Exmouth to Broome: 1385 kms

Perth to Broome: 2355 kms

By the time we leave Exmouth to head to Broome, the distances are greater.  It’s a long way between drinks, as they say.  Because of the distances involved we break the trip up into three sections. 

We stop the first night at Karratha, the second night at Eighty Mile Beach then on the third day we will arrive at Broome. 

Our original itinerary is to do a single overnight stop in Port Hedland, but the distances are too long for our liking.  780kms on the first day, and a further 610kms on the second day.

The added bonus for the two night/three day trip is we get to stay at Eighty Mile Beach.

Exmouth to Karratha

Distance: 553 kms

After some incredible experiences on Ningaloo Reef, it’s on to our first overnight stop at Karratha.  It’s a town driven by resources, with the nearby Dampier Port a conduit to overseas markets.

Accommodation for the night is at the Discovery Parks (Pilbara) Holiday Park.  Cabins are roomy, well-appointed, neat and clean.  However, we’re reminded we’re in the heart of Fly-In/Fly-Out operations.  The layout is row upon row of duplex cabins.  That’s it.  Very much geared for the transient worker population that keep towns like Karratha running.

Marise asks Mary, who is running the reception desk, is there somewhere close by we can go and have Sundowners.  She tells us about Hearson’s Cove, about 20 or so kilometres away.

After getting our gear out of the Jeep into the cabin, we set off to the Cove along the Dampier Highway.  Heavily industrialised, we don’t hold high expectations.

We pull up in the car park.  What we see is simply stunning, the sheer beauty of Hearson’s Cove at sunset. Salmon sky, mirror like reflections and the place pretty much to ourselves.  We walk out over the tidal flat in an almost surreal world.  Unforgettable.

A home cooked meal that night, and it’s on the road the next day to the much anticipated Eighty Mile Beach.

Karratha to Eighty Mile Beach

Distance: 596 kms

The last few kilometres into Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park is unsealed, but in good condition.  We’d heard so much about this spot; it was an opportunity too good to miss.

We weren’t disappointed.  Campsites and RV sites are grassed; facilities are clean and well placed.

We had intended to do a fair bit of camping, but the weather prior to us arriving up in the Pilbara region was pretty ordinary.  Typical weather for the south west though; cold nights, wet and windy.

But here we get to pitch the ALDI tent!  So we set to work. Tent goes up, and the tarp awning put in place.  All good.

Solar blanket is put in place, and is charging the deep cycle battery.  Fridge hooked up and ticking over.

The queen size camping bed is set up.  It leads to the best night’s sleep I’d had in ages.

The next day we go for a walk along the beach.  The entire beach between the high and low tide marks is made up of millions of sea shells and coral fragments.

Then it’s on to Broome.

Eighty Mile Beach to Broome

Distance: 236 kms

A short drive up the Great Northern Highway; well, short by Western Australia standards, we arrive in Broome.  It’s one of these places that you’ll either love, or you won’t.

Get ourselves a cabin in the RAC Cable Beach Caravan Park, then head down to the famous Cable Beach for a first look.

It is a magnificent beach, but in contrast to all the other beaches we’d seen during the trip, it is very ‘touristy’.  Beach umbrellas for hire, that sort of thing.

Towards sunset, we have drink and a dessert at Zanders at Cable Beach.  A prime location for watching the sunset; but the prices are steep for what you get.  A magnificent location, nonetheless.

We’re here for three nights.  Marise is heading off to Derby for a day trip to Horizontal Falls on the second day.  Which is an adventure all in its own right.

Previous Stop: Exmouth – The Magnificence of Ningaloo Reef

Next Stop: Kununurra – The Heart of the Kimberleys

Read about our Top 5 Places to Visit in Western Australia