Broome

13 September 2006

Well i am here for two reasons:

a) to do a travel journal of a place i want to visit and as well as find out something about the place and the other

b) to have a good time and have a break from uni!!! lol we'll just see bout that.

My first task to look for some information in the newspapers on the camel tours of Cable Beach as they are currently under review of operations and licensing. My project to find out the effects this will have on the community and tourists who visit this popular northwestern town.

Our first day was spent finding information out about the camels from the local community and visitors. Found out quite a bit and one person said we should visit the Broome Advertiser so we did. Was amazed to find a lot of articles and letters to the editor which would help me in doing my assignment.

Anyway...enough about my assignment. Broome is beautiful...it is nice and warm too. Not to hot and not too cold and it isn't terribly busy as it nears the end of the tourism season.

Broome is known as the 'Gateway to the Kimberley', and is home to the iconic Cable Beach, camel tours, the marine shell known as 'Mother of Pearl' or Pinctata maxima, the unique hovercraft experience of Roebuck Bay as well as the illusional event on the calendar every month known as the 'Stairway to the moon'. Unfortunately this time i will have missed it as it occurred 5 days prior...maybe the reason why i couldn't get up here earlier on.

14 September 2006

Today we spent taking in the highlights of Broome with Scott our Tour Guide. Was fantastic and i thoroughly recommend doing it!!!! Our first stop was Cable Beach. It is said that Cable Beach extends nearly 30km, and one of our most beautiful beaches. There are lots of activities to do on this beach making it one of the busiest areas of the town precinct. Although if you're planning to swim be sure to watch out for red jellies (jellyfish). they hurt and some are quite big.

Other highlights of our tour included Gantheaume Point to see the dinosaur footprints of Broome, Anastasia's Pool, the Japanese Cemetery, Roebuck Bay to see the Bingle Bingles, (a smaller scaled version of the Bungle Bungles you might say hehe) and the Pearl Luggers. When we arrived at the Japanese Cemetery though it was sad to think kids had destroyed nearly a quarter of the headstones - now under repair. The Bingle Bingles are said to resemble a smaller version of our Bungle Bungles - they quite cute and they sit in one of the most beautiful areas of Roebuck Bay. This is where you can do the hovercraft tours.

We spent afternoon tea at Matso's Brewery. Their ginger beer is a must taste - absolutely delicious and....its alcoholic! Lunches here are really nice too!

After our tour of the town it was time to head to Cable Beach for the ride of a lifetime - on a camel. Can't say i've ever been on camel back before so this should be interesting considering the closest i've got to their height is on a 18 hand horse. (Apparently does not compare)! Ah well!!!

The camel tour was brilliant and a must do in Broome too especially at sunset..it was just fantastic. Although mum and i were put of the lead camel, Ashwan...it felt like he was tripping over his feet at times lol but he was gorgeous.

Be sure to have a full  roll of film or full batteries for that matter though as you're bound to take a heap of photos....as i ran out of not only film but batteries too for both my cameras and i hadn't even captured the sunset. =( At least i had my mobile phone with me - luckily, as it has a camera on it.

After our ride we headed into Chinatown to watch the Pigram Brothers. Coming from a family of twelve kids, these musically talented brothers share their music and lives with the many people who come to see them every Thursday night at the Pearl Luggers. They have outstanding talent in music generating their own unique blend of musical talent and singing - great way to spend the night. Well worth seeing!

15 September 2006

Today we took time out for the morning while i gathered my thoughts for both my assignments. We thought we better do the tour of Willie Creek Pearl Farm as everyone kept telling us to do it. I must say this little piece of paradise is well worth a visit too...as you learn all about the culturing of Pearls and what makes them so beautiful and valuable...may even see a crocodile. Chantelle our host for the afternoon was very entertaining and informative showing us all the different pearls they have here in Broome.

16 September 2006

Its our last day here in Broome and i am getting so run down having to record absolutely everything i do in Broom in a journal for an assignmernt in adition to interviewing people..certainly does'nt make the ideal getaway...but thats what you do for uni studies haha.

Today mum decided that i needed something fun to do so we headed off to the markets. Some nice things there but nothing that tickled our fancies. I had seen earlier on the tours run off Roebuck Bay in the hovercrafts...which seemed like fun so we went to inquire about it. We were so lucky as it was the last tour they would be running for the day due to the tides. Once in the hovercraft it felt so weird..cruising over the water without a bump of the waves. It was awesome and Corey our driver was fantastic teaching us all about the craft and Roebuck Bay.

Was FANTASTIC!!!! and definitely made the highlight of this trip. Be sure to do this tour as you're bound to have a lot of fun and even see some more dinosaur footprints in addition to seeing some of the wildlife.

Well bye for now hope you enjoy...Broome!!!