Routes · Oceania

Chicago to the Kimberley coast: Broome and Cape Leveque

Chicago → Broome → Cape Leveque

Pearling town, red cliffs & Staircase to the Moon Best season (general guide): May–Sep

Broome is a small town on the coast of Western Australia's Kimberley region, with turquoise water, red earth and a long pearling history. This route spends four nights in Broome and three at Cape Leveque. From Chicago you'll connect through Los Angeles and an Australian hub such as Perth.

How to pace it: Spend days one to four in Broome: day one, Cable Beach at sunset; day two, pearling history in Chinatown; day three, Gantheaume Point; day four, staircase to the Moon (if dates align). Then spend days five to seven in Cape Leveque: day five, north up the Dampier Peninsula; day six, cultural tour with Bardi guides; day seven, swim and the red cliffs.

Cable Beach stretches for kilometres, and camel rides along the sand at sunset are a Broome tradition. At Gantheaume Point, red cliffs drop to the sea, and dinosaur footprints can be seen in the rocks at very low tide.

Broome grew as a pearling port, drawing divers from Japan, Malaysia and elsewhere, and the town's Chinatown and cemeteries reflect this history.

On some nights in the dry season, the full moon rising over the mudflats of Roebuck Bay creates an illusion of steps, known as the Staircase to the Moon.

Cape Leveque, at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, has red cliffs above white beaches. Communities of the Bardi Jawi people run camps and cultural tours that teach about fishing, bush foods and the coast.

May to September is the dry season and the best time. The wet season brings heat, storms and road closures.

Broome's sunsets draw crowds to Cable Beach, so find a spot early. On the Dampier Peninsula, take time to listen to your guides and follow their lead on where to go.

Good to know: The road to Cape Leveque is now sealed, but check conditions and whether you need a permit for some communities. Swim only where locals say it is safe, because of crocodiles and box jellyfish. Distances are long, so carry water.

Pack a hat and long sleeves.

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