Broome, suburb of Broome in Western Australia
Broome is a town on the coast of Western Australia, situated on a peninsula where the Indian Ocean meets Roebuck Bay on one side and open ocean on the other. It stretches across white sandy beaches, including the famous Cable Beach with more than 20 kilometers of soft sand, while the surrounding landscape features red desert sands.
Broome was founded in 1883 and named after Sir Frederick Broome, the governor of Western Australia, growing rapidly due to the pearling industry which attracted workers from Japan and other Asian countries. The town was later heavily damaged by Japanese air raids in 1942, and it contains a cemetery commemorating the Japanese divers who died during the dangerous pearling work.
Broome carries the name Rubibi from the Yawuru language, whose people have lived here for thousands of years and maintain their connection to the land. The town's character reflects a meeting of cultures shaped by the pearling industry, visible today in local festivals like Shinju Matsuri, where music, dances, and food from different traditions come together.
The best time to visit is the dry season from April to November, when weather is sunny and pleasant, while the wet season from December to March brings heavy rains and high humidity. It is important to pay attention to tides when you plan to walk along the beach, as the bays have large tidal shifts, and during warmer months jellyfish such as Irukandji can be present in the waters.
The natural phenomenon called 'Staircase to the Moon' occurs when low tide combines with the moon rising to create a light effect over Roebuck Bay that looks like stairs reaching toward the moon, visible at only one other place on Earth. On these special nights, a local market with food and crafts is held on the beach and is eagerly anticipated throughout the year.
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