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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Broome
Rubibi
Go for 3 nights in the dry season (May–Oct): Cable Beach, a pearl-farm tour and the dinosaur coast. Skip Dec–Apr unless you want heat and rain.
Broome is a small pearling town on the Kimberley coast, 2,200 km north of Perth and closer to Bali than to any Australian city. It is a beach-and-history stop rather than a city: Cable Beach, the Japanese Cemetery, the flying-boat wrecks and a working pearl farm. Three nights covers it; a fourth buys a day trip or a slow beach day.
- Country
- Australia
- Local name
- Rubibi
- Best months
- May–Oct (dry season, almost no rain, about 25 °C)May–Oct (dry season, almost no rain, about 77 °F)
- Avoid
- Dec–Apr (wet season: cyclones, humidity, many businesses closed)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$120–180 excl. bed · Mid A$180–300 excl. bed · High A$300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From a mobile 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$5–7 |
| Counter meal or pub main | A$25–40 |
| Fish and chips | A$20–30 |
| Beer: schooner at a pub / six-pack at the bottle shop | A$9–13 / A$20–28 |
| Taxi, town centre to Cable Beach | A$25–35 (check) |
| Fuel, unleaded per litre | A$1.90–2.20 (check) |
| Pearl Luggers guided tour | A$30 adult |
| Broome Historical Museum entry | A$12 adult, under 16 free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BME · Broome International Airport
- Qantas 2–3 times daily and Virgin Australia once daily from Perth, about 2 h 30 min; Airnorth daily from Darwin via Kununurra, about 3 h 30 min. No international flights. The airport is 2 km from the centre.Qantas 2–3 times daily and Virgin Australia once daily from Perth, about 2 h 30 min; Airnorth daily from Darwin via Kununurra, about 3 h 30 min. No international flights. The airport is 1.2 mi from the centre.
Typical fares
- Airport → Cable Beach, taxi
- about A$35–45, 10–15 min (check)
- Broome Explorer Bus, day pass
- about A$15 (check)
- Perth → Broome, Qantas or Virgin
- about 2 h 30 min; fares vary widely
Get around
Broome is spread out: town centre to Cable Beach is 7 km. The Broome Explorer Bus shuttles town, Chinatown, the airport turn and Cable Beach in about 20 min; in the dry season it runs daily roughly 7:30–18:30 every 30 min, with a shorter, hourly timetable from mid-October to April (check current times). Car hire is at the airport and in town; cycling is easy on the main roads but there is no shade.Broome is spread out: town centre to Cable Beach is 7 km. The Broome Explorer Bus shuttles town, Chinatown, the airport turn and Cable Beach in about 20 min; in the dry season it runs daily roughly 7:30 AM–6:30 PM every 30 min, with a shorter, hourly timetable from mid-October to April (check current times). Car hire is at the airport and in town; cycling is easy on the main roads but there is no shade.Broome is spread out: town centre to Cable Beach is 4.3 mi. The Broome Explorer Bus shuttles town, Chinatown, the airport turn and Cable Beach in about 20 min; in the dry season it runs daily roughly 7:30–18:30 every 30 min, with a shorter, hourly timetable from mid-October to April (check current times). Car hire is at the airport and in town; cycling is easy on the main roads but there is no shade.Broome is spread out: town centre to Cable Beach is 4.3 mi. The Broome Explorer Bus shuttles town, Chinatown, the airport turn and Cable Beach in about 20 min; in the dry season it runs daily roughly 7:30 AM–6:30 PM every 30 min, with a shorter, hourly timetable from mid-October to April (check current times). Car hire is at the airport and in town; cycling is easy on the main roads but there is no shade.
See and do
Known for
- Cable Beach and its sunset camel rides
- South Sea pearls and the pearling history
- Staircase to the Moon
- Japanese Cemetery and the 1942 air raids
- Dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Willie Creek Pearl Farm | Self-drive 38 km north on unsealed Waterbank Road (4WD), or the operator's bus excursion from BroomeSelf-drive 24 mi north on unsealed Waterbank Road (4WD), or the operator's bus excursion from Broome | About 4–5 h with the tour |
| Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park | Drive 16 km east on Broome Road, or taxiDrive 9.9 mi east on Broome Road, or taxi | About 3 h |
| Broome Bird Observatory | Crab Creek Road, unsealed; 2WD with care in the dry | About 2–3 h |
| Derby and the Buccaneer Archipelago | Aviair from Broome, about 1 h; or drive 220 kmAviair from Broome, about 1 h; or drive 137 mi | Half a day by air |
Sleep
- Cable Beach
- Resorts and caravan parks facing the sand; 7 km from town, so you need the bus or a car.Resorts and caravan parks facing the sand; 4.3 mi from town, so you need the bus or a car.
- Chinatown / town centre
- Walk to Sun Pictures, the markets, the museum and the Visitor Centre; no beach at the door.
- Town Beach
- East-facing beach and the best Staircase to the Moon viewing; quieter than Cable Beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
| Is it safe to swim here? | Is it safe to swim here? |
| Two beers, please | Two beers, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Wet season (Dec–Apr) brings cyclones, extreme humidity and closures; many tours and restaurants shut.
- Swim only in the marked dry-season months; box jellyfish and crocodiles are a risk in the warmer months and at creek mouths.
- The real dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point are only exposed at the lowest tides; the signposted ones are concrete replicas.
- Crab Creek Road and the Willie Creek access road are unsealed: 2WD only with care in the dry, 4WD otherwise. Do not trust GPS shortcuts.
- Distances are large: Perth is 2,050–2,360 km by road and the nearest sizeable town is Derby, 220 km away.
Broome is relaxed and safe by day; the real risks are heat, long unsealed roads and swimming outside the dry season. Drink more water than you think you need.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Broome yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cable Beach and its sunset camel rides
- South Sea pearls and the pearling history
- Staircase to the Moon
- Japanese Cemetery and the 1942 air raids
- Dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Broome Visitor Centre: www.visitbroome.com.au/
- Broome International Airport: www.broomeair.com.au
- Wikivoyage: Broome, revision 5327533 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5327533
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
BroomeRubibi
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Broome; consulates-general are in Perth (check the address).
English is the working language; Yawuru is the local Aboriginal language.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/broome). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.