Broome caravan parks

Friends tried all parks and there are no vacancies June July.

Only suggestion is to try Roebuck Plains Roadhouse which has a caravan park attached
Roebuck Plains Roadhouse

It is about 25kms from Broome.

Pedro

You will get various points of view. They do get very busy, but we were there in July last year and had no trouble finding a caravan park near Cable Beach. From memory we paid $50 a night. The secret is getting there early. Signs usually go out in the parks after 10 am listing the vacancies and the visitor’s centre also displays same.
When we first arrived we just had the list of caravan parks and phoned around. You will hear stories about how rude the operators are and that you cannot book ahead. Where we stayed they were very friendly and helpful and we were able to book ahead. We went and did the Horizontal Falls trip from Derby and wanted to come back to Broome for a few more days.
I have heard that people were forced to stay at Roebuck Plains Road House, which is a bit out of Broome, but have not actually spoken to anyone who had this problem. As I said, we had no problems. We loved Broome and will be back.
Kevin

If you are there in peak season and all are full, ask at the visitor centre about overflow parking. Otherwise get there mid morning as people are leaving and try (Roebuck Plains roadhouse may be needed for the wait).

Motherhen

The pistol club has sites during the peak period.

We stayed several nights and found it quite OK.

Cheers

Alan

In recent years, we avoid visiting Broome after May and before October.
the info below may not be true, but its what we have observed after visiting there regularly for the past 10 years.

May is quiet as the early bird convoy has usually left for the Gibb River Road.
June is busy with the people who couldnt book sites for July.
July is for the people who booked 6-12 months in advance for the WA school holidays.
August is the Broome cup and Broome Festival Broome everything - its pretty busy.
September full of the regulars - who move in after the July school holidays.
October can get warm - but there are relatively few people around considering its school holidays.

Make sure you book if its the stairway to the moon time. The town will fill up for a couple of days regardless of the month.

I wouldn't consider staying at Roebuck Plains a Broome Holiday.

Have fun.

Hello Isa Nomads,
In the past and as recent as 2010 we have been to Broome and like everyone else had trouble getting a spot at a park. In July 2010 we stopped overnight sth of Broome at Stanley rest area; left about 6am and headed in. Went straight to the PCYC just around the corner from the Robuck Bay. Had a week there and on our way.
we were only staying a week so didn't bother about trying to find a spot at a proper park, but at least it gives you a base to work from, and its in town.
It is a problem that is probably going to get worse as more boomers retire.
Best of luck

If you want to be guaranteed a spot in one of the many beautiful caravan parks in the Broome area, you are better off going later in the year. Maybe from September onwards when all of the old fogies have cleared out.

Starting to fill up already.

Thanks for the reminder.

HATE tourist season.

Port Smith caravan park isn't Broome, but it's a very attractive place to stop at, when Broome is chockers, as it always in June & July. Only 160kms and a world away from the Broome ripoff.

I personally think that Broome is a fading jewel, with Cable Beach now littered with camel dung (despite the requirement to pick it up), and the feeling that tourist rip-off is just a way of life there.

I've seen people absolutely flabbergasted at the prices for everyday items. $4 for small bottle of Coke, $8 for a small glass of juice. It's over the top, and there's no reason for it, apart from money grubbing.

Cheers - Ron.

Broome has problems! We slept in our car for 3 nights as no caravan parks allowed dogs. (drunks walking past the car every night). In WA i think you can still camp anywhere more than 13km out of town, and sometimes we drove into properties and asked permission to camp without any knock backs.
The gun clubs are a good option, a friend of mine camps at them all over the countryside and he takes his dog as well. I would do that in future.
I noticed in the outback tourists don't always get treated very nicely. I remember an off putting sign in Derby caravan park as we entered saying "DON"T ASK FOR SHADE"!

The Main Roads W.A. site has extensive info on rest areas. Note that MRDWA rest areas CANNOT be used for overnight camping, unless they are signposted "24".

http://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/USINGROADS/TOURINGWAMAPS/Pages/RestAreas.aspx

There are four overflow facilities for caravanners and campers in Broome, when all the Broome caravan parks are full.
These are listed on the following Broome Shire webpage, along with info relating to dogs and caravan parks.

http://www.broome.wa.gov.au/visitors/dicp.htm (This link refuses to work, for some reason - you'll have to copy & paste)

This following website clearly explains the convoluted and unworkable laws relating to camping outside designated caravan parks and campgrounds in W.A.
There is much activity going on to try and improve the situation.

http://www.wa4wda.com.au/warco.htm

There used to be a 10 mile limit for camping outside towns with caravan parks located in them. This old law seems to have been forgotten in the W.A. Caravan Parks & Camping Grounds Regulations 1997.
Most people are breaking the law anytime they pull up to camp in bush areas outside towns in W.A. As a general rule, not too many people worry about the law-breaking.

The only time the laws are enforced is when a particular Shire Ranger does a patrol, usually within a few kms of town - or of areas such as carparks by the beach, which are usually big no-no's for camping or parking your van in.

A big problem that the State of W.A. is faced with is the reduction in the number of transit caravan parks, in favour of permanent accommodation caravan parks. The latter pay better, and FIFO workers are using them because housing is tight in Perth.
The Tourism Industry is trying to impress on the Barnett Govt that something has to be done to improve the transit caravan park situation in W.A. - but Govts move slowly, as we all know.

Cheers - Ron.