Travelbeat Editorial Review BROOME IN THE WET Northwest Western Australia Story and Photos by Kerry Hennigan According to the locals, Broome was experiencing a 'dry' Wet season this summer. Still, there were the occasional thunderstorms to wash the dust off the corrugated iron roofs and broad leaves of the town's many frangipani trees. The constantly flowering frangipanis in Broome are indigenous to the region, and won't seem to grow anywhere else. It's typical of a lot of things about the Kimberley in general - a very unique part of the Australian continent - and Broome in particular. A legacy of the pearl shell industry since the late 19th century, Broome has gone from boomtown to bust more than once. Cyclones have crushed entire fleets of timber pearl luggers and devastated the ramshackle town. Disease and over-fishing has wiped out the beds of giant Pinctada maxima pearl oysters, and the plastics industry finished off what nature didn't - replacing the need for pearl shell for such common items as buttons. War has also had a dramatic impact on the town, with the dispersal or destruction of the luggers to avoid the risk of enemy capture, and the bombing of Broome on March 3, 1942. On the latter occasion Dornier flying boats full of refugees from the Dutch East Indies were sunk in Roebuck Bay. The remnants of these planes can still be seen when the tides are at their lowest, and in a number of places about the town. The cultured pearl industry gave Broome a new lease on life, and today some of the largest producers of South Sea Pearls have show rooms in Broome. It is an eye-opening experience to browse the display cases of these pearl galleries, many of which are located on Dampier Terrace, beside the creek of the same name where the old lugger fleets used to be moored. The quality of the pearls, and the wondrous designs of the jewelry into which they are set, are amongst the best in the world. And for those of us with more modest tastes, costume jewelry utilizing fresh water pearls and pearl shell is an economic option and a good souvenir of a holiday in Australia's remote North West. Broome is also becoming a popular place to enjoy good food and Western Australian wine. There are plenty of both available at the restaurants around town, including the Broome Brewery housed in historic Matso's Store restaurant, opposite the mangroves fringing Roebuck Bay. In addition to its own brews, Matso's is a great place for some beer battered barramundi, or perhaps a mouth-watering curry served under the stars in the restaurant's garden courtyard. Just up the road from Matso's is the Mangrove Hotel (at right), which has the best views on the town side of the Broome peninsula, the Tides Restaurant facing the bay, and a boardwalk overlooking the mangroves and Buccaneer Rock (supposed location of William Dampier's buried treasure chest!). On the other side of the peninsula, at the end of Cable Beach Road, sits Lord McAlpine's magnificent creation, the Cable Beach Club (right). Having recently been refurbished, The Club, as it is called by the locals, is still the number one accommodation option in Broome. The rooms and suites here have decks and balconies overlooking the lush gardens (or Cable Beach, if you can afford the best views). There are also 'traditional Broome style' family bungalows surrounded by lawns, water features, tennis courts, a sports and leisure centre, and the Buddha Sanctuary (for meditation, yoga, or just blissful relaxation). There are also two swimming pools, convention facilities, three restaurants (some seasonal) and the strategically sited Sunset Bar. It's a favourite place for guests to end the day. Another accommodation option, a little further from the beach but still within a short walk, is the quiet and atmospheric Bali Hai Resort (pictured right). Guests here are housed in Asian styled villas of various sizes, all with their own shaded courtyards, and clustered around the resort's large, shade-covered pool or tropical garden. There's also the on-site Frangipani Spa located in the open-air lobby adding to the attractions of this popular establishment. The advantages of travelling in the Wet, or off-season, are lower accommodation tariffs and fewer tourists. Some services may have reduced hours or not be operating at all, but those that are will be much less crowded between November and March. Best of all the locals have plenty of time to chat to customers from near and far, so that, in Broome during the Wet season, one quickly feels at home where ever one goes. Yes it's hot and humid, and occasionally it's wet. But the sight of the green-fringed red cliffs edging Roebuck Bay, the reflections of Broome's unique tropical architecture in pools of rain water, and the relief when the rain does come - they're all worth making an off-season trip to this fabled "port of pearls." For information on Broome's many attractions, visit www.broomevisitorcentre.com.au While in Broome, Travelscene International stayed at the Cable Beach Club Resort www.cablebeachclub.com Recommended reading: · Western Australia (4th Edition) Lonely Planet · Port of Pearls: Broome's First 100 Years by Hugh Edwards (1984). · Broome "Saltwater Cowboys" The People & The Place by Trish Ainslie & Roger Garwood, Nomad Books Back to Archive Index