heading to Broome

Apart from nice beach I wouldnt bother.

Ckocka camps, bad service in shops You arent missing a thing.

We stayed a week and were glad to get out of it

The whole west coast is full of lovely beaches with nicer towns as well .

Eighty mile beach is nice.

Exmouth and Denham are much nicer than Broome.

I love Broome and have been here two weeks...however, here is a copy of a post I put on another Forum.

They are their own worst enemy...I am not going down the West Coast, but heading back East and then will be in Alice Springs for the Henley on Todd Regatta thingy....oh, and BTW, there is plenty of room in this Park as well as a couple of others...Gun Club overflow park, Vacataion Village and Tarangua CP
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Problems at Broome Overflow van Park

Postby Dunco on Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:23 pm
I have been in Broome for a few weeks now and currently sitting in one of the overflow parks...as a lot of people in this forum have done before me.

I was originally told that I could stay a few weeks and paid a week at a time...now...a lot of people did the same thing and now the park is kicking them out because the "Policy" of the Council is that you can only stay ONE WEEK in every 3 months !! I did say POLICY, not by-law.

Therefor a lot of people just leave Broome as there is no other accommodation available...what a waste to the local community as we all know how much we spend when in town. One couple were going to stay 3 months, but left after 2 days and took their money to Darwin.

The elderly couple beside me had paid up until next Sunday (today being Tuesday) and as they had been here for over a week, the overlords of the park :lol: visited her when she was alone and told her that she would have to take her money back and move out this afternoon !!!! Wow !!! They really upset her and I stepped in to calm her down. They told me that they were contacting the police to have the elderly couple removed and have her money refunded as she had been there over a week !!!!
I wished them the best of luck and told them I would ring the police for them if they wanted :D I have been here 2 weeks and am leaving tomorrow...but I wish they tried to kick me out :lol:

It would be like buying dinner and the cook came out and said he wanted half his steak back ;)

Has anyone ever heard of stuff like this going on and would you visit Broome if this continued to be the norm ??
I won't.

So much for helping your fellow man.

We give Broome a wide berth. TOOOO many people. It used to be lovely sleepy semi tropical coastal town.Derby still is - go there instead.

Motherhen

Bubbles,
I first went to Broome in 1969....what a top spot and beautiful people
I went back in about 1980.... once again very enjoyable
Went again in 1998...... mmmmmmmm not toooo bad
Last trip about 6 months ago........ never again.
As others have said there are lots of nicer places to visit.

Cheers Pop

This time of year is the peak time in Broome with the Shinzu Matsuri Festival on plus the Broome Cup has just been run. You have to book well in advance to get any accommodation. We go to Broome regularly and I can remember the same peak happening 33 years ago when I worked at the general store. What people have to remember is that there is a 4 or 5 month season each year and the remainder of the year it is just normal Broome. We go up in July and late October and the difference in the town, numbers wise is amazing. July the place is packed, October there is room every where. It is difficult to provide the required infrastructure when it only gets used for that 4 or 5 month period.
We love the place and it is the same as every where else, if you want to go there when everyone else does you have to book.

Regards

Mark

I live in Broome and yes it is very busy.
I am amazed that the major parks do not actually accept prebookings for caravan and camp spots.
Went past the Pistol Club on Port Drive today and there was a few spare spots.
I feel embarrased when the Grey Nomad friends of my parents have to line up outside the caravan park at 0800 to try and secure a spot as it is vacated.
You would think the local tourist organisation would accept bookings and post notices at the Port hedland and Derby turn-offs informing of the lack of vacancies. That way the poor traveller can make alternative plans and not waste fuel.
Or you could do what the backpacker brigade are doing and park at the cable Beach carpark in 2 spots and set up your camp and washing lines!! Has become a real issue this year and has been posted on several travelling websites as a recommended camp spot!
The Turf Club Carpark has at least 10 vans/cars camped prior to the ranger starting at 630am.
Took 10 mins to get out of the Broome shopping Centre carpark Saturday.

We only venture into Broome if it is absolutely necessary - shopping, visit relatives, vote. For these purposes it is easier to stay at the Roebuck plains roadhouse C/P o/night and just make the 30k trip into Broome to satisfy the need. There are lots of other places to stay where there are fewer people and less hassles.
Happy camping,
Mike and Jan.

Bubbles, I have spoken to the Broome Visitors Centre and the Shire. As I mentioned below the Broome Cup was on the weekend so the weekend and days prior to that all of Broome was full including the overflow parks. Given that there was no accommodation anywhere the police may have turned people away. The shire rangers are apparently flat out with people camping illegally at various locations so their resources are stretched to the limit. With regard to the overflow parks, they are licensed by the shire to the operators so the shire considers them a business to themselves. (The Cable Beach Camels are the same ie run on a licence) The licence conditions are that no one can stay more than 7 nights and I would assume that this is in writing but I don't really know. The traditional caravan park owners advise the visitors centre twice a day as to the vacancies that they have and then the visitor can contact that park direct. The park name and vacancies are listed outside the visitors centre not the shire.
It is a shame that your friends could not get into Broome but to be honest it is much nicer in the "shoulder" season as there are less people around.

Regards

Mark