Long Coastline, HUGE Landmass, Low Population.

Our amazing unspoiled coastline, stunning natural attractions give us a fantastic array of AMAZING Australian coastal and beach holiday destinations!

So how do you choose one?

I’ve made it easy with my two-part virtual tour – so sit back, slip on your sunnies*, sip something soothing, and get set for a stunning scenic All-Around-Australia tour of 12 coastal destinations to inspire YOUR next holiday!  And look out for Part Two coming SOON!

For more information, click each heading below!

1.  Port Fairy, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Choosing a vacation base along the 400 km (~248 mile) long Great Ocean Road trail starting at the South Australian border and stretching nearly to Melbourne is WAY too hard.  It’s got (almost) too many surf beaches, shipwreck sites, holiday towns, hiking tracks, National Parks, cafés and historic points of interest.

But you have to start somewhere. So for a cross-section of what the Great Ocean Road has to offer, base yourself at Port Fairy.  It’s a 2-bakery teaser with historic Griffiths Island and lighthouse (photo above).  There’s also a Short-tailed Shearwater nesting spot, site of the Bonney Upwelling phenomenon, and a rich maritime heritage with magnificent coastal scenery.

Plus access to a LOT of other attractions at nearby towns Portland and Warrnambool!

2. Port Philip Bay, Victoria

Bird watchers like me just don’t understand why most visitors to Melbourne don’t want to visit the sewage ponds at the Western Treatment Plant – one of the best birding hotspots in OZ.

Weirdly, many non-birding visitors seem to prefer water sports, sailing, swimming, fishing, cruising and hiking.  Not to mention visiting the many National Parks, gardens, lighthouses, historic sites and cultural hot spots.  They’d probably agree that Melbourne exists merely as accommodation while they indulge in the amazing variety of water- and beach-based activities in, on and around Port Philip Bay.

35 times larger than Sydney Harbour and home of Australia’s biggest cargo port, finding enough things to do on your seaside holiday won’t be a problem.  If all else fails, just chill out on one of the many beaches and soak up the coastal culture!

3. South West Rocks, New South Wales

We were horrified to hear that the unspoiled fishing village of South West Rocks we’d ‘discovered’ in the 1990s was a favourite of Ray Martin, one-time Aussie TV ‘personality’.  It took a temporary dive in our estimation.

Its array of attractions include Macleay River fishing, the staggering scenery from Smoky Cape Lighthouse, hiking trails, a superb bakery, hinterland and nearby towns to explore.  There’s Trial Bay Gaol, and Hat Head, Stuarts Point and Scotts Head (all with GREAT beaches).  So it made a speedy recovery and it’s still one of our all-time favourite NSW coastal spots.

We haven’t yet spotted Ray there … but who knows?  You might get ‘lucky’!

4.  Broken Head, New South Wales

The amazing Northern Rivers region of NSW has (arguably) some of the best beaches and coastal scenery in Australia.  The coast also includes the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse on Australia’s most easterly point.

But wilder and less crowded is the little hamlet of Broken Head just a short distance south of Byron Bay with the best of both worlds.  It’s an awesome coastal holiday destination in its own right. It’s also easy to access the amazing beaches and other attractions in the whole region.

You might need more reason to visit than the magnificent stretch of rainforest-lined unspoiled beach that curves all the way round to Cape Byron.  If so, stop dodging the scrub-turkeys in the car park and dodge the surfers and fishermen instead on the coastal walk south across the Head to the beaches and wilderness beyond. Interpretive signs explain historic and cultural points of interest, and the view goes on forever …

On a good day, it’s pretty hard to beat!

5. Mon Repos, via Bundaberg, Queensland

There’s a lot more to do in the coastal town of Bundaberg than see turtles, but nearby Mon Repos Conservation Park is one of the largest turtle rookeries in Australia.  That makes it an interesting beach holiday destination.

At night during laying season (Nov to Jan), female turtles lay their eggs on the beach – and a few lucky people, supervised by the interpretive centre, are privileged to watch.

If you’re thinking I look a bit rough in this November 1998 photo, it’s because it’s about 3:00 am – the turtles don’t perform on demand!

This is an extraordinary opportunity to see something amazing – and a must-do for your coastal vacation bucket list!

If turtles aren’t your thing, a tasting trip to the Bundaberg Rum factory – it also makes a killer Ginger Beer and selection of fruit-flavoured soft drinks – might do the trick!

6.  Cooktown, Queensland

It’s quite possible that every visitor to Cooktown has a photo of the 1885 Grassy Hill Lighthouse. Not to mention the killer view along the wild and heavily-rainforested coastline.

Its colonial history includes a visit of several weeks by Captain Cook (yes, THAT one) while repairing the Endeavour.  There was also a busy port that serviced the nearby Palmer River goldfields.

Now a popular winter fishing destination, it’s also a jumping off point for one of the most iconic of Australian road-trips. Yes, you guessed right—the trek to the most northerly point in Australia, Cape York!

