Log One Hundred and Forty – The Dinosaur Tracks Remain Unseen

10 July 2026

We were encouraged to check out the dinosaur footprints which are some 130 million years old. It seems these footprints are under water and can only be seen at very low tide. I checked the tide timetable to see when low tide was to occur and got up early to see these prehistoric markers.

I checked a couple of locations with no luck. I assumed where a large number of people had gathered that would be the place to see the footprints. This was a flawed assumption. Disappointment was the universal experience. It seems the tide has to be very, very low. The nearest I got to a dinosaur was a 3 year old roaring like we all assume a dinosaur would sound.

The town of Broome is a curious oasis in the middle of nowhere. You would need to drive north for 2-3 days for the next big town or a go a similar distance to the south. Broome is miles from anywhere. It is however a town of resorts, retail outlets, hardware stores, restaurants and cafes. It’s a place to get a haircut after weeks on the road and to generally restock. This is a town big enough for rental e-scooters!

Broome’s main street is known as China Town even though it was Japanese pearling businesses that established this strip over a 100 years ago. The Chinese came later but it seems claimed naming rights. The old architecture has been retained and most buildings are made of corrugated iron.

Broome has the oldest outdoor cinema still operating. The Guinness Book of Records recognises it as such. We had to see a movie at this famous venue. The seating is canvas deck chairs and there is no roof so the stars are visible as the night gets darker.

One issue for a cinema that was built in 1916 is that it was built before commercial flights and before the Broome airport. It is now unfortunately under the flight approach for the airport. We enjoyed one helicopter and one fixed wing aircraft. These slight interruptions just added to the whole experience. Rather than offering hand sanitiser this cinema provides mosquito repellent.

Another famous drawcard is Cable beach so named after the telegraph cable that connected Broome and Australia to the rest of the world via Java. This was back in the 1880s. This beach is now the place to take a camel ride, to enjoy the sunset or to just go for a swim. Even a bike ride is possible and at times you can drive on the beach at low tide.

We both got haircuts. My barber was from Italy having moved to Australia post COVID. Barb’s hairdresser was young French woman.

And so we reluctantly continue south.