Broome and Cable Beach for two weeks?

I read your article on Broome and Cable Beach with much interest. I live in North Carolina, in the U.S. and literally stumbled on the Broome web cam and became very interested in Broome, specifically Cable Beach.

I have put that in my bucket list before I leave this earth, after reading your article I am backing off a little.

Would it be worth my time and expense for two weeks in Broome? I am more interested in the beach resort than nature excursions. I would like your opinion if I should make the investment.

I have travelled to more than fifty countries, many Islands in the Caribbean, also Hawaii,never been to Australia, your opinion would be appreciated.

(Read your story, very interesting, I applaud you for pursuing your dream.)

Thanks in advance,
Ron

Comments for
Broome and Cable Beach for two weeks?

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Broome and Cable Beach
by: Birgit

Hi Ron,

Many people absolutely love Broome, Cable Beach and kicking back at one of the beach resorts.

(There are several new resorts and more being built, on top of the Cable Beach Club.)

Having said that, those people are mostly Aussies who fly up here for short break, or tourists who relax after some time spent exploring the wilderness.

It's not what overseas tourists would do on their one and only visit to Australia...

If people stay in Broome for longer, they usually include more activities and excursions. I suggest you look at Cape Leveque and Kooljaman Resort.

There are also island and coastal cruises of several days... Those are truly awesome. The boat would be your resort and the beaches you'll see are unparalleled.

So I think there are options that would make a two week visit to the area VERY worthwhile, even if you don't want to go inland and want to ONLY laze on the beach and enjoy the comforts of a resort.

However, I don't know what exactly you would be expecting or hoping for out of that holiday. And considering that this may be your one and only visit to Australia...
A place like the Whitsundays area on the east coast might be more to your liking... I really don't know.

Cable Beach, Broome, Kimberley
by: Mike

Hi Birgit
I agree with you - a few days in Broome is enough to enjoy the beach but try the coastal cruises. We have been on both legs of Pearl Sea Cruises (www.kimberleyquest.com.au) in its boat Kimberley Quest 2 and thought it marvellous.

Ron can view some of our pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/mgaven2323/Kimberley2008# .

For Ron, we would suggest your two weeks include a couple of days in Broome to relax, then a week on either leg of KQ2's itinerary, then 3-4 days back in Broome to explore locally, including the beach.

Next year we will use Broome as a base to visit places up to Cape Leveque and then fly to Exmouth for a week at Ningaloo Reef.

Broome and Cable Beach
by: Lissajous

Yeah, Birgit got it pretty right. If this is your one and only visit to Australia I'd reckon spending the whole time on Cable Beach is as silly as those who visit Sydney and think they've seen Australia. It's a bloody big place.

IMHO, cities are cities - the world is infested with them. People, culture and geography are worth visiting. And on all these counts, Australia is diverse.

If I were putting together an itinerary I'd suggest the Barrier Reef (unique), Tasmania (different), Uluru/Olgas/MacDonnell Ranges and Kimberley. Sure, spend some time on Cable Beach. But take a full day flight to the Horizontal Waterfalls and see Cape Leveque from the air.

And try to do some remote ground travel to get the flavour. Don't rush it. We all do. Problem is knowing when to stop and how long to allow. I personally hate to pre-book accommodation as it's so restrictive. But unless you're self contained you may come up short in tourist season. If funds allow, maybe check out Wicked Campers for an affordable hire vehicle that provides basic accommodation if/when nothing better is available!

No, I'm not associated with Wicked - just enjoy their graffitti covered vans and the diverse characters that drive them!

Lissajous

Broome and cable beach for 2 weeks
by: Bigfoot

My wife and I went with another couple who were quite green as far as caravaning went, in fact very nervous. We came across the Plenty up the Tanami to Broome.

Well after 5, yes five, weeks in the Cable Beach C/P I had had enough of the place to last a lifetime. The next port of call was Derby prior to the Gibb. Then they say they don't want to go on the Gibb because of the rough road rrrrr##rrr
They went to Kununurra in the black top, we went via the Gibb. Marvelous.

We have our house on the market now as we intend to go for the next few years giving Broome a big miss next time get to the roadhouse and turn left or right depending which direction we go.
Safe travelling, Bigfoot

Cable Beach and Broome
by: Chris

OK, let me see. I lived there for a few years and met my wife there. But spend a week there... mmm, you have a foot prints on the west end (if nobody has cut them out and stolen them yet) and you can 4x4 on the other end. There is camel rides, fishing and swimming, but just the beach alone is not worth a week. A trip to crab creek is nice for a picnic and fresh oysters off the rocks.