7.  Darwin, Northern Territory

Australia’s most northerly major city, Darwin isn’t for the fainthearted. The town was virtually destroyed by bombings during the 2^nd World War and again by Tropical Cyclone Tracey on Christmas Day, 1974. Regularly lashed by tropical storms and isolated by floods during the annual ‘Wet’ season (Nov-March), its tropical waters contain crocodiles and stingers.

Fair-weather tourists like me who venture this far north during the ‘Dry’ are rewarded with magnificent tropical scenery, milder temperatures and the most laid-back lifestyle in OZ.

If you like your coastal holidays served up with a dash of adventure – think fishing in crocodile-infested waters and or even bird watching in a crocodile infested dam – then head to the beaches of Darwin.  But give the swimming a miss!

Across the bay by ferry, holiday town Mandorah is a taste of the tropics at their best.

I don’t know if I’ll ever visit Darwin during the Wet. But its a sure thing I’ll be back there one day to experience it’s Aussie Winter 30ºC (86º F) temperatures again!

8.  Broome, Western Australia

Likely the worst photo you’ll ever see of Broome’s famous ‘Staircase to the Moon’, this shot is a wordless warning to anyone attempting low light photography.  Don’t forget those pre-requisites: a) tripod; b) shutter release cable; and c) skill!

Sceptical of its ‘uniqueness’ – it’s just the moon rising over water and mud for goodness sake, and that happens in LOTS of places – seeing the real thing’s actual resemblance to a staircase (don’t look for this in my poor pic) changed my mind.

Luckily, there’s plenty more to do in the coastal pearling town of Broome if moonlight and mudflats don’t quite do it for you.

Broome has some of the most amazing coastal scenery – and highest tides – in Australia. It’s colours are a perfect backdrop to exploring the rugged coastline and amazing beaches like world-famous Cable Beach, and other gems like often-almost-deserted Coconut Wells beach.There’s also the swirling tidal patterns of Willie Creek – also home to a pearl farm!

An interesting array of cultures makes the regular outdoor markets on ‘Staircase’ nights a must-do.  As is exploring dinosaur footprints and the lighthouse at nearby Gantheaume Point.  Broome is best enjoyed as a beach holiday destination during the milder Aussie winter (June-August).

9.  Quobba Blowholes, Western Australia

Never turn your back on an active blowhole – if you want to stay dry, that is!! By a happy coincidence, the tides were perfect for optimum blowhole performance, and some dodging and weaving around the rocks ensured we didn’t get too wet. Not that it would have mattered – the perfection of a fine, warm and sunny winter’s day on Western Australia’s Outback Coast means we would have dried out pretty quickly!

But high-pressure sea spray bursting through rockholes isn’t the only kind of blowhole on offer below the impressive Quobba lighthouse and beautiful bay – whales are also sighted along this stretch of coastline.

For a different perspective, try blowhole-spotting from the vantage point high above at the lighthouse. It’s easier than it looks as the white spray stands out perfectly against the deep, deep blue of the sea!

There’s a campground near the blowholes, but there’s also plenty of things to do at nearby Carnarvon – a coastal town known for its produce, and a well known winter holiday destination for those escaping the southern cold.

10.  Kalbarri, Western Australia

With one of the most distinctive coastlines in OZ, the layered sandstone of Kalbarri’s 100 metre high cliffs can sometimes overshadow its other main attraction – the 500+ wildflower species for which the area is renowned!

But a series of cliff top walks atop sheer drops right down into the wild and whale-ridden waters of the Indian Ocean make the high concentration of shipwrecks – such as the Batavia in 1629 – unsurprising.

If you can tear yourself away from the cliffs, the impressive Murchison River, after carving its way through the sandstone from 80 km inland, enters the sea at Kalbarri in the shadow of the magnificent Red Bluff. The Kalbarri National Park – full of birds, wildlife and wildflowers – surrounds the town. Just up the road is the World Heritage area of Shark Bay, another beach holiday destination.

But who needs other attractions when all roads lead to the stupendous cliffs?!

11.  Head of Bight, South Australia

Its pretty hard to just drop in to Head of Bight – at the very top of the Great Australian Bight stretching across much of southern Australia’s coastline.

It’s at least a couple of days drive along the Eyre Highway from the closest major town in any direction.

But if you’re driving Australia’s best known road trip across the Nullarbor from June to October, you’ll find a southern right whale nursery under the unbroken 200 km line of the fabulous Bunda cliffs that mark where the world’s largest karst limestone formation meets the Great Southern Ocean.  It’s also the longest continuous line of sea cliffs in the world.

But the whales are the main attraction, and they’re easily seen from the viewing platform below the cliffs.  They’ll make spending your vacation on that long drive across the middle of nowhere worthwhile!

12. Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

The long coastline around the Yorke Peninsula, a narrow neck of land a couple of hours from Adelaide, virtually guarantees one of the highest concentrations of amazing beaches (often deserted), spectacular natural attractions AND coastal Scenic Public Toilets in Australia!

The perfect beach holiday destination, it’s also got some great hiking trails, including ‘Walk the Yorke’ around the whole peninsula.  There are also lighthouses, shipwreck sites and great scenic drives along the rugged coast. Then there’s the dolphin and seal spotting.  AND the fishing …

Well, that’s Part One done!  Stay tuned for Part Two with another 12 of Australia’s best coastal and beach holiday destinations – and another virtual tour of the whole coastline!

The post 12 HOT Australian Coastal and Beach Holiday Destinations – Part 1 appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

How to get from Darwin to Broome!

Whether you got to Darwin by plane, train (the Ghan), or my 7 day Road-trip from Adelaide, once you’ve seen the sights – like my TOP TEN things to do in Darwin – you’ll eventually have to leave.

But if you’ve got another 7 days (or more!) to kill, the alternative to returning the way you came is to take a road trip. Hire a car if you didn’t drive, and drive across the Top End through the Kimberley from Darwin to Broome via the Great Northern Highway!

But be warned! Even though the Darwin to Broome road trip CAN be done in a week, you must carefully pick and choose the sights you want to see or you’ll run out of time. That’s why my 7 day road trip itinerary has optional extras so you can add extra time and extra attractions!

So choose what you’d REALLY like to do from the itinerary and enjoy!

Day 1: Darwin to Victoria River Roadhouse

Distance: 510 km

Driving Time: 6-7 hours. Leave as early as possible – there’s a lot to see and do when you reach the Victoria River Roadhouse!

Route & Scenery: Head south from Darwin along the Stuart Highway, passing through tropical bushland and savannah and over low rocky ranges. At Katherine, leave the tropics behind and enter the RED Outback, heading south-west along the Victoria Highway. Near the Roadhouse, the road passes through Judburra/Gregory National Park and Stokes Range.

Points of Interest:

• This itinerary assumes you travelled to Darwin via Katherine and have already seen those attractions. For attractions between Darwin and Katherine, see Days 6 and 7 of my Adelaide to Darwin road trip itinerary.
• Outback scenery and pastoral properties, low ranges and Buntine Highway (alternative route to Halls Creek) turn off
• From the Victoria River Roadhouse, climb up to the Escarpment Lookout, hike the 1.7 km Joe Creek Loop Walk. Take a look at Australia’s WILDEST river (watch for crocodiles!), watch spectacular sunsets over the Victoria River Escarpment and have a meal at the roadhouse.

Options:

• Take an extra day to explore attractions en route to Katherine. Stay overnight in Katherine on Day 1 and travel to Victoria River Roadhouse on Day 2.
• Alternatively, stay at Katherine, then combine Days 2 and 3, seeing the Victoria River Roadhouse sights en route to Timber Creek

Read MORE: Things to do at Victoria River Roadhouse

Day 2: Victoria River Roadhouse to Timber Creek

Distance: 91 km (yes, you read that right!)

Driving Time: 1 hour (yes, you read that right!)

Route & Scenery: Head west from Victoria River Roadhouse, climb the Victoria River Escarpment and pass through the Stokes Range. Spectacular outback scenery complete with Boab trees all the way!

Points of Interest:

• Today’s short trip means there’s time to see any attractions around Victoria River you didn’t have time for yesterday.
• In Timber Creek, book a sunset Victoria River Cruise to see more of Timber Creek, discover Australia’s wildest river, see more crocodiles than you’ve probably ever seen before. AND enjoy drinks and snacks while watching the sunset.

Options:

• Save Timber Creek for another visit and continue to Keep River National Park campground (150 km), Lake Argyle (190 km) or Kununurra (225 km)
• Stay an extra night and explore Timber Creek. There’s the historic museum, Escarpment Lookout, crocodile feeding in the creek behind the caravan parks and more of Gregory National Park.

Read MORE: Cruising with Crocodiles on Australia’s Wildest River

SEE MORE:  Victoria River Region Photos on Flickr

Day 3: Timber Creek to Kununurra

Distance: 225 km

Driving Time: 3 hours (including extra for a WA/NT Border vehicle check – don’t carry fruit, vegetables, plants or flowers). Gain bonus extra time at the border by turning clocks back to WA time!

Route & Scenery: Drive west along the Victoria Highway passing through spectacular ranges and land formations. After the border checkpoint, approx 150 km from Timber Creek, continue to Kununurra.

Points of Interest:

• Keep River National Park, sometimes referred to as the Mini Bungle-Bungles, is just 3 km from the WA border.
• Lake Argyle, Australia’s largest body of fresh water, is 34 km off the highway just across the border.

