Sweating in Broome

I met this frog one evening in Broome. 

Frangipani trees are common.

One of my strongest memories of Broome will be the heat and humidity. Even the bus schedule varies with the wet (mid October to April) and dry (May to mid October) seasons, with greater service in the dry, the main tourist season. 

One of Broome's boab trees, this one planted in 1897.

During my visit in April it didn’t take long after a shower to be damp with sweat again. As darkness fell, the humidity tended to rise noticeably. Walking was guaranteed to soak a person's clothing.

Town Beach. 

Since the buses do not run until nearly 11 a.m. on Sunday I walked to Town Beach that day. At Fong’s General Store I got a frozen juice bar. My face must have been red as one of the staff asked if I needed a chair to sit down. Another day a woman said hello and asked where I was going and if I had a car. Maybe she too was wondering if I should be wandering around in the heat.

Broome Shire Offices.

Broome is an isolated town 2200 km north of the Western Australian capital of Perth. The resident population of the town is 15,857 according to the web site of the Broome Shire. During the peak season the population triples.

Broome's main attraction for me was its unique culture and history. From its founding in 1883 Broome has been multicultural, not always harmoniously.

Pinctada maxima on cushion & smaller shells on top.

Aboriginal woman diver.

Australia's largest mother of pearl shell, the Pinctada maxima,is found in the Broome area. Broome was built on shelling, the harvesting of pearl shells to make buttons. This industry, starting in the 1860s, was reliant on the forced labour of local Aboriginal people, mainly women and children, and indentured Asian workers. 

Acknowledgment of the exploitation and abuse of Aboriginal people by the pearling industry.

Dive boots & helmet.

By the late 1800s divers who held their breath were replaced by hard hat divers and the Japanese came to dominate that dangerous occupation. Broome's Japanese cemetery is the final resting place of over 900 divers.

One of two restored pearl luggers.

Japanese cemetery.

In the 20th century two world wars and the advent of plastics led to the collapse of the shelling industry which was eventually replaced with a cultured pearl industry. In WWII Broome suffered 4 Japanese air raids and during the war the resident Japanese were interned. At that time “Japtown” became “Chinatown”.

Asian look bus stop.

The history of Broome can be explored in the local Historical Society Museum, the Sisters of St. John of God Heritage Centre and Relationships Exhibition, a pearling lugger tour, the Japanese, Chinese and Pioneer cemeteries, and the streets of Chinatown. 

One of Chinatown's original buildings from the 1890s.

Ready for the show.

A traditional Broome experience I took in was attending an open air movie in the 1916 Sun Picture Gardens where old projection equipment is on display.

Old projection equipment.

Camel rides for tourists.

Broome has two beaches, Town and Cable, and the bus service runs between them. At Cable Beach several companies offer camel rides for tourists and one section of the beach is clothing optional. The town is also a centre for adventure tours of the region.

Walking to the airport.

On my last day in Broome a 10 minute walk from my accommodation brought me to Broome International Airport. After a quick change of clothes I was ready for departure. As the plane took off over Cable Beach I said farewell to Broome, a place I am glad I visited. 

Broome International open air departure lounge.

Travelling in the company of young adventurers

Climbing down to rock pool in Karijini National Park.

“All right travellers, how are you?” This was the standard greeting of the energetic tour guide, driver, cook and general trouble shooter, who brought to my mind Johnny Depp’s character Captain Jack Sparrow.

4x4 tour bus.

I wanted to visit Broome, a Western Australian town with a unique history. How would I cover the distance of more than 2200 kilometers from the state capital of Perth? Should I fly in and out? Take a bus? I wasn't about to drive on my own. The best option seemed to be a tour which would allow me to see some of the sights along the way and even some off the main road. 

Watching all the 20 somethings board the bus the last Monday of March I wondered what I had gotten myself into. There were a few people apparently in their 30s and early 40s but I was by far the oldest group member. We were 6 men and 15 women of varied occupations from England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Canada. 

Up close with the dolphins at Monkey Mia. 

Over the next 10 days we chatted about our homes, families, travels and career paths. We commiserated about the heat, flies, long periods of sitting on the bus and some of the toilets we encountered. On the bus we listened to music or watched videos about Australian culture and history and some of the areas we were visiting. Some of us read and most of us dozed off occasionally.

A fly veil was a necessity  for much of the trip - here in  Kalbarri National Park.

Ashburton River in flood due to recent heavy rains.

This was a shed before a recent cyclone. 

We visited several distinctive ecosystems that are World Heritage sites. Activities included hiking (usually down into gorges and back up) and swimming in the sea and in fresh water rock pools. Some people went snorkelling which I have done before and did not try this time. There was an extra day trip to swim with whale sharks that several of us, me included, decided it did not fit the budget.

The Pinnacles in Nambung National Park.

Termite mound.

We camped 4 nights and stayed in hostels and 

cabins. We worked in teams to prepare meals and clean up. After sunset, Orion, the Southern Cross and other constellations filled the sky. Over Easter weekend the moon was full.

We saw this cute lizard on a gorge walk.  

Keeping our water bottles full was vital.

Our second campsite was in Karijini National Park, home to several species of poisonous snakes, where our guide patrolled the camp ground before he let us off the bus. Despite the shrieking from the toilet one night, the small snake curled up there was a non-poisonous variety and the only one we spotted.  

Preparing lunch.

Campers sleeping outdoors in swags on camp cots. 

My green tent is to right. 

I suppose if I had looked harder I might have found a seniors’ tour – with more comfort at greater expense but not likely so enjoyable.

We reached Broome & Cable Beach by sunset April 8th.