Perched on the edge of the vast Kimberley region and overlooking the Indian Ocean, Broome is a truly unique destination. Built on the pearling industry, Broome offers a fascinating insight into its past and a tempting array of present attractions including Cable Beach camel rides, Chinatown, Sun Picture Gardens and Matso's Brewery. Sun Pictures is the world's oldest picture gardens still in operation. Unlike most outdoor cinemas it sometimes screens multiple films per night, just like a regular cinema, rather than only one or two a week. There is also an indoor twin cinema. The sunsets in Broome are among the most spectacular in the world and the Staircase to the Moon phenomenon is not to be missed.

https://www.kimberleytravel.com.au/blog-spot/camel-rides-in-broome/

https://www.broomemovies.com.au/

https://www.kimberleytravel.com.au/events/staircase-to-the-moon/

The Broome difference

It's unfortunate that many travellers insist on comparing Broome with east-coast destinations, often unfavourably. Broome is not worse or better than any of these, it's just different. Still, it receives only a fraction of the visitor numbers to Cairns, for example. But all that is about to change as the WA Government, the Shire of Broome and the local tourism industry launch a range of initiatives to drive up visitor numbers and cruise ship calls. These have been introduced progressively during the year and include:

• Dredging the Port of Broome to allow round-the-clock access for cruise ships. More than 20 ship calls have already been scheduled and, according to the WA Government, 11 of these are a direct result of the dredging
• The Stage 2 Broome Chinatown Revitalisation program launched at a cost of $11.95 million
• A number of job-creating and economy boosting initiatives which the WA Government claims will ramp up visitor numbers

https://chinatownbroome.com.au/

The Government says an additional 500 travellers a week touched down in Broome after the extension of the affordable fare initiative, which enabled passengers to take up the Qantas special weekend fares from Perth to Broome. More than 26,000 seats were occupied by holiday-makers in the first year of the trial to August 2019.

Initiatives to attract cruise ships

Dredging at the Port of Broome was completed in time for the 2019-20 cruise season, which will include three calls by Vasco da Gama as part of her maiden home-ported season in Fremantle.

The removal of rock mass will enable better access for cruise ships at all tides, eliminating some of the obstacles that cruise lines consider when deciding on destinations.

Major cruise lines will be able to stay longer in port and visitors will be able to enjoy more time ashore discovering the Kimberley region's many attractions. The $15.3 million channel optimisation program was a deciding factor in Carnival Australia's decision to home-port its Sun Princess superliner for the 2019-20 cruise season, the Government said.

https://www.kimberleyports.wa.gov.au/Port-of-Broome/Community-Info/Cruise-shipping

Inland developments

On the mainland, work has progressed on sealing the last red dirt section of the Broome-Cape Leveque Road, which is expected to further open up Broome and the surrounding region to more tourism opportunities.

Other initiatives include tourism campaigns that promote Kimberley region attractions, major upgrades to roads and the continuation of the Aboriginal Rangers Program in the Kimberley, to provide jobs looking after State parks and protected areas.

https://kdc.wa.gov.au/economic-profile/tourism/

Go when it's cooler

Broome is in a tropical zone so it's warm all year round at very least and downright hot in the summer, as well as wet. The best time to visit is in the Australian winter from June to August so book early because accommodation fills up quickly.

Useful links

https://www.visitbroome.com.au/​