Broome Shire Council not in touch

oldbobsbus · Guru

Broome Shire Council not in touch

justcruisin01 · Guru

Thats a nice greating, disbelief been there twice & dont see what all the fuss is about, overated.

oldboar · Senior Member

Agreed, Jim. Very much overpriced & even more overrated.

Darrell & Sandra

billeeeeeee · Guru

Won't be going there again ,, very overrated,,,,, over priced, ,,,,a very excited Billeeeeeee

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Yep been twice - won't go back! Nice enough, plenty to see - but other places are just as good, if not better.

oldbobsbus · Guru

I know we are only a small percentage of the traveling nomads but if the opinions expressed so far are any indication I think the local business peeps will not be very happy with their council.. cry cry

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Councils who do not encourage the Grey Nomads, will find they lose out big time - their ratepayers need to take a stand and show what their policies are doing in the towns!

Phillipn · Guru

We were in Broom in July [ rip off season], which was two trips [the first and the last]. One of the caravan park owners is on the council, which is a conflict of interest.

Their is NO public dump point in Broome. Some of the locals are very vocal regarding the council, one women told me the council will do nothing unless their is something in it for them.

At one service station [ BP ] they wanted $40 to refill a 9 Kg gas bottle, so I went to Bunnings and got a swap for $23, which is their standard price all over Australia.

The Grey nomads spend a lot of money in the place, so if no one went their for a winter or two, they would find out where their bread and butter comes from.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

One of the problems is the southerners from Perth area have been going there for years, and just keep on paying more nf more. While they are doing that, there is no hope of a change in policy.

Santa · Guru

I've made my feelings about Broome pretty well known in other threads, I won't visit again.

KFT · Guru

I am pretty sure I have seen a media article about

Falling Tourist Numbers in Broome.

Cannot find it now though.

I expect that many on here will understand why that would be happening though.

Happywanderer · The Master

In Esperance today the hairdresser cutting my hair asked me what I thought of Broome. I said one word, Overrated. She agreed with me, said a lot of West Australians feel the same way.

GaryKelly · Guru

To keep the shire safe and enjoyable for the rich, rangers are now targeting the poor.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Spot on Gary - though the rich (especially if they are shopkeepers) won't be as rich if the tourists don't come!

The Hats · Senior Member

I Have been there many times for work but Wendy really had a need to see it she was most disappointed it is a beach big deal there are a lot of better beaches around and you can stay for 1/2 the price. I think it is the most over rated town of all.

Cheers

The Hats

Ron

jrg · Senior Member

I agree with all the seniment about Broome being overrated and I know there is a local ,s price and a tourist price.
BUT do you think the sign has something to do with the amount of backpacker tourist in wizz bangs who park anywhere to camp ,giving us GN a bad name and there is one other group who have come in from Fitzroy and Halls creek to get booze that is politcaly incorrect to mention.

Vic41 · Guru

jrg wrote:
I agree with all the seniment about Broome being overrated and I know there is a local ,s price and a tourist price.
BUT do you think the sign has something to do with the amount of backpacker tourist in wizz bangs who park anywhere to camp ,giving us GN a bad name and there is one other group who have come in from Fitzroy and Halls creek to get booze that is politcaly incorrect to mention.

I'd agree with that jrg (whizz Bangs etc), also there was an illegal shanty town where locals were camping that the Council had to justify pulling down that might have something to do with the sign (showing one rule for all).

If anyone is doing the round the block trip they virtually have to pass the "front door" so to speak (the road into Broome) so worth a quick visit to see what it is all about, stock up on food etc even if you don't stay in town. There is a huge distance east or south to the next town so silly just to not see it while within spitting distance (if you happen to be travelling around the northern circuit).

Last time I came that way I stayed at the CP at the Roebuck Plains Roadhouse at the turn off south for a night and did a day trip into town to see what had change etc and out again. I had been there a few times before years ago so had no wish to stay there again.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Thursday 9th of October 2014 11:09:20 AM

Bill B · Guru

jrg wrote:

BUT do you think the sign has something to do with the amount of backpacker tourist in wizz bangs who park anywhere to camp ,giving us GN a bad name

It isn't only the backpackers who are guilty of this.

Sadly some GN's are just as bad.

Westcoast · Member

Feel the same way about Darwin visited Broome many times for work lived in Darwin for a while and Kununnarra, unfortunately it is a easy trap to fall into looking at all travellers as a wallet and trying to figure out how many ways you can dip your hand into it. Common problem Councils should stick to their core business roads / rates and rubbish and stop trying to stick there noses into things they are ill prepared to do properly such as tourism. If you do your core business properly make the the place a safe enjoyable spot then low and behold other people seek you out to experience it. All these spots started out that way but the minute locals try and target visitors for dollars it all falls apart gets a bad name and people avoid it, "same as it ever was".

Bruce and Bev · Guru

Broome is very over priced which is why tourism to the town dropped 30% last year and the Shire and some businesses wined on a TV news programme about it. Sadly the same thing applies in Exmouth and Monkey Mia where the Shires are in bed with the accommodation business and all have numerous signs up from their boundies right into their townships about no free camping.
They blame the young backbackers and yes, a few can be messy, but from what Ive seen most are very "green" and clean up after themselves.

This is all about money and the Shire members and local businesses are too thick to realize they are driving us out.

A few days ago we drove out to Onslow just to say we have been there. What a waste of time and 160 km off the highway. No shops to speak of, scruffy very overpriced camp and a very average looking motel advertising rooms from $185 per night!!

We're now in Karratha and I was able to get a "good" deal at one of the parks - 7 nights for $300. There are 3 caravan parks in Karratha one is now closed and used totally by Chevron (the gas giant here) and the 2nd one wants $52 a night.

Beware - the park owners anywhere the mining industry exists gets big money for accommodating mainly the sub-contractor staff in on site vans and up-market dongas. They are not interested in tourism. Cant wait for the day when these mining companies move to another area and the local fat cats die.

The only good thing we got was staying at the Fortescue Road House south of Karratha. $30 a night for a powered site and very dirty male toilets - female ones and laundry were fine. They have a large mining camp connected to the rear of the road house and they have a tavern there. The good thing is the public can also use it and pay the same cheap rates as the mine workers. For us, two bottles of Hahn premium dry and a glass of spirits cost us $5.10 !!!!!!!