Matso's Broome Brewery

I stopped by Cable Beach to see the morning view. As in Cape Leveque, a low tide revealed rocks not visible during higher tide.


I high-tailed it back to Ganada to buy this piece of Aboriginal art I could not stop thinking about overnight. It's called "Five Sisters" and was painted by an Aboriginal artist named Mingi who is from Broome.

The morning tour included a drive by Roebuck Bay...

...and another stop by Town Beach in more daylight.

A visit to Broome could not be complete without a stop by their local brewery, Matso's located on Roebuck Bay.

I wasted no time. I got right to business sampling their most popular beers. I had a great time talking to the bartenders who were mainly travelling around Australia and on a short pit stop to make a few bucks. It worked in my favor as my sampler kept expanding without asking. I tried their famous ginger beer and man-go beer along with many others.

Featured on this sampler are: Smokey Bishop, Hit the Toad Lager, Pindon Ale, Monsoonal Blonde, Man-go Bier, Ginger Beer, and Staircase Cider. I snuck in a banana honey beer and a couple others as well.

I stopped by the Japanese Cemetery, which is a tribute to the contribution that the Japanese made to Broome and it’s pearling industry (first death is 1896). The majority of deaths commemorated in the cemetery resulted from the bends (divers paralysis) or drowning.

Then I stopped by Pearl Luggers in an attempt to appreciate the pearls Broome is famed for. I'm still not the biggest fan of pearls. I ran into Ursula and Gary from my first tour and shopped with them for a while before parting ways.

I relaxed at the hostel for a while, socializing with other travellers. I found I really enjoyed the mentality and personality of other backpackers and was glad to experience it, although later than most. It seems a lot of Europeans and Australians backpack for a year after college before working (they call it the gap year). Why is this not an American tradition?

This was the huge kitchen in the hostel for everyone's use to prepare their own food for meals.

Here's the bar and lounging area.

I of course had to watch the sunset again at Cable Beach on my final night in Broome.

Then I treated myself to a fancy dinner at Sunset Bar & Grill with a superb view and dining experience. A cute little Aboriginal boy gave me a flower to put in my hair as he was sitting down at his table.

Then back to the hostel for a night with the boys. Not quite as classy but possibly more fun. The Irish splif expert backs away from the Perth guy of varied talents.

Sun Pictures

I lounged around the backpackers in the morning where I met Dutch Matt, Swiss Adrian, and a Perth guy. After topping up the social tank, I headed to the bus stop to make my way into town where I rented a car to tool around Broome for a couple days. I checked out the main drag which is home to Sun Pictures, a really old school open air movie theater, and a landmark in Broome.


A shot of Sun Pictures in daylight so you can see the reclining fabric chairs lined up behind the big screen.

Hollywood in Broome?! Okay.

There was a bit of a museum of tape reels near the entrance to Sun Pictures.

Then I cruised the streets in search of any must have Australian souvenirs.

The main drag in Broome.

Ganada is the Aboriginal art store where I would return to do some damage the next day, but note it was contemplated rather than an impulse purchase. I did instantly purchase a stunning Nigel Gaunt Red Dirt Photography shot of Cape Leveque. I'd seen something similar at a friend's house in Melbourne and I knew I was coming home with that one.

I drove out to Gantheaume Point to see the local red cliffs.

A nice Swiss girl offered to take my picture at Gantheaume Point. Little did I know that she and her friend were staying at the same hostel, and we ended up eating dinner together that night. Small world.

There are actually dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point as well, somewhere near here but I couldn't distinguish them.

I then went to the Old Broome Lock Up which was converted into an art gallery with Aboriginal art and didjeridoos lining the hallway and cell areas. A large boab tree, very typical of this area, stood by the store sign.

Here's the authentic entrance to the old lock up.

I met Mark, an Aboriginal artist, working on his next masterpiece in the back courtyard.

Mark also did a few other pieces hanging in this hallway.

Here's the didjeridoo I fell in love with. Paul (above) plays didj in a band called Groovy Lips who played in SXSW last year in Austin. How unbelievable is that?! It totally sold me. After I had that connection, I had to buy it. He played my didj for me to demonstrate what it can sound like. Don't ask me to replicate. Aside from the fact that women are not supposed to play it (according to Aboriginal tradition, it will render you infertile), I am very bad. You have to be able to blow out continuously while simultaneously breathing in through your nose. Not a feat I have yet mastered.

I stopped by Town Beach before heading to Cable Beach to watch another sunset.

Despite direct orders from the rental company not to drive my 4WD on the beach, I elected to live on the edge a little, followed suit with other tourists, and did exactly that. I positioned myself to catch everyone riding off into the sunset on their camels.

I had dinner at the hostel with the people I'd met earlier that day (Perth guy, Swiss girl, Dutch Matt, Swiss Adrian, and other Swiss girl who took my picture at Gantheaume Point).

Then I headed back into town to see "The Boat That Rocked" at Sun Pictures. It was a very entertaining movie and a fun experience.

Buccaneer Archipelago

Here I am with my backpack - everything I need for three weeks in the outback, the epitome of travelling light! I borrowed it from Narelle, my greatest resource in Melbourne. We had a lazy morning and packed up camp.


We headed a little further up the coastline to One Arm Point community where we visited Barry at the community's aquaculture hatchery.

Barramundi fish at the hatchery.

I got to feed the giant turtles as well.

We saw pearl and trocus shell, mangrove jack, nemo clown fish, and all kinds of other ocean life. It felt a little like snorkeling fully clothed as we walked from basin to basin.

Next we witnessed the huge tidal flows of the Kimberley at Buccaneer Archipelago. The tidal flows are second biggest in the world, following Navascotia in Canada.

There were lots of islands set amongst the fast current and beautiful aqua water.

Ursula, Karin, Gary, and me at Buccaneer Archipelago.

We had lunch and a tour of an aboriginal community at Lombadina, home to 24 people all working within the community with a neighboring community of 200 with their own school between them.

Lombadina's church.

The inside of the community church was all hand-crafted.

Stray dogs joined us as we walked around the single track in the community.

The red dirt continued to impress me everywhere we went. I also liked the big open area in the center of the community.

This gas pump just looks classic, doesn't it?

We drove back to Broome that afternoon where I scored a 4-person room to myself! I happily jumped into the shower and did a bit of laundry to prepare for the next tour.