Local Information | Broome | Underwater Australasia

Broome

Broome simply oozes with colour. It's Western Australia's secret getaway - right on the Indian Ocean's doorstep and the gateway to Australia's last frontier of pristine wilderness - the Kimberley. From its rough and tumble, romantic pearling history to the cosmopolitan character of Chinatown, to the turquoise waters, red sandstone cliffs and the endless expanse of white sand at Cable Beach....the colours and moods of Broome will capture your soul. You'll never want to leave.

Broome owes its existence to the 'Pinctada Maxima' - the world's largest pearl oyster shell - discovered in Roebuck Bay in 1861. The giant pinctada shells caused a sensation overseas and soon a melting pot of nationalities flocked to the shores of Broome in the hope of making their fortune. Japanese, Malays and Koepangers joined the Aboriginal pearl divers, whilst the Chinese became the shopkeepers in town.

Today, remnants of Broome's exotic past are everywhere. The town's multicultural society ensures a wonderful array of gourmet tastes, colourful characters and cultural influences. Pearling still remains a thriving industry and the world famous South Sea pearls feature in Chinatown's string of pearl galleries. Broome's climate is also something to boast about with warm sunny days, balmy nights and spectacular storms during the tropical summer season. Not to mention the unforgettable spectacle of sunset on Cable Beach!

In the Directory

Underwater Recommendations

The Amazing Rowley Shoals Marine Park -
The coral atolls of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park, some 300 kilometres offshore from Broome, offer some of the world's best diving. Their isolation has kept them pristine. The Shoals are famed for their almost untouched coral gardens, giant clams and other shellfish, and large and plentiful reef fish. The three pear-shaped atolls have shallow lagoons inhabited by corals and abundant marine life, including many species not yet recorded by scientists. Giant potato cod and maori wrasse follow divers around, while colourful reef fish show little fear, and trevally, mackerel and tuna hover in schools. The Shoals rise with near-vertical sides from depths of 300 to 400 metres. The outside walls are alive with soft corals in every imaginable colour. At low tide the water becomes ponded within the reef walls, the water gushing over them like waterfalls.