Fim Fam - Day 7

(Atop a camel's hump at sunset, Michael Lowe)

Day 7 – June 25, 2009

0700 Breakfast

0800 Transfer to airport

0955 Depart Perth on Qantas flight QF1928

(Broome became famous for its pearling culture back in the day and remains the pearling capital of Australia (if not the world) today: Michael Lowe)

1220 Arrive in Broome and transfer to Pinctada Cable Beach Resort
Pinctada Cable Beach is Broome’s newest and only 5-star hotel. A very boutique feel, by the time we checked in, the property still had not quite finished. Despite its incompletion, guests were already staying (mostly locals for what resorts call their ‘soft opening’) and the service and food was great. You really wouldn’t be able to tell it hadn’t worked out its kinks yet.
www.pinctadacablebeach.com.au

1300 Lunch

1430 Meet Robyn Maher for tour of Broome

1600 Drop at Cable Beach for Camel Ride

1615 Red Sun Camels sunset camel ride

(Yeeeeehaw!: Michael Lowe)

Broome is known for two things: its pearls and its sunsets. So, what better way to enjoy a world-famous sunset than on the hump of a camel? Once you got the hang of it, it was quite relaxing and the sunset really was spectacular. It was a far easier ride than those freaking spastic horses up the side of Ecuador’s volcano, Quilatoa.

1800 Return to hotel

(Broome's famous sunsets did not disappoint: Michael Lowe)

1930 Walk to Zanders at Cable Beach for dinner
One of the many perks of being a writer is being able to meet people you normally wouldn’t. As Maite and I attempted to make a dent in the $150 seafood platter for two consisting of at least 3 whole fishes, muscles, scallops, calamari, fried barramundi and chips, oysters and an entire rock lobster (which was amazing, by the way), a burly man with a few piercings walks up to the table. His name was Amin (I think) and he was the executive chef.

He greeted us warmly with an Aussie-Scottish hybrid of an accent and welcomed us to Broome. As he retreated back to the kitchen, I half hoped he would have grabbed one of the fish and taken it with him. Despite our best efforts, we were forced to leave a couple fishies on the plate.

Two nights later at a beach party, I would run into someone who was a waitress at the restaurant who remembered us when I spoke about how the platter was impossible to finish.
“Oh! You guys were the corner table.”

“Yea, it was kind of embarrassing how much we left on the plate.”

“Thank god you didn’t finish that thing. I took some home at ate it that night!”

I laughed. Normally I would have been a bit more judgmental, but, to be honest, we probably didn’t come close to touching half the plate. Why let it go to waste?