The colours of Broome grace many an artists palette as they try and do justice to this amazing Kimberley wonderland.  The red of the earth creates a stunning juxtaposition

against the azure waters, with waves softly frothing white at the shore.  Birds look vividly white in contrast to the blue of the water as they float upon the surface, or sail above in the clear blue skies. The green of the mangroves as the incoming tides surround them, the occasionally fluffy cloud drifting along making the blue of the sky look darker by contrast – No wonder Broome inspires artists and photographers alike.

Then there’s the sunsets with every shade of red, orange, yellow, and even pink. A few nights ago a smoke haze drifted along the horizon obscuring the setting sun. Instead of the usual fire ball of red slowly sliding into the ocean, the sun turned an amazing shade of bright pink.

Whilst that sunset was most unusual, the usual sunsets never fail to delight. We often take our chairs down to the foreshore for sunset drinks prior to dinner. This sunset the very next night was all oranges and yellows.

Last night I created a cocktail to honour the sunset, and called it, ‘Cable Beach Sunset’. It’s vodka based, but no surprises in that the I stole the idea of dropping some Grenadine into the orange juice concoction from the famous Tequila Sunrise cocktail. Kaye and Brian brought their chairs down and joined us.

Then there’s the moon, trying hard to rival the sun, and creating it’s own amazing colour spectacle. During the winter months, (yes, as unbelievable as that may seem, it is winter here in Broome), the full moon rises above the mudflats at Roebuck Bay.

The ripples of the watery mud reflect the moonlight creating a staircase effect, aptly titled, The Staircase to the Moon. It only happens for three nights over each full moon, and only when there’s a coinciding low tide, so only during the winter months. Crowds gather on the shores of Roebuck Bay, which is the opposite side of the Broome Peninsula to Cable Beach, to watch, and visitors try to coincide their Broome holidays with a staircase event.

 

Paul has tried to do justice with his photos, and I’ve done my artistic best using my culinary skills to create a cocktail. The reality though is that photos, nor paintings, nor cocktails can do proper justice to the colours of the Kimberley. It’s only by seeing the red dirt against the turquoise waters, or by watching the sun set over Cable Beach, or by witnessing the spectacle of the full moon rising over Roebuck Bay that Broome in all it’s glory can be appreciated. If Broome isn’t on your bucket list, you really must put there. It won’t disappoint.