Thursday, Nov 26, 2020 at 15:13
We spent about 9 months on the
Dampier Peninsula & in
Broome all up, from early September 2018 until end of May 2019.
The combination of heat & humidity IMO require a mindset of acceptance from before you get there. Easier I think when the visit is for a longer timespan, it gives time to adapt & to manage.Probably harder for a short visit.
One of my blog posts includes a description of living with the heat & humidity as we 'acclimatised'.
http://cuppa500.com/Blog/2018/11/19/the-build-to-the-build-up-season/
Short visits would no doubt incorporate air conditioning. We had none (except in the car) & would not have wanted it. I think the constant going from cold & dry to hot & steamy is too hard on the body, & if you are going to stay in air con all day, you may as
well stay at
home.
Bear in mind we had a 'dry' wet season. The Peninsula road was only cut off a couple of times for no more than about 7 days total during the whole wet season. A Wet wet season would be very different & probably far more challenging in all sorts of unexpected ways. We had zero mozzie issues but heard stories of some years where your bare arms can be coated in a thick 'carpet' of mozzies' which return as soon as your hand has wiped them away. Sounded horrendous, but the locals told us this with a smile indicating that even that is somehow surviveable! 3 cyclones threatened but each passed at a safe distance
October is on the cusp of season change, November is getting into it, but the timing changes every year. You know best how you deal with heat. Every day will be around 30 to 34 - the humidity will be more variable.
I'd say try it, but keep a watchful eye on the weather, & be prepared to make a run inland if a cyclone threatens (albeit very unlikely in October - BOM cyclone watch doesn't come into action until NOV 1st each year).
We did enjoy our 6 weekly outings to
Broome to re-stock supplies from the air conditioned supermarkets though!
The 'saving grace' was our location. Right on the edge of the pindan cliffs overlooking
Pender bay. We saw reports of heatwaves across the country with regular temps in the mid 40's, whilst up at our peninsula location we rarely went above 32 or 33 & commented to each other quite often about how we felt we probably ad the best climate anywhere in the country. If you look at the BOM's heat maps you'll see lots of dark red, but there is always a very thin strip along the coast of the peninsular (you may have to zoom in) where temperatures are cooler. The sea breezes made an enormous difference. By comparison
Broome felt far hotter with a 'heavier' humidity. Even around
Broome the climate varies greatly, if you were living there you'd pay a premium for a location which gets the breezes off the water. Not all of it does.
We loved it.
Broome outside of the tourist season is a very special place if you have the time to get to know it. Far less attractive when the hordes start making the place busy each year. Not too sure what it would be like to visit for a short stay -
Broome & the peninsula seems to us to be somewhere to slow down & take your time to really appreciate it 'vibe' & it's uniqueness. Plenty of anti
Broome sentiment around , I suspect predominantly from folk who didn't understand that. Try & see the place from a local's perspective is the best advice I can give (& that should be easier outside of the main tourist season).
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