# Port Hedland to Broome via Eighty Mile Beach

> 3-day road trip of about 617 km (383 mi) with 9 stops, from Port Hedland to Broome Bird Observatory. About 6 h 44 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-port-hedland-to-broome/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 617 km (383 mi) with 9 stops, from Port Hedland to Broome Bird Observatory. About 6 h 44 min of driving in total. About 600 km along the Great Northern Highway, a long coastal desert drive with an overnight stop at Eighty Mile Beach, ending at the white sand and red cliffs of Broome.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 617 km (383 mi) |
| Driving | 6 h 44 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 9 |
| Route | Port Hedland → Broome Bird Observatory |
| States | Western Australia |
| Updated | April 27, 2026 |

## Route description

Day 1: leave Port Hedland after a stop at Pretty Pool, then follow the sealed Great Northern Highway north-east for about 250 km to the turn-off for Eighty Mile Beach, 3 to 4 hours of straight road. Fuel is limited, with roadhouses at Pardoo and Sandfire; top up whenever you can. The landscape is flat spinifex and red sand with huge skies, ideal for a campervan or caravan.

Day 2 morning: walk the shore at Eighty Mile Beach, a 220 km strip of shells and mudflats where tides reach about 9 m and migratory shorebirds feed; time your walk at low tide and do not swim far out. Then rejoin the highway and drive about 365 km to Broome, 4 to 5 hours. Watch for cattle and wildlife at dusk, and do not drive after dark.

Day 3: Broome is best by the tide. Start at Gantheaume Point to see the red cliffs and, at very low tide, the dinosaur footprints. Spend the afternoon at Cable Beach, 22 km of white sand, then watch sunset with the camels. On suitable nights from March to October, Town Beach shows the Staircase to the Moon, and Sun Pictures is a fine evening choice.

Optional extra: the Broome Bird Observatory, about 25 km east of town on Roebuck Bay, is a good morning for birdwatchers when migratory shorebirds are in, roughly August to April. Roads here are sealed, and fuel and food are easy in Broome. Wet-season storms and cyclones occur from November to April, and stingers and crocodiles make beach swimming risky then; the cooler dry season is safest.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Port Hedland** (Western Australia)
2. **Pretty Pool, Port Hedland** (Port Hedland, Western Australia): A tidal pool and mangrove-fringed shore on the east side of Port Hedland, good for watching wading birds when the tide drops. Take a break from the industrial port, but note that the large tidal range changes the scene hour by hour.
3. **Eighty Mile Beach** (Port Hedland, Western Australia): A remote 220 km beach of shells and tidal flats, a Ramsar wetland of major importance for migratory shorebirds. Tides reach up to about 9 m. It lies off the Great Northern Highway about halfway between Port Hedland and Broome; swim only with great caution.
4. **Broome** (Western Australia)
5. **Gantheaume Point** (Broome, Western Australia): Red pindan cliffs drop to turquoise water just south-west of Broome. At very low tides, dinosaur footprints about 130 million years old appear in the rock platform; casts above show them at any time. Check the tide table before you go.
6. **Cable Beach** (Broome, Western Australia): A 22 km sweep of white sand and turquoise Indian Ocean, famous for sunsets and camel trains on the beach. The beach is named after the 1889 telegraph cable. Swim between flags where patrolled and heed signs about stingers and crocodiles.
7. **Staircase to the Moon, Town Beach** (Broome, Western Australia): On a few evenings a month, from roughly March to October, the full moon rises over the exposed mudflats of Roebuck Bay and its reflection forms a golden stairway. Town Beach is the usual viewing spot; check local moon and tide dates.
8. **Sun Pictures and Chinatown, Broome** (Broome, Western Australia): Sun Pictures, opened in 1916, is one of the world's oldest open-air cinemas still showing films, in deckchairs under the stars. It sits in Broome's old Chinatown, which preserves the pearling era's mix of Asian, Aboriginal and European communities.
9. **Broome Bird Observatory** (Broome, Western Australia): A field station on Roebuck Bay, a Ramsar wetland where tens of thousands of shorebirds feed on the mudflats. Migratory birds are present from about August to April, with the best viewing at high tide. About 25 km east of Broome.

## Suggested stages and overnight stops

1. **Day 1: Port Hedland → Eighty Mile Beach** (262 km, 2 h 51 min) On the way: Pretty Pool, Port Hedland.
2. **Day 2: Eighty Mile Beach → Broome** (319 km, 3 h 29 min)
3. **Day 3: Broome → Broome Bird Observatory** (36 km, 0 h 24 min) On the way: Gantheaume Point, Cable Beach, Staircase to the Moon, Town Beach, Sun Pictures and Chinatown, Broome.

## Best time to go

No month is ideal everywhere on this route; the most pleasant are usually May–September. Hot in October–April. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## FAQs

**How long is Port Hedland to Broome via Eighty Mile Beach?**
3-day road trip of about 617 km (383 mi) with 9 stops, from Port Hedland to Broome Bird Observatory. About 6 h 44 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Port Hedland to Broome via Eighty Mile Beach?**
We suggest 3 days: about 6 h 44 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Port Hedland to Broome via Eighty Mile Beach start and end?**
It starts in Port Hedland and ends in Broome Bird Observatory.

**Which states does Port Hedland to Broome via Eighty Mile Beach pass through?**
Western Australia.

**When is the best time for Port Hedland to Broome via Eighty Mile Beach?**
No month is ideal everywhere on this route; the most pleasant are usually May–September. Hot in October–April. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)