Take a Stroll Along…Scenic Cable Beach
Cable Beach stretches along the shores of Western Australia where Broome meets the Indian Ocean.
The sand is pristine, because the tides come in every day to wash it clean.
The sunsets are spectacular, because the crystal clear turquoise waters conspire with the flat perfect beaches to showcase the sun as it dips low in the sky.
Once you come to Broome and Cable Beach, you won’t want to leave.
The beach itself stretches along for 22 kilometres, and when the tides come in they can reach as high as 9 metres. The place takes its name from the historical laying of telegraph cable that joined Broome and Java way back in 1889. Ever since, it’s been a lively place where people from all parts of the world convene, mixing with the locals, to celebrate one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The Beach Sunset
It has to be true that one of the most popular activities is taking a drive down to the beach at sunset with a bottle of bubbly to see the sun do her glorious daily thing. The beach is wide and the sand is hard, so it easily accommodates the tourists driving down in their vehicles to drink it all in. Folks who have shared this experience talk about the camaraderie unique to the area that binds everybody together.
If you visit between March and October, plan your trip for the dates when the full moon will occur. For three days during that time when the tide ebbs to its lowest, the play of light from the moon onto the ocean creates the visual trick of a staircase ascending from the ocean to the moon. This phenomenon is called the Staircase to the Moon and is visible over Roebuck Bay.
Camels on the Beach
For many people, the real reason to visit Cable Beach is the opportunity to ride a camel along the amazing shoreline. There are several tour operators that can schedule you with one of their friendly animals for a pre-sunset trek, and even if you’re a little hesitant about riding an animal as large as a camel, it’s worth your time to come to the beach just to see the caravan as it passes by at sunset.
Most of them will take your photo at no charge, and some of the tours offer props along with full catering services to let you feel the magic of an Arabian-style dinner.
And Lots More!
You’ll find some interesting sights along the beach, with the tide pools that capture the occasional octopus or other sea-dweller; when they land there they simply wait for the next time to come and carry them back out to the ocean. Another kind of unusual sight might be the nude sunbathers that bask in the sun on the northern shores of Cable Beach; it’s one of the most popular nude beaches in the world.
Cable Beach is safe for swimmers most of the time, but you’ve got to watch out for the Irukandji jelly fish that swim in the waters during the wet season. However, people who have reported crocodiles or sharks anywhere near Broome are way off the mark. Great whites avoid the area because the water temperature is too warm for them.
There only death was attributable to a hammerhead shark, and that was in out in rather deeper waters. Crocodiles are never usually seen on the beach areas and if they are they are usually just swimming between mangrove inlets.
Yet only 15 minutes from Broome, you can take a side trip to the Malcolm Douglas Wilderness Wildlife Park and Animal Refuge. The entrance is through the mouth of a huge constructed crocodile, and it’s a place where you can see 200 crocodiles as well as bilbies, dingos, kangaroos, cassowaries, and plenty of other wildlife specimens.
If fishing’s your thing, your luck depends on the time of year and the tides, but fishermen report luck with giant herring, permit, and blue salmon. You can rent a charter at or take a trip to the bay in nearby Broome where tuna, mackerel, trevally, plus lots more have been reported.
All Kinds of Lodging
Lodging along Cable Beach offers a full range of accommodation to suit every type of visitor. You might want a luxury resort that offers one, two, or three-room accommodations with en suite outdoor showers and barbecue pits as well as designer pools and day spa on the premises.
Other places will satisfy singles looking for adventure both on the beach and with a booming night life. Yet additional choices offer caravan park locations, both powered and unpowered, for the traveling visitor or family.
Cable Beach is only a little over two hours’ travel time by plane from Perth.
If you’re flying in to Australia from the North, you’ll find Broome’s airport handles tourist groups easily.
No matter what you like to do, you will find natural beauty, wildlife, and fun-loving people of all cultures at Cable Beach.