Options:

• Stay overnight at the Keep River National Park campground for amazing scenery and the 7 km Jarnem Loop Trail
• Stay an extra night at Lake Argyle for a sunset or morning cruise and a dip in the infinity pool
• Extend your stay in Kununurra and use it as a base to explore the region thoroughly (including Lake Argyle and Keep River National Park)
• Stay an extra night at Wyndham to see the amazing Five Rivers Lookout at sunset, and a number of other attractions

Read MORE:

• Top TEN Things to do in Kununurra;
• 5 Reasons why Wyndham is a TOP Aussie Town;
• Marlgu Billabong

SEE MORE:  Kununurra Photos on Flickr

Day 4: Kununurra to Halls Creek

Distance: 360 km

Driving Time: 4 ½ – 5 hours

Route & Scenery: 46 km west of Kununurra, turn east onto the Great Northern Highway. Spectacular scenery with multi-coloured rock formations through the Carr-Boyd and O’Connell Ranges. Outback scenery with red rock and spinifex closer to Halls Creek.

Points of Interest:

• Doon Doon Roadhouse
• Warmun (Turkey Creek) Roadhouse, Indigenous Arts Centre and Bungle-Bungle Scenic Flights
• Punululu National Park (Bungle-Bungles)
• At Halls Creek, visit the China Wall quartz formation, Caroline Pool and Old Halls Creek.

Options:

• Stay an extra night at Warmun or one of the Bungle-Bungles campgrounds and explore Purnululu National Park
• Stay an extra night at Halls Creek and visit Wolfe Creek Crater National Park (260 km round trip) on the Tanami Road

Day 5: Halls Creek to Fitzroy Crossing

Distance: 290 km

Driving Time: 3 ½ – 4 hours

Route & Scenery: Travel south-west from Halls Creek passing through oddly shaped rocky mountains, cliffs and canyons then lightly wooded pastoral country.

Points of Interest:

• When in flood, the Fitzroy River has the largest water volume of any river in Australia.  In the world only the Amazon is larger!  Take a look – even if it’s NOT in flood!
• Take a cruise through Geikie Gorge, a Devonian reef system about 20 km from Fitzroy Crossing.

Options:

• Stay an extra day and explore Geikie Gorge via several walks, or take a tour to Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge.

Read MORE: The Incredible ‘Icebergs’ of Geikie Gorge

Day 6: Fitzroy Crossing to Derby

Distance: 260 km

Driving Time: 3 – 3 ½ hours

Route & Scenery: Head west along the Great Northern Highway and head north at the junction with the Broome-Derby road. It’s then only 40 km to Derby on King Sound.

Points of Interest:

• Watch the ebb and flow of the highest tides in Australia from the Derby Jetty. It’s 12 metres above the low tide line.
• Other Derby attractions include the Jandamarra Heritage Trail, old prison, Boab Prison Tree, Frosty’s Pool, the Long Trough and the Joonjoo Botanic Walk.

Options:

Stay an extra night in Derby and experience the Gibb River Road on the Windjana Gorge/Tunnel Creek Day Tour.  Alternatively, visit the Buccaneer Archipelago and Horizontal Waterfall

Read MORE: The Highest Tide in OZ!

Day 7: Derby to Broome

Distance: 220 km

Driving Time: 2 ½ -3 hours

Route & Scenery: Follow the Great Northern Highway south-west to Broome.

Points of Interest:

• Willare Bridge Roadhouse
• Roebuck Plains Roadhouse

Read MORE about Broome’s attractions:

• 5 Reasons to Visit Broome in July
• Good Times at Gantheaume Point
• Sun Pictures and the Scenic Public Loo!
• Broome Bird Observatory

SEE MORE:  Broome Photos on Flickr

Broome’s many attractions probably mean you’ll want to stay for a LOT longer than just one night! And why not? You deserve a break after an epic road trip like this!

And anyway, you may as well kick back and enjoy yourself while you work out where to go next!

Want even MORE?

• MORE about the Kimberley
• MORE Red Nomad OZ Roadtrips
• MORE Kimberley Photos on Flickr

PS  For the record, it took me 28 nights to do the Darwin to Broome Road Trip.  I spent 15 more nights exploring Broome and surrounds!

And I STILL didn’t see everything!

So yes, it CAN be done in 7 days – but if you’ve got the time, you’ll see a LOT more!

The post 7 Days from Darwin to Broome via the Great Northern Highway appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

1 The Gun Birder*

Driving a bouncing 4WD with 4 passengers along a rough station track in search of Australia’s rarest bird wasn’t cramping the gun birder’s style one bit. All I could see were the vast, rolling plains of grass and samphire stretching to the horizon against an endless blue sky.

But our driver and guide on the Broome Bird Observatory Yellow Chat tour was unfazed by the spectacular scenery.  He could spot a bird at a hundred paces.

