Broome's Newest Tour Guide

Steve took off to Town Beach with kayak and fishing gear in tow. At low tide he saw all the old rotting and abandoned boats and old tools and equipment rusting in the low tide water. He caught 5 brim 2 catfish in 1 hour! He put them all back in. Was late back and in trouble as he has my bottle of champagne in the fridge.

Today, I was Jude's tour guide, taking her around the sights of Broome. First stop was Cable Beach, so named after Cable House (the previous life of the Broome Courthouse) and Australia's first cable connection from Java arrived at the now famous Cable Beach. The kit home/office of Cable House was shipped out from England in 1880's and on the way, stopped off in Singapore to pick up the teak interior fitout materials as well as labours to construct the building on its arrival, and also staff for the Cable Master's family. As there was no jetty, the entire iron kit home and all timber had to be dragged up the mudflats to the waiting horse and carts to take it to its position. The Cable House remained so till 1914, when it was relocated closer to Perth. In 1921 Cable House was reopened as a Courthouse and remains so today. Although the interior has been spoilt by horrid fluro lighting and inappropriate 1970's fitout, it remains a classic Broome icon with all teak lining boards, windows and French doors appearing to all be intact.

We then travelled to the Port to view the huge tidal jetty, then back to town via the Japanese Cemetery showing the sad demise of over 800 Japanese divers and assistants during the early pearling days.

Next on the itinerary was Town Beach where Jude admired the lovely crystal clear turquoise water before we headed into town to see Stretters Jetty. I believe about only one third of the jetty remains, and the tide was out, so it wasn't much to look out. But I do remember when I came up to Broome for work about 12 years ago and was staying with my friend Jane who was also working for ATSIC at the time. A cyclone passed quite close to Broome and on the high tide, I remember seeing people walking out on Streeters Jetty with the water over their calf muscles! That's not far from the street level! Interesting stuff! Click on the link to view the live webcam of Town Beach: http://www.broomewa.com/cam/townsite.htm

We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Egyptian Kebab shop and wandered round some of the finer pearling shops of town and the Pearl Luggers. Jude then organised a great tour leaving Thursday, up the Gibb River Road and right up to Kalumburu and back through the Bungle Bungles and a few more gorges on the way back to Broome.

We finished the evening off by taking in Sunset at Gantheaume Point. Another perfect end to a perfect day!