11 Incredible Broome Camping Spots | Australian Traveller

What’s more rejuvenating than a few nights under the stars? Fortunately, Broome and the stunning Dampier Peninsula is home to some ridiculously cool camping grounds.

If you’re looking to throw down the tent pegs in town, the Shire of Broome only permits camping at caravan parks. Outside of town, you’ll find a dreamy collection of free and fee-paying campsites. Here are some of the best Broome camping experiences.

1. Broome Bird Observatory

a bird resting on a branch at Broome Bird Observatory — See a variety of bird species at Broome Bird Observatory. (Image: Harclade)

Where: Crab Creek Road
Distance from Broome: 40 minutes
Price: $

If you’re a bird watcher, make sure to spend a night at the Broome Bird Observatory , a research and education facility that raises revenue through camping, accommodation, tours and education courses, along with its shop.

Sleep under starry skies in the quiet, unpowered campground, or take it up a notch and book into a self-contained cottage. Amenities include a camp kitchen with all the accoutrements you’ll need to prepare dinner, flushing toilets, hot showers and plenty of bird baths.

2. Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

an aerial view of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm — Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm cultivates the rarest South Sea pearls in the world. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Off Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

Nestled at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, this family-owned pearl farm boasts one of the top spots to camp in the Kimberley.

Guests are invited to brush up on their pearl knowledge with farm tours or grading classes, while adventurers can jump aboard boat rides to explore the Buccaneer Archipelago. Sample pearl meat ceviche at the elegant restaurant before taking a dip in the pool.

Set in a paperbark paddock, the unpowered campsites have campfires, a shared camp kitchen and shared camp toilets. If you seek more comfort, there are luxury safari tents, air-conditioned shacks and the original Master Pearler’s private retreat that sleeps eight.

3. James Price Point/Waldamany

an aerial view of a car passing through James Price Point — Journey through the rugged landscape toward James Price Point. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Off Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: 60 kilometres
Price: Free

With more pristine white sand and red cliffs than you can poke a camera at, camping at James Price Point/Waldamany is a bucket-list Kimberley experience.

Sites at this remote camping spot have a three-day limit and fill up quickly in the dry season. You’ll need to be self-sufficient as there are zero facilities.

For cooling off, there’s a rock pool that’s great for swimming on the outgoing tide. If your timing is spot on you’ll see nesting sea turtles and humpback whales migrating past in the turquoise ocean.

4. Tarangau Caravan Park

the Tarangua Caravan Park at Cable Beach, Broome — Set up a camp at Tarangau Caravan Park.

Where: 16 Millington Road, Cable Beach
Distance from Broome: 10 kilometres
Price: $$

If you like small parks, then Tarangau Caravan Park is the perfect place to spend the weekend or an extended break. This gem near Cable Beach (the beach renowned for its camel rides) has powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites, clean bathrooms, laundry, a barbecue area and a camp kitchen.

You can book a wide variety of day and overnight tours at reception, with tour companies collecting you from the front of the park. Selected sites are pet-friendly, so call ahead if you’re taking your pooch.

5. Nature’s Hideaway Middle Lagoon

Where: Middle Lagoon Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours
Price: $$

For some of the best views in the Kimberley, make a beeline for one of the unpowered campsites along the escarpment at Nature’s Hideaway Middle Lagoon on the Dampier Peninsula.

All sites are within easy reach of the beach, the small shop and washing facilities. For those who like four walls between themselves and nature, there are cabins with ensuite bathrooms. You’ll need a 4WD to reach Middle Lagoon, as the road can be very sandy and corrugated in places.

6. Banana Well Getaway

an aerial view of a caravan at Banana Well Getaway, Broome — Set up camp by the beach at Banana Well Getaway. (Image: Taryn Yeates)

Where: Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours
Price: $$

Home to pelicans, brolgas, egrets and ibis to name a few, this idyllic location is perfect for fishing and crabbing. Powered and unpowered sites for caravans and campers are available, as well as a range of air-conditioned cabins and three- and four-bedroom houses in tranquil bush settings.

Other facilities at Banana Well Getaway include a small pool, barbeques, fire pits, hot showers and a shop with cold drinks, block ice and fishing bait. Round off your stay with a stop at the nearby community of Beagle Bay, home to the beautiful Sacred Heart Church with its mother-of-pearl shell altar.

7. Lombadina Aboriginal Corporation

Stay is a rustic cabin at Lombadina Aboriginal Corporation. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

The seaside Aboriginal community of Lombadina welcomes visitors with accommodation, tours, a bakery (fresh bread three days a week) and a historic bush church constructed from corrugated iron.

The bush-style campsites have shared ablutions, laundry and a barbecue area. Nestled amongst the coconut trees, you’ll find several self-contained cabins that sleep up to five adventurers.

8. Pender Bay Escape

Where: Two Moons Road, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

Your idyllic days at the remote Pender Bay Escape campsite will be spent fishing, watching whales in the bay, cooling down in the clear water, spotting hermit crabs, and sitting around the campfire.

Campsite C2 is the jewel in the crown, boasting twin outdoor bathtubs with grand ocean views. This hideaway boasts hot showers and toilets – but be warned, they are a fair walk from some sites so best to check the distance to the loo when booking.

9. Gnylmarung Retreat

foldable camping chairs at Gnylmarung Retreat — Take in breathtaking ocean views at Gnylmarung Retreat.

Where: Middle Lagoon Road, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours
Price: $$

Sticking with the coastal theme, Gnylmarung is where you’ll want to shack up if fishing and diving are your jam.

Run by Alphonse and Delmar in a very low-key fashion, you can take your pick from 35 sites, some with ocean views and others in secluded bushland, with access to solar-powered showers.

The campsite might be basic, but the view over the beach is luxe, especially when it’s peppered with dolphins and whales.

10. Gambanan Wilderness Retreat

Where: Just before One Arm Point community, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

Get your camera ready, the scenery around Gambanan Wilderness Retreat will take your breath away. Located on the Dampier Peninsula just before One Arm Point community, the elevated bush camp overlooks the Jawi Islands. Wake up to a chorus of birdsong and chill out each evening with a campfire.

Facilities include showers, flushing toilets, a shared outdoor kitchen and campfires. For folks who like a bit more luxury, there are safari tents with private barbecues and bush showers.

11. Djarindjin Campground

Where: Cape Leveque Road, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 15 minutes
Price: $

Also located on the striking red dirt of the Dampier Peninsula, Djarindjin Campground caters to large RVs and caravans on its 37 powered sites and 10 unpowered sites, thanks to extra-wide drive-thru sites and modern facilities. Find a range of amenities to make your stay more comfortable, like hot showers, a large camp kitchen with gas BBQs, a sheltered BBQ area and a communal fire pit.

Ready to book your trip to Broome? Check out our ultimate guide to Broome for incredible Airbnbs, top hotels and more.

Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

Aerial view of Mandurah. — Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

The best things to do in Mandurah

Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

Dolphins swimming in Mandurah. — Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah. — Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

Where to eat in Mandurah

Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops. — Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

Where to stay in Mandurah

With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river — Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.

11 beautiful Broome camping spots to know about