Weekend in Broome

Weekend market in the courthouse garden. Stalls sell pearls, Aboriginal art, local produce and second-hand books.

Tip: Go before 9am for the best pick of fresh mangoes and less heat. Cash only at some stalls.

Self-guided walk past 22 heritage sites in Broome's old commercial hub. Includes the old post office, Sun Pictures and pearling sheds.

Tip: Pick up the brochure from the Visitor Centre on Carnarvon Street. Wear sturdy shoes—some footpaths are uneven.

A sheltered beach with a playground, grassy areas and a jetty. Good for swimming at high tide, and the Chinese cemetery and old jetty pilings are nearby.

Tip: Buy takeaway fish and chips from Aarli (across the road) and eat on the grass at sundown — cheaper than the resort restaurants.

A self-guided walk around Broome’s old Chinatown district with interpretive signs about the Chinese, Japanese, and Malay pearlers who settled here. Covers old hotels, shops, and a former opium den.

Tip: Start at the Sun Pictures cinema and pick up a free trail map from the visitor centre on Weld Street.

Closer than Cable Beach, with calm water good for swimming in the dry season. Has a playground, picnic tables, and a jetty for fishing. The sunset market runs here on summer Sundays.

Tip: Swim only between October and March — stingers and crocodiles are a real risk otherwise. The fish and chip shop at the top of the beach is good value for a cheap lunch.

Shaded park with a small beach, playground, and a wooden boardwalk winding through mangroves. Good for birdwatching and watching the sunset over Roebuck Bay.

Tip: Check the tide chart—best at low tide when the mudflats are exposed. Great spot for a free BBQ, bring your own meat.

A smaller, more sheltered beach close to town. Good for a quick swim or picnic. Has a jetty popular with local anglers and a playground nearby.

Tip: The Broome Sunset Markets are held here on Thursdays (April to October) with food stalls and live music. Best for families—the water's calmer than Cable Beach.

Smaller locals' beach with calm water, a playground and free BBQs. The Roebuck Bay mudflats at low tide reveal dinosaur footprints — look for them near the jetty.

Tip: Go at extreme low tide (check tables online) and walk around the jetty pylons. The footprints are subtle, so look for three-toed impressions in the hardened mud. Sunrise is best for light and fewer people.

Historic precinct of open-fronted pearl sheds, shops and galleries along Dampier Terrace. The old pearling master houses have been converted into boutiques and cafés.

Tip: Walk behind the shops to the Sun Pictures courtyard — the heritage cinema was built in 1916 and still shows films outdoors for $20.

Australia's largest Japanese cemetery. Contains 704 graves of pearling divers who died from decompression sickness, cyclones, and accidents. Well-maintained with informative plaque

Tip: It's a 20-minute walk from Chinatown. Bring water and a hat — no shelter. The gates are always open but go before 10am to avoid heat. Don't miss the memorial to the 1942 bombing victims.