Calling birds to the left, right, in front and behind, he parked the 4WD at the massive lagoon, site of multiple Yellow Chat sightings.  He handed out the telescopes and set off at a brisk trot through the probably snake-ridden samphire towards the middle distance. The non-birdo Melbourne yuppie couple who’d joined us on the tour glanced at each other apprehensively. I guessed the tour wasn’t exactly what they’d thought.

Then I saw it. Over by the lagoon, a dark bird shape lurked on the shore! I pointed it out to Pilchard. And the yuppies. AND the GUN BIRDER! Who immediately trained a telescope in the general direction and invited me to step up and identify the bird. As if.

But I obligingly hoisted my camera out of the way and peered through the eye-piece, immediately diagnosing why the bird hadn’t moved.

Because even when they’re bird-shaped, pieces of driftwood rarely do.

At least the sudden and immediate loss of credibility left me free to take photos. And I DID see the elusive Yellow Chat – although YOU won’t! Not here, anyway. They were too far away to get a good shot.

But who’d doubt a gun birder??

*Gun Birder = Birding expert

2 The Massive Blush

The Broome Bird Observatory is one of the most significant migratory shore bird sites in the world. Thousands of waders, and more than 300 species congregate on the shores each year.

But it’s still apparently OK to drive along the pristine shores of Roebuck Bay.

Because negotiating the huge 9+ metre tide and treacherous rock, mangrove and soft sand hazards REALLY gives those driving skills a workout, wouldn’t it?!

Even if it is a bummer for the poor birds …

Having to phone a friend to pull you out when you’re bogged might be a little embarrassing.

But then who do you call when BOTH of you are hopelessly bogged and that massive tide’s rolling in??

However, the chances of the skipper getting massive all-body blush when explaining to the insurance company why two vehicles were trapped in the bay were actually very low.

Because from all accounts there WAS no insurance …

3 The Fog

In north-west western Australia’s Broome region, the Indigenous Yawuru people’s season of Barrgana has certain characteristics.   We could expect day after punishing day of endless blue sky, daytime maximum temperatures between 28°and 31° C, coolish nights and no rain.

That’s why the smart travellers head to Broome during the Aussie winter from June to August.

The smart birders head to the Broome Bird Observatory in August.  That’s because as the temperatures increase, the migrating wading birds start to arrive.

A change dropping the temperature by a few degrees was a welcome respite from the mini-heatwave in the depths of the moistureless and arid dry season.

But who knew an early morning fog would momentarily change the landscape into a magical wonderland??

4 The Birds, the BIRDS!

After my embarrassing sighting of the rare driftwood bird (see #1 above), I spent the rest of our BBO stay with my mouth firmly – and uncharacteristically – shut. I and my small camera with the non-detachable lens were decidedly outclassed by the big lens birding brigade.  So my photos from the Broome Bird Observatory show embarrassingly few actual birds.

Maybe my big bird photography lens envy was cramping my style.

I swung our borrowed ‘scope (that’s ‘telescope’ for you non-birders out there) along the length of ‘Wader Bay’.  Suddenly, the morass of what I thought to be pebbles and rocks at the waters edge jumped into focus and became hundreds and thousands of birds!!

We clocked up lifer after lifer (birds we’d never seen before) through the magical magnification of ‘scope and bins (binoculars!).  But although the huge mixed flocks moved ever closer with the tides, they remained resolutely rock-like in my photos.

Strangely enough, many birds failed to present in perfect photographic pose, with their best side conveniently facing my looming lens.

Is it so wrong to prefer mediocre landscape photography to mediocre wildlife photography?

5 And the Birders …

NOT possessing the birding gene can work against one at the Broome Bird Observatory, but it isn’t necessarily a character flaw! It’s actually an advantage to budding anthropologists wishing to observe the daily life of participants in the extreme sport of bird-watching.

Of course it’d be rude to point out the birder’s quirks, flaws and foibles.

Birds?  Or NON-birds??

So instead, I’ve listed a few observations to demonstrate SIX subtle differences between ME and the REAL birders:

1. Seeing ANY bird in the distance isn’t a signal to immediately stop what I’m doing and raise my binoculars.
2. ‘Eating’ and ‘Birdwatching’ are mutually exclusive activities. So are ‘Conversing’ and ‘Birdwatching’.
3. I’m a recovering non-birder with a photographic fixation. Don’t hate me because some of my photos don’t have birds in them.
4. Call me crazy, but I’ve been known to select holiday destinations without knowing what birds I’ll see there. And I collect brochures about attractions other than birding hotspots.
5. ‘Good Morning’ means ‘Good Morning’. NOT ‘How many birds have you seen already today, what were they and where were they?’
6. I don’t know how many birds are on my ‘lifer’ list. No, I don’t want – or need – any help with that.

6  Is the Sea Blue?  OR BROWN?!

Fresh from King Sound and the highest tides in the Southern Hemisphere, the school group from just up the coast in Derby descended on the Broome Bird Observatory viewing platform like a flock of rampaging emus.

