sun in one of the nets being dragged along at the back of the boat. Looking back at the land, the colours of where the rich red dirt meets the white sand and beautiful blue ocean is a sight worth seeing. 

3.  Weekend Markets 

Growing up, I spent many weekends at the Courthouse Markets, my Grandfather used to make the pancakes and sell his honey. They have been a fixture of Broome for more than 30 years, operating on Saturdays (all year) and Sundays (April to October). The stalls are a fun mix of food, local art, crafts and photography, handmade clothing and jewellery. On Thursdays (June to September) there are night markets at Town Beach, where you can fill up on an abundance of local food van offerings. My personal favourites are the Bao Buns and the ‘Mango Thingies’. 

4.  Spot a shooting star 

Broome sits beneath some of the best stargazing skies on the planet. If you’re an astronomy lover or you just want to hear the dingoes howl and feel that cool Kimberley night air underneath your very own milky way you’ll love star gazing in Broome. Whether you find your own quiet spot and wait for the darkness to come in (so you don’t lose your night vision) or attend one of the amazing Astro Tours, run by Greg Quicke on the two-hour mind-bending adventure in a beautiful bush setting just outside of town. Your guaranteed to have a night worth remembering. And if you ask a local – we will tell you simply that ‘The stars are better up here’. 

5. Spot adorable dolphins

David Attenborough’s documentary crew descended on Broome for three months in 2016 to film the 170-odd snubfin dolphins living in Broome’s turquoise Roebuck Bay. The super rare dolphins – affectionately known as snubbies – have rounded noses and a seemingly permanent smile. To spot them join a snubfin dolphin eco tour, bring your binoculars and keep watch off the jetty at Town Beach (early morning is the best time). 

6. Watch the Moon put on a show

Come sunset, the best free show in town is Staircase to the Moon, which happens several times throughout the year. It occurs when a full moon rises over the mudflats of Roebuck Bay at low tide and looks like a huge stairway rising up to meet an enormous blood-orange moon (see dates on the Calendar of Events on page __). One of the best places in town to watch the Staircase to the Moon is from the outdoor bar at the Mangrove Hotel or Town Beach foreshore. Grab a drink, order up a feast, and let the moon entertain you. 

7. Sunset in the rockpools – Sharni will supply photo to match

One of my favorite ways to end a day is watching the sunset, sunken in one of the many mineral rich rockpools perched on a ledge along Gantheaume or Redell beaches. The trick is going on a day where the tide has been over 7 metres high, but at a time when it is below 4 metres, leaving the area safe and full of water (being hot it evaporates quickly). Park at the lighthouse and head over the track where the lifebuoy is and find your own secluded paradise. 

8. Jetty to jetty trail 

One of my favourite ways to get my daily steps in is the 3.4km one-way (but you can walk back) Jetty-to-jetty trail that shows Broome’s rich cultural history. It’s mainly flat, mostly paved paths that run in a meandering way to take in important sites between Streeters Jetty and the old Jetty.  A map is available at the Broome Visitors Centre and you can download a free app of the trail. There is directional and interpretive signage along the way. If your’re lucky and it’s low tide you might even spot the old plane wrecks out on the bay. As you pass through Demco and admire the beautiful homes, it’s worth noting that the old Demco used to be a meat works. How times have changed. 

9.  Baby turtles 

During the warmest months of the year Cable Beach is home to a multitude of turtle nests. If you like a quiet beach walk in the morning, then spotting stranded baby turtles and helping them  make their way into the ocean is a lovely way to start the day. It’s important that you don’t touch them and if you see one that looks stuck, push the steep sand down and you’ll be helping them on their journey. Turtle tracks are very common, but remember we have big tides, so the earlier you go the more likely you are of seeing them before they wash away.

10. Watch an outdoor movie 

Australia is home to several outdoor movie theatres, but none provide as fascinating an experience as Sun Pictures. From your deck chair at the world’s oldest operating picture garden you not only get to view the latest blockbuster but also the evening plane coming into land at Broome’s airport. Housed in an atmospheric, old corrugated iron building, it might be hard to remember to watch the flick with a thousand twinkling stars above.