Day 89
Wednesday 3rd June 2015
Broome
I’m glad that we didn’t find the dinosaur footprints yesterday because finding them would have been a lot less fun than searching for them.
It is a day of lasts today. Last shopping before another long stretch, fill the car, mind you we’ve hardly used any fuel while we’ve been in Broome. Last looks around town and last swims in the cool pool.
We meet M and C at the RSL for drinks. This is the only RSL in Australia that has no walls. A lovely building it is like a large tropical pavilion with one huge tin roof and gardens under the overhang.
Mindful of the time we dash off to Town Beach to watch the Staircase to the Moon. We knew that the markets would be on here tonight but had no idea of what an event it would be. There is loads of food, art and musicians. There’s even a lady who carves your name on a grain of rice. I wonder why one would want such a thing and if you did you’d be pretty upset if it ended up in Friday night’s risotto, wouldn’t you? Hundreds of people have gathered in this colourful melee and the crowds are edging their way towards the point. We have no idea where the moon is going to pop up but do our best to secure a position. People have brought chairs and they are perched precariously above the (croc infested?) mud flats. Eventually there is a rose coloured glow in the sky and then the biggest orange moon rises above the sea and tidal flats and it is wondrous and much, much better than I’d ever imagined. Gradually everyone drifts back to the party and drummers are drumming and all of its colour and noise and lights and a smiling B and P in amongst the jolly jumble too.
Lamenting that we didn’t bring blankets and beer we go to the Roey (the iconic Roebuck Bay Hotel) for a farewell dinner. Farewell to M and C who are staying much longer and to Broome, vibrant, colourful, laid back Broome all we’d wished for and more.
Accom: $41.58
Travelling Kms: 0
Note: Broome is not easy to get to. Flights are expensive, driving as we did takes time, a lot of time if you want to make the most of the journey. Yet Broome doesn’t disappoint. As vibrant as a tropical cocktail with a mix of cultures thrown together by an equally raucous history. The Staircase to the Moon, celebrated only on certain nights of the year epitomises Broome itself, nature and vibrance thrown together in a moment of fun.
itchingforhitching 
How very special to be there at that time. Looks and sounds absolutely wonderful!
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It’s really worth timing your trip to catch the Staircase. It can be viewed from many points on the coast, but Broome’s sense of festivity puts the icing on the cake.
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I’ll keep it in mind for sure.
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Your blog has brought home to me how very varied your country is. From here, it’s easy to think it might be fairly homogeneous in culture, even though the landscapes might not be. I’m enjoying tagging along!
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Thanks Margaret, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Across our country there are subtle cultural variations which are probably determined by climate, distance and population mix. Also, something which fascinates me is the slight change in accents and use of words. It’s nowhere near as pronounced 😉 as in other countries but it is there if you listen for it.
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Thanks for that. Keep on with your great travelogues!
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Lovely pics
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Thanks Derrick.
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The staircase to the moon is on this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. We went down to take a look at the Town Beach area today – it has had a big overhaul since last year, so a good spot to see the staircase should be much easier now. Especially so this year with less than a 1/4 of the usual influx of visitors in town. We’re hoping to get a good photo of a bat flying across the face of the moon. We never had a camera good enough to film such things before, and seeing the bats fly across the moon was a big part of the inspiration for Paul’s supper duper new camera (not so new anymore though, just haven’t been in Broome long enough to try to get one of the photos. )
Where are you spending the winter this year?
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Sounds like fun capturing those bats. Ha, ha what a question, we left Victoria when the government said it was ok to travel, left on the 11th of June. We’re now sitting on the NSW coast waiting for the QLD border to open…but of course it will be open to all but Victorians following the new outbreak in Melb. Stay tuned…
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