Any self-respecting bird would run a mile.

But the famous Roebuck Bay tranquillity slowly worked its magic. Well … that and a few well-chosen witticisms from the long-suffering teachers.

‘Send me a postcard, mate,’ one teacher called out over the hubbub to a young student indulging his not-so-secret passion for telescope wrangling.

‘What, miss?’ He turned, puzzled.

‘Because if you keep that up, you’ll be WALKING home to Derby,’ she shot back at him.

Chastened, the group calmed and looked out over the famous blue, Blue, BLUE of the bay.

‘Where’s the mud, miss?’ another student ventured.

This time I was puzzled. Until I recalled that not so far up the coast at Derby, the tidal movement of the 9^th biggest tide in the world moves tonnes of mud up and down King Sound.

So for these students brought up on its shores, the sea is BROWN! Who says travel doesn’t broaden the mind?!?!

But hiding in the twisted branches of a tree just a few metres away from the fractured peace of this rollicking school excursion, Tawny Frogmouth slept on, safe in his daytime disguise …

Visit the Broome Bird Observatory

A few kilometres north of Broome and run by Birdlife Australia, the Broome Bird Observatory is a rare opportunity to explore a different side of Australia.  If you’re not afraid to rub shoulders with birdos, it offers accommodation, a camp-ground and tours to birding hotspots.

You don’t have to be a twitcher (ie birdwatcher) to explore the stunning coastline.  You can also discover amazing wildlife and wildflowers, walk the trails through woodland habitats or relax around the evening campfire.

But if you DO get the chance to experience this staggeringly scenic hideaway, I bet you’ll be back for more …

Have I talked you into it?  Get started on YOUR Broome adventure with cheap flights right here!

Want MORE?

• Broome Bird Observatory
• More about Broome, Western Australia
• Broome Flickr Photos
• MORE RedzAustralia Birding Adventures!

The post 6 Random Moments at the Broome Bird Observatory! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Blue- and red-coloured landscapes are generally associated with other planets, abstract art or young children!

But while you’re checking out all the amazing things to do in Broome you can experience a distinctive red and blue landscape for REAL!

The ocean’s characteristic blue hue from white clay in the water combines with the red local Pindan rock and soil in a gob-smacking hit of colour.  For milder temperatures and clear, sunny days the best time to visit Broome is in July.

So escape the southern winter and head north for a warmth and colour hit that’ll stay with you long after you’ve returned to the drab winter down south

But while the colour is a big part of the Broome experience, it’s not the only reason to visit.

Because whether or not you’ve got a thing for red and blue, exploring these 5 fabulous attractions will make your holiday in Broome an unforgettable experience.

1 The Beaches:

The chances of finding a spot for yourself on Broome’s world famous Cable Beach are better than average.

This stunning curve of sand so white it hurts your eyes stretches for 22 km (13.7 miles) so despite the Australian winter tourist season’s increased number of travellers at the cafe above, there’s more than enough room on the sand below.

If other tourists on the beach is too much for you, go for absolute solitude just a few kilometres north, through the laid-back community of Coconut Wells and over the dunes to the beach.

There’s a Dune Buggy track or two. And a couple of people WAAAAAY further down the beach. And a few shags* on a rock.

But you’ve got several kilometres to yourself. OK?

2 Roebuck Bay:

It’s a long hike through the mud to the Catalina float-plane wrecks that only emerge from Broome’s Roebuck Bay at very low tide.

So I didn’t do it.

I had just as much fun at the world famous Broome Bird Observatory on the shores of Roebuck Bay a few kilometres up the coast.

In the rapidly rising 9 metre tide, close to being highest in Australia, we spotted what looked like a car roof down amongst the mangroves. It WAS a car roof. Actually, two!

Yes, it’s possible whoever drove an uninsured 4WD along the sands of the bay at low tide couldn’t have anticipated being bogged up to the axles. But the person who tried to pull him out???

If you aren’t lucky enough to watch a double-car-extraction from soft sands between high tides, don’t despair.

There are a lot more things to do in and around the Bird Observatory, where thousands of migratory wading birds flock along the bay’s RAMSAR-listed shores along with the twitchers** trying to spot them.

A Yellow Chat birding tour to see one of Australia’s rarest birds; a dawn ramble to the ocean through a dense tropical mist; scenery so superb even the most amateur*** photographer’s shots look good; Snub-fin dolphin sightings from the observation platform; and an array of shorebirds so dense it takes a telescope to sort them out!

Just walk the dramatic curve of Roebuck Bay below the observatory for full-on relaxation in a spectacular setting.

Back in Broome watching the world renowned ‘Stairway to the Moon’, where the moon rises over the Bay is a must see! Initially skeptical – it’s just the moon rising over the sea like anywhere else in the world where the moon rises over the sea, right? – the real thing stopped my cynicism dead!

And if there’s no car in the bay for entertainment, maybe the Catalinas are worth a visit instead! They’re probably just as interesting. No, REALLY!

