broome

Broome was established last century as a centre for the pearling industry, and is now known as the southern gateway to the Kimberley region. It justifiably lays claim to one of the world's best swimming beaches at Cable Beach, where you can also enjoy a camel ride as the sun sets into the Indian Ocean. One of the best diving spots in Australia is located 260 km offshore at the Rowley Shoals, where tropical fish and giant clams abound amongst gardens of coral. You can get there by chartered boat from Broome. The town's multi-cultural heritage is on display at Chinatown, and so are some of the most gorgeous pearls you are likely to see anywhere. Other points of interest include the world's oldest operating outdoor cinema, the natural phenomena known as 'The Staircase to the Moon', which can be seen at night off Town Beach between March and October, and the amazing sight at Roebuck Bay between August and April of thousands of migratory wader birds. Just try to count them!

You can fly to the warm climes of Broome from any of Australia's major cities.