The town is one big tourist trap now, such a damn shame, it used to be a really nice town. This is my thinking of it. However, if you have never been there before then you will be blown away buy the beauty of the place. It is one of a kind.

Boring Broome
by: Anonymous

Cable beach is nice but it is boring, there are a lot of people and cars, and Broome is a tourist trap. The Kimberlies are awesome, but I wouldn't put Broome on my bucket list, and two weeks there will drive you insane, try down south around Hamelin bay and Margaret River, beautiful beaches, less tourists, better resorts and wine country!

Solange

Beautiful Broome
by: Peter

My wife and I have lived on the beach on the east coast of Australia for 25 years, an the south coast of NSW. On a trip to the Kimberley region this year we went to Broome with the intention of leaving very quickly because we had "heard" lots of stories about the commercialisation of the town and we have seen lots of beach. Our couple of days ended up being over 2 weeks and we totally loved the whole area. Personally I wouldn't spend 2 weeks at Cable but if you are a resort person then why not. We are caravaners.
Our neighbour in Batemans Bay (on the beach) goes to Bali every year to sit on the beach. I reckon Cable would be a much nicer beach to sit on!

Broome.
by: Kelvin.

My wife and I reckon Broome is fabulous and we could spend weeks there. It is certainly not boring and we have always found tons to do, which have been suggested by others, like Cape leveque, Island and coastal cruises etc. However if it is your one and only trip to Australia, then I would not spend it all in Broome but also take in Darwin and surrounds, like kakadu and Litchfield. But then again, I would want to see Alice Springs and the Macdonnell Ranges, Kings Canyon and Ayers Rock as well as the rest of Western Australia; Cairns, Atherton Tablelands, The Great barrier Reef, the rest of Queensland including the Town of Seventeen Seventy, the whole NSW coast, all of Tasmania and finish off with a trip through the Great Ocean Road. So by my calculation you need to spend about 2 years in Australia to gain a fair appreciation of what it is all about.
But enjoy your 2 weeks, you will love it.

love Broome
by: Bev

I loved Broome and think that if you wanted to spend 2 weeks on a beach, you would be hard pressed to find a better beach to play on! (Apart from 80 Mile Beach.) Sure beats Gold Coast and Surfers!!!

Cable Beach
by: Philby & Lynne

Ron,

Awesome that you're contemplating visiting Broome, and as other well rounded fellow travellers have eluded to, it really depends what you want. Lazing on the beach for a week is amazing between June-Sept, it takes a few days to chill out when you arrive but Broome is such a no fuss, quiet little place, you won't have any trouble getting into the groove where time means nothing, and your days are determined by sunrise & sunset with tummy rumbles suggesting it must be meal time.

We stayed at a number of resorts but had our most relaxed stay at the Palm Grove Tourist Park in a cabin. It was stunning, a general store 30 metres from the front entrance and the brilliant Divers Tavern across the road. It's a slow 10min walk to Cable Beach surf club. If you want to experience pristine surrounds, Kooljaman @ Cape Leveque is simply stunning. Your experience here would keep you chugging along in happiness for eternity, regardless of what accommodation type you choose. You can travel up and back with Neil from Kujurta Bura, the local Aboriginal tour company, if you haven't got your own wheels. A must if you're visiting the top North West of Australia. You'll have a grouse time, and visit the Broome races!!

Thanks for the insight
by: Ron

I am overwhelmed at the different responses and the other options available in Western Australia. I was surfing the net and stumbled on the Cable Beach web cam and was astonished at its beauty thus my interest in Western Australia and Cable Beach.

I am in my early fifties and the adventurous pioneer spirit of my youth is not nearly as active as it once was. My interest in vacations include visiting new places, scenic beauty, relaxation, slow pace, rest, meeting new people, and some adventure. The eye catcher for me was viewing the Cable Beach web cam and seeing the wide sandy beach, aqua blue water, and a sunset to live for.

In my initial letter I mentioned that I have traveled to over fifty countries and enjoy meeting the local people. Are the people in Cable Beach,the Broome area, and Western Australia hospitable and friendly and are they open to Americans and other international guests? I do want to have some cultural experiences.

I do thank you for valuable information that will help me make a more informed decision for the future.

Thank you "B" for the platform you have given on you Web site.

Wish for all of you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.

