Broome Time

Well I lobbed in to Broome about 11.15am yesterday. I was faced with a number of quite pleasant problems. Where to have lunch, where can I buy some sunscreen, should I get a broad rimmed hat? I am staying at the Mecure which is short walk from Chinatown, the tourist hub of Broome. It has a pool and a pub attached and it looks out over Roebuck Bay, all very diverting. The weather forecast for the 4 days I will be here are exactly the same. Top of 32 degrees, overnight low of 11 degrees with full sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Broome time is a reference to the town's ambience. It is pretty chilled, relaxed, laid back (I think you get the picture). If you just let everything wash over you its a nice space to be in. I found that zone in Exmouth and I'm doing my level best to stay there......  yeah it's Broome time.

This Sign Could Not Sum Up "Broome Time" Any Better

One of the first things I did upon arrival was go camel riding along Cable Beach. Not something I would normally do but hey it's like the signature activity when you are in Broome so I thought why not?

Felix and  Passenger

Poor old Felix the camel probably wasn't thrilled when he found out he was going to have a 120 kilo behemoth on his back but he took it in his stride and was very well behaved. We had a very pleasant meander along Cable Beach, I only found out once we had started that they take you along the "clothing optional" section of the beach. So I got a camel ride and the chance to start my training as a dirty old man all rolled into one. It wasn't until we were almost home that I was advised that Felix was a retired racing camel and that it had taken quite some time to get him used to the idea that he only had to amble along now. You have to understand that the unique thing about Camel racing is not just that they use camels but they don't line up to start in barriers like horses do. The race starts when the jockey mounts the camel. They are trained to take off the second the jockey gets on their back. Not a trait you want in a tourist camel I imagine.

Cable Beach was pretty interesting. It was the point where an undersea telegraph cable came ashore thus connecting this part of the country with the rest of the world in about 1880 or thereabouts. Prior to that news would arrive by ship and be months old when it got there. If you own a four wheel drive you can drive it right onto the beach at this point as well. 


It was pretty funny really, there are a lot of what is known as "Toorak Tractors" about. These are fully optioned four wheel drives, say a $120,000.00 Toyota Landcruiser, that have never blessed a dirt road with their presence. Here you can drive them onto the beach safe in the knowledge that you wont get any mud on them or get them dirty in any way. I'm all for being proud of your car and by all means if you need the capabilities of a four wheel drive then have one. However the number of people poncing around in them but never using them for their intended purpose while being incredibly precious about the whole thing gives me no end of amusement and pleasure.


The locals have a sport they play every time the tide goes out. You can drive your car and boat right on to the beach and launch your boat from there. Pretty cool I know, what you have to remember  is that tides go out and come in. Needless to say I am reliably informed that many a person comes back from their day on the water looking for their car. What they probably need at that moment is some scuba gear as they are more than likely parked right over it. Two cars a week on average are taken by the tide during the dry season. I would love to see how they explain that to the insurance company. You can't buy that sort of entertainment. 

There is another breed of traveller that I have constantly encountered that also brings a smile to my face. Often they will have a tricked up four wheel drive (as outlined above) but they will also be towing a humongous caravan. These things will have 50" flat screen TV's, hot and cold running Geisha girls and any other optional extra that your heart could desire. They often have trouble getting them into caravan parks as there's only a limited number of sites that can take them. It is important if you own one of these that you have a better one than the person next to you and to hear them compare notes on their caravan's merits is like watching two errant school boys see who can piss the furthest up a wall. 

But my favourite breed of traveller is the one who needs to bring their dog or dogs along for the ride. Most caravan parks and roadhouses won't let you bring your dog. You can't take them into national parks (even if you keep them inside the caravan) and they are not welcome at most other places of interest as well. I've met a number of couples who have travelled from Victoria and South Australia, they have camped at 24 road side camp sites along the way because it's the only option available. In many cases they won't even get out of their car because they are too afraid to unhitch the caravan and go off driving to see the sights. One couple in particular that I spoke to had missed out on going to Kangaroo Island, Coffin Bay, whale watching at the Great Australian Bite, the Walpole tree top walk, Kalbarri National Park, Cape Range National Park and even the Pinnacles all because they weren't allowed to bring their dog. I'm not sure who is the pet and who is the master. Oh well to each their own. 


To round out my Broome experience I checked out a pearl farm. Pearls are what Broome is founded on. Originally it was the mother of pearl, obtained from the shells, that was used to make buttons. You see mother of pearl most commonly now as decoration on musical instruments such as drums and guitars. After the advent of plastics mother of pearl became uneconomical and so pearls became the next thing of value to be harvested. About one in one thousand oysters will naturally create a pearl, a very clever man realised you could stimulate a pearl by inserting an irritant inside the shell that would lead to the creation of a pearl. The success rate of this is about 85% and a good oyster will produce 4 pearls in its lifetime. The success rate diminishes with each harvest. 

The tour took in Willie Creek, which has its own crocodile population, and their "naughty oyster" farm. You could also see parts of the Willie Creek Detention Centre where Indonesian fisherman caught harvesting in our waters get held and their boats destroyed if they are found guilty. Inevitably the tour ended in the gift shop where for those not quite as fiscally challenged as myself could purchase a string of pearls for around $ 40,000.00 if the mood struck them.


I'm doing joy flight over the Kimberley's tomorrow and going on a jet boat. So its another action packed day for the Magical Whisky Tour. Its a bloody early start and who knows by the time you read this I could have won Oz Lotto and be looking for my retirement housing. If I don't post again you'll know what happened.