GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #65 | Page 63

RV TRAVEL
Broome also has a notable WWII history , having been a strategic point during the war and therefore the target of numerous Japanese fighter planes . Several wrecks still exist along Broome ’ s coastline and can be seen via a guided walking tour , or you can walk out from the Town Beach Jetty during a spring low tide of under 0.5 to the wreckage of the Catalina flying boat .
For an overview of all this and more , a visit to the Broome Historical Museum is a must .
Kununurra , whose name comes from the English interpretation of ‘ Goonoonoorrang ’ from the Mirriwoong people , is a relatively young town , having only been founded in 1961 as a result of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme .
Catalina flying boat wreck off Town Beach in Broome .
Previously , the nearby town of Wyndham was the epicentre of the area and the land around Kununurra was predominantly for grazing cattle , but at the start of the 20th century , the WA government saw the opportunity to turn this fertile land into a yearround agriculture industry .
The Kununurra Diversion Dam was built over the Ord River to contain the ample floodwaters to be diverted to agricultural land . In addition , like Broome with its pearls , Kununurra has its own precious stone : Argyle pink diamonds , said to be some of the oldest diamonds ever found .
They are also some of the rarest ; there is only a limited number – mining operations ceased in November 2020 .
W I N N E R !
Beautiful beachside camping in Broome .
Broome
/ 63