So we set off for Broome, but stopped in briefly at Roebuck Plains Roadhouse for lunch - where we met a couple of friendly cows. We had been on the road for a while already that day.

When we arrived in Broome the first priority was our tyres. We got the phone numbers of all the tyre shops from the tourist info centre and did some checking. Even in Broome, nobody had the right size. One guy said he could get some sent up from Perth - but they wouldn't be here until Friday. So we would have to stay a few extra days. What a shame! Then we heard there was a market on Saturday, and decided to stay even longer. If you are to be stranded anywhere, this is the place.

Our second priority was to find a caravan park. The last time we came in the busy season, and got squished into a corner with the back packers. This time we had the pick of the sites, and got a wonderful spot right on the beach. Town beach, not Cable beach, but it was calm and peaceful and an absolute delight.

So now we had four days to fill in waiting for our tyres. We had done a lot of the pearling history and pearl farms on our last visit. The other iconic things at Broome were the Stairway to the Moon, but we had a crescent moon and we couldn't wait two weeks for a full one - so that was out of the question. Facing east, we got to see many sunrises, and got a few 'Stairway to the Sun' photos.

Broome is an old historic town, and it has managed to retain its historic ambience. It is developed, of course, but not overdeveloped. There are no sky scrapers. There are holiday apartments and resorts, but never more than two or three storeys. The shops and laneways in town are made of corrugated iron and retain their character. There is no development or build up directly on the beach anywhere, or too close to the historic town centre. It also has the feel of a beach town, with cafés and restaurants, and shops selling beach wear. With the addition, of course, of a few very posh shops selling very expensive pearls.

There is a historic outdoor cinema which is the oldest continually running cinema in the world. It celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year. We went there to watch a movie, but prior to that had a drink at the Runway Bar across the road. It is named this because it is directly under the airport runway, and you regularly see (and hear) planes coming in to land directly over your head, so close you could almost reach up and touch them. It was a bit of a nuisance while watching the movie though.

We went to Cable Beach of course and swam. The beach is beautiful to look at, but I actually preferred swimming in the town beach right on our doorstep. The other iconic thing you have to do while in Broome is watch the sun set over Cable Beach. While we were at the cinema we met another couple who had planned to rent a 4WD the next day, and watch the sun set from the sand. They invited us to come along.

So the next evening we met them in the car park, set off driving on the sand and found 'a good spot' to set up. We had our happy hour and nibbles, watched the camel train pass by, then saw the sun sink into the ocean.

The third iconic thing to do in Broome was the Horizontal Falls. Because there are such big tides up here, often 8 or 10 metres, it can create the phenomenon known as the horizontal falls. There is an area a few hundred kilometres north of Broome with lots of rocky mountain ranges, and in one place they create an "inland sea" which is connected to other waterways only through a very narrow gap. As the tides come and go, a very large volume of water has to pass through this gap, and there is a difference in water levels of several metres on either side of the gap.

We had considered doing the Horizontal Falls on our last trip, but they were very expensive. This time, we thought we will probably never come here again, so we decided to give it a shot. We caught a small seaplane, flew low level right up the coast to Cape Le Veque and saw the lighthouse. Then we turned and flew over the Buccaneer Archipelago, before landing on the water in the middle of the mountains. The pilot was a young Kiwi girl, and she was amazing.

We saw the horizontal falls from the air, then caught a speed boat and saw them again from the water. There were two gaps - one 20 metres wide, and one seven metres wide. The wider gap had water rushing through causing lots of turbulence. But with the jet boat, we pushed our way through it. The narrow gap had a full on waterfall - with the water a few metres above and gushing down. It was too dangerous to go through at this stage.

So we went back to the pontoon, had some breakfast, and fed some friendly sharks. They were so used to our guide they would actually let him pat their dorsal fins and lift a couple right out of the water. We went back to the narrow gap an hour or two later, and the flow had calmed enough to be able to go through. A couple of hours later it would be completely calm, until the tide went out again and it did the whole show all over again.

On the flight back the aerial perspective gave a very good understanding of the terrain. In the north Kimberley, or Kimberley Basin, where there had been some geological upheavals, the land looked like a crumpled piece of paper. Then we flew south, across King Sound, and below this the land was flat as a pancake. As we approached Broome again, we flew over the Runway Bar, and imagined all the people looking up at us as we had done. It was an expensive exercise, but well worth it.

It was a good thing we decided to stay an extra night as the tyres did arrive on Friday, but not until the middle of the day, and by the time they were fitted it was mid-afternoon. So now we relax on the beach one last time, watch one last sunset, and tomorrow we bid a sad farewell to beautiful Broome.

GeorgeY's bit

Even when the tourist season is over, Broome is still beautiful. We picked the best spot with beach view possibly in the whole world. Caravan park neighbours varied, some German, Swiss, Ballaratians…etc. All were nice and talked about nearly everything. Most topics after 'where from' and 'where to', were the best things to see and do in Broome. As petty/opportunistic theft was common, some reported to me that some kids tried to take my fold up bike at 1:30 am. before realising it was tied to the tree. It then went straight to the van and stayed there. Broome's population goes from 15,000 to 45,000 during the dry season. When tourists are gone, the problems of Broome's native population look worse. Family violence, alcohol abuse, kids not at school or roaming the streets at ungodly hours…etc. A lot of talk and little is done.

The Horizontal Falls were amazing. Expensive but worth every cent. I mentally planned to make sure to take a set of spare batteries for the camera as I suspected it needed a fresh charge, but I forgot. And halfway in it became uncooperative, kept displaying "Replace batteries" and needed TLC to squeeze the last few shots. Eva grilled me on this until hers started to run out of charge too. On a happier note, Tonia our pilot was not just a pretty face, she masterfully guided that plane to land through a narrow path between the mountains, low flying in order to land on the water. Flying the Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian is like driving the London Double Decker bus from the top floor with the windscreen starting above your head and making 45 degrees with the sky above you. All up a great day.