Ron

Are people in Broome friendly?
by: Birgit

Hi again Ron,

Sorry about the late reply, didn't see your follow up question.

Well, we constantly pick on Queenslanders, Victorians, Tasmanians and Kiwis (New Zealanders), but not on people from the US, mainly because we never see any here :-).

Ok, seriously...

Are we friendly? How open and friendly people are towards you depends on your attitude and behaviour, on how you approach them, and not on your country of origin.

How much time people will have available depends on the time of the year that you visit.

During peak tourist season Broome sees a lot more visitors than the town can cope with and that is hard on everyone who lives there.

If your main aim is to meet and mix with locals, I strongly recommend you go in the shoulder or even better during the off season. But be aware of what that means regarding, heat, humidity and swimming in the ocean.

(I think you would have read most of those pages.)

2 weeks? Then park next to Matso's
by: nailer

and Hit a Toad. Otherwise, rent a campervan and do THE trip of your life from Broome to Cairns. It may need few more weeks, but you won't regret.

Cable beach
by: Dawn

In answer to the question... Cable Beach is worth visiting for a short period, but anything more than 3 days is dull time. The best bet (from another American) is to actually spend a few days at Cable Beach, do the camel ride, Pearl Lugger and Willie Creek tours (very interesting) and then combine with a trip through the various gorges. Additional warning for Americans... early mornings there are lots of nudists on the beach, all in the upper age group (55+++) Not a place to bring kids in the early morning...

Is Broome friendly?
by: Dawn

Ron,

I am from the US and have been living in Oz for over two years and taking advantage of the traveling... Aussies are very friendly, and Broome and the Kimberly area was no different. I spent nine days in very hot weather and found everyone to be very friendly from Broome to Kununnara and Lake Argyle.

Park rangers are very knowledgable, and the Aussies I have found have been more than willing to help in any situation (stuck door, providing additional water), heck even the roadwork crews are freindly.

Traveling to and in Australia, is a positive experience when you bring a big smile and healthy does of adventure.

I have to add that 'must see places' are Port Douglas and the outer reefs on the GBR, Tasmaina for is raw and wild beauty (Hobart area offers access to Port Arthur and Bruny Island both amazing) and a chance to see the endangered Tassi devils.

Another is the Outback Uluru, Olgas and Kings Canyon, for a true Red Center Experience. Also worthwhile was Perth... I could go on and on, and would happy to provide you some good tour company names that were excellent.

I've managed to travel extensively in Australia and would recommend it over any other destination to any American.

Big hearts and a killer sense of humor!
I hope you enjoy!

Gibb River Road drive
by: Erik

I've just come back from my first experience of the Gibb River Road and my advice would be that while it's an awesome achievement to have under your belt, do it only if you have something to prove to yourself and allow yourself at least 3-4 days to traverse the whole 660kms of it. Otherwise do what I did and head to Windjana Gorge and then cut through to Tunnel Creek and Fitzroy Crossing.

At the other end I traveled from Kununurra to El Questro and all up did about 200kms of the road. I felt I had enough of the experience.

There are no words however to describe the majesty of the Kimberleys though and I will definitely go back. And while Cape Leveque and Kooljaman are the tourist spots, I discovered Middle Lagoon (south of Kooljaman) and found my own piece of paradise.

never been but...
by: Anonymous

I am currently in oz on a working holiday visa from Canada and if your looking for a beach resort vacation then you should check out coral bay, ningaloo reef resort. For the whole time I've been here 10 days there hasn't been a cloud in the sky, the water in beautiful in colour and temp., the beaches go on for miles literally, sunsets and sunrises are very tropical and there are a lot of tours to do if you don't want to lay on the beach all day. With that said you should think about what time you come here I've been here for the tail end of august but the great weather isn't supposed to let up for a while. Have fun whatever you pick to do but don't quickly overlook this place it's literally paradise.

Beauty of the Indian Ocean!
by: Marcel Finnigan

Hi Ron,

One of my favourite memories of my travels was the west coast of Australia. I camped out on 80 mile beach and spent time in Broome and camped in the area. I just fell in love with the beauty of the Indian Ocean and the surrounding landscapes of this region. They have a wonderful tree called the Boab tree and the flagged trees created by the continuous winds off the Indian Ocean to me its amazing also the wonderful sand dunes at 80 mile beach! The Indian Ocean here is truly one of the great kept secrets of Australia as the majority of visitors go to the east coast not the west coast! Go and enjoy I would love to return!

Have a Great Holiday and enjoy the beautiful sunsets!

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