3 Gantheaume Point:

There’s no best time of day to experience all the things to do at Gantheaume Point – any time is good!

At high tide, watching swimmers leaping from the red Pindan rock into a sea so blue it looks like it sucked all the colour from the sky is just like a scene from a movie set. And at low tide – approximately 9 metres lower – the rock platforms emerge from the sea, exposing strange rock gardens full of exotic corals and dinosaur footprints.

The brightness of day where the sea sparkles against the rocky Bingle Bingles around the Point from the unusual Lighthouse contrasts with the incredible twilight and sunset as the orange sun plunges into the Indian ocean and the rocks turn to fire.

There’s always something happening at Gantheaume Point.

So visit any time. BUT … be warned! The High tide/low tide/daylight/twilight scenes are SO different you’ll want to experience all of them.

HHHMMMmmm… perhaps it’d be easier just to spend the whole day there?!

4 A Night at the Pictures:

If like me, you’re a sucker for world exclusives, take in a movie at Sun Pictures, world’s oldest operating picture gardens – where the entertainment isn’t all up on the big screen!

After admiring the movie memorabilia lining the walls since its official opening as Sun Pictures in 1916, cinema-goers take their seats and don their jackets.

The coolness of a Broome evening shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise – because despite the ~29°C July daily maximum temperature, it really IS winter!

But after the sun sets and darkness falls over the open-roofed theatre and the show starts, there’s another surprise in store. WARNING: To avoid spoilers, SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!

Watching the generally unremarkable cinema advertising is interrupted without warning as a low flying passenger jet only a few metres above the screen screams into Broome airport. Accompanied by the odd shriek – or two – from patrons unaware of the special acoustic qualities of this unique combination of landing jet and open-roofed building!

Photos? C’mon! Do you REALLY think my shutter-button finger was THAT quick?

Luckily, one of Australia’s most unusual public amenities blocks with an ever-changing backdrop is right below the big screen! AND … it’s in MY BOOK!!!

Don’t miss it!!

5 Willie Creek and the Pearls:

Even if you’re totally unaware of Broome’s history there’s a few dead giveaway clues to its heritage.

Like the pearl showrooms and sales outlets in the main shopping precincts. The well preserved pearling lugger in Chinatown’s main street. The Japanese and Chinese cemeteries where hundreds of pearl divers are now at rest and commemorative statues and plaques in the main street. The inclusion of pearl meat at some of the eateries And the staggering array of pearl-related products at the weekly markets!

Yes, it’s impossible to ignore the rich pearling heritage of this beautiful city, the jewel of the Kimberley coast.

So when we were thwarted by an anti-mining blockade from our drive north up the coast to controversial hot-spot and whale nursery James Price Point, Plan B kicked in and we arrived at Willie Creek Pearl farm ready for action.

Which it delivered!

As a aerophobic, my scenic helicopter flight over the magnificent estuary system glowing with colour and light could have ended badly. Luckily I was distracted by the staggeringly picturesque landscape unfolding beneath.  So my amateur*** photographic instincts completely overcame any lingering thoughts about crashing to the ground and dying a horrible death.

Relieved I was still alive after the successful touchdown, I just had to buy myself a little reward souvenir! Who knew (or cared!) that the $9 black seed-pearl ring I selected was from the children’s section? While it might not be to everyone’s taste, the showroom had plenty of REAL jewelry and pearl-related artefacts for pearl purists!!

After a snack from the Willie Creek cafe, I was ready for another helicopter flight …

… but decided to wait until next time!

I see a repeat performance of ALL these awesome things to do in Broome in July somewhere in my future. But don’t leave all the good times up north downunder to me! Start right here, right now! Compare the cheapest flights online … and I’ll see you somewhere up there on a sunny July Aussie winter’s day!!

Is it a date?

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• Broome, Western Australia
• Willie Creek Pearls
• MORE Kimberley Adventures
• MORE Broome photos on Flickr
• MORE Kimberley Photos on Flickr

* Shag (in this context) = Cormorant

** Twitcher = Bird Watcher

*** Yep, that’s me!

The post 5 Reasons to visit Broome in July! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

As you can tell from this shot of a typical Australian Beach, it’s obviously the middle of winter. AND peak tourist season.

No way?  No, REALLY!

Coconut Wells Beach, a short drive north of Western Australia’s Broome on this beautiful July day (yes, that IS winter dowunder!) showed no signs of habitation except for a dune buggy track heading off into the middle distance.

Thousands of Grey Nomads make the pilgrimage north from the colder states during the southern winter, and many lodge in Broome for the duration to enjoy its warmth.

But none of them had made it to this stretch of beach.

And while a couple of people strolled along the sandy shore further down, luckily we still managed to find some space of our own.

But that’s just what you get when you’re in a country with the longest coastline in the world, and where conditions are just right for the beach any time of the year somewhere along it.

SO … if you want to be alone on the beach in winter OR summer downunder, take a hyper-leap into another dimension where my guest post on the Explore Australia blog will show you 5 ways to find your own stretch of deserted downunder coastline!

Like THIS!

There’s plenty of other great Aussie travel articles on the blog – including my previous guest post Confessions of a Tween-Age Travel Blogger – so why not add it to your reading list?!

You’re welcome …

Want more information?

• Broome, Western Australia
• Top 5 Summer Beaches away from the Crowds (Explore Australia blog)
• Confessions of a Tween-Age Travel Blogger (Explore Australia blog)
• More from the 1000 Words About … series

The post 1000 Words About … Solitude! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Is high tide the best time to see the amazing rich red soil, and the coloured layers of the rocks against the astonishing blue sea at Gantheaume Point Broome?

Well … maybe! Broome’s iconic point, at the northern end of the 22km white sand curve of world famous Cable Beach, is a stunning scenic masterpiece during the strong light of day.

The lighthouse, set on the rocks above the point, marks a spectacular and ever-changing vista as ospreys feed their young on the nest in the lighthouse framework, tourists conduct impromptu photoshoots and fishermen try their luck from the rocks below.

Broome, in Western Australia’s north-west, is a rare combination of outback and coastal landscapes, where the Kimberley meets the coast in a startling shock of colour from the dramatic contrast of red soil and rock of Pindan country with clay-coloured ocean so blue it looks like it’s sucked all the colour from the sky.

But with Broome having one of the largest tidal movements in the southern hemisphere, Gantheaume Point’s low tide view is an intriguing alternative.

At tides lower than 2.16 metres, climb down to explore the rocky – and slippery – platform that emerges below the lighthouse.

Amongst the live coral, seaweed and rock pools, look for the dinosaur footprints that show where Megalosauropus Broomensis and others once roamed.

Viewing the point from below gives an entirely different perspective to the views from the vantage points above – and is therefore a photo opportunity not to be missed!

Just down the harbour road and around the corner on the point’s southern side is yet another perspective, with rock formations stretching all the way down the coast. The ‘Bingle-Bingles’ are a miniature – and far more easily accessible – alternative to Western Australia’s ‘other’ main attraction, the magnificent ‘Bungle Bungles’!

And at sunset the landscape changes all over again.

As do the visitors. A pair of grey nomads, clutching their ‘happy hour’ drinks while attempting to negotiate the steep, slippery rocks moan about the ‘crowds’ while reminiscing about an long ago – and therefore ‘better’ – time when they were the only visitors. A clutch of French backpackers fish for supper from the rocks. And a forest of tripods with enough expensive camera gear to sink the Titanic appears as the sun sinks into the sea.

So when IS the best time to visit Gantheaume Point Broome?

Too hard!

You’ll just have to decide that for yourself!

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• Gantheaume Point
• Broome
• Western Australia

The post Good Times @ Gantheaume Point – Broome, Western Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Many Australian natural attractions with public amenities are set amidst such scenic splendour that using them is part of the sightseeing experience.  But once you’ve seen it, the view will be the same every time you visit.

So imagine a convenience block where the view changes a couple of times each night. And where, like a wormhole, it can transport you anywhere in the world, the known universe – AND beyond!

Impossible, right?

Wrong! For the convenience of its patrons, Sun Pictures, the world’s oldest outdoor cinema in operation has placed its amenities right next to the big screen.

So YOU get to choose the view because the film you’ve chosen to see is the scene at the loo. And it’s also what you’ll see from the amenities if your viewing is interrupted by natures call!

So doing your business really IS a pleasure – of course assuming you’re enjoying the show!

Established in 1916, Sun Pictures has survived bombing during World War 2, devastating cyclones and killer king tides. It’s now full of movie memorabilia and offers a wonderful, old-fashioned movie experience.  Buy an ice-cream, bring a blanket and/or pillow and settle back into a deckchair to enjoy the show!

It’s also moved on from the segregated seating required by the pre-1967 Broome society hierarchy of this multicultural pearling town.

A postcard available from the cinema shop shows a full house with Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Malays, Koepangers, Filipinos and Aboriginals.  Although children crossed cultural boundaries and sat at the front or back with whoever else had been relegated to this less desirable position!

Nowadays, if you’re not enjoying the scenery of, say, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, just come back another night for a complete change of pace!

But whatever you’re watching, the awesome star filled Kimberley sky above the screen is a real distraction. It’s not the only distraction either.  Directly under the flight path to the airport only a couple of kilometres away, your view of both the stars AND the screen may be blocked by a jet so close you could almost reach out and touch it …

Unless you’ve chosen that moment to visit the loo!!

Want more information?

• Other Australian Scenic Public Toilets
• Sun Pictures
• Broome, Western Australia

The post Sun Pictures Broome – Scenic Loo #27 appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.