Broome – Learning to write a novel

Its been just on 4 weeks since arriving in Broome, Western Australlia. Tipping the end of the wet season, the first week was humid with a few remaining storms that had lingered for our arrival. I spent the first month on-foot and changed accommodation in the middle. I now have my own ‘studio unit’ which is comfortable, cool (when the fans are on) and with a shared pool and garden to enjoy in the mornings and evenings when the sun dissapears but it’s still warm.

There are a couple of disappointments to be honest. The Town Beach café, which I fondly remembered enjoying breakfast and dolphin spotting at, has closed. This is where I was going to write my book. It seems not. The town centre has been undergoing renovations for a while and the streets are messy and closed with the end of construction. Locals say it needs to be finished by the end of May and I hope it is. I’d had enough of construction in Sydney, both in the city centre and in the Northern Beaches and it feels to me like the local businesses are suffering, they are quiet even with the impending start of season just around the corner.

But these are just adjustments, letting go of the ‘dream’ and creating a ‘reality’ was always going to be part of the plan.

On the positive side, some of the old favourites, Cable Beach, Matso’s, The Mango Place and Town Beach still remain as remembered. I have also discovered the Broome Library which will be a great spot for writing, reading and working on my blog posts!

A month on foot has given me blisters, a light tan and also re-aquainted me with some of these locations as I pounded the streets, finding my way around. I feel like I can visualise the town a little better and have set myself up for finding my local hangouts. Good coffee is still on the list. I have had a few mediocre ones, generally sticking instead to chocolate milkshakes and Iced Coffee if I’m honest!

Broome presents me with an interesting challenge. A mental toughness is needed to dig in and find structure and comfort (and work!) in a different environment, where there are probably only 2 shops to buy clothes from (but you live in shorts and tshirts), limited café’s and expensive toasted sandwiches (but cheaper to buy from the supermarket anyway) and a delicate balance between travel and work to be re-found.

And….there are galleries and bookshops to visit, pindan earth and tranquil waters. There is much to explore, learn and find out, about Broome and about myself. And last Friday, I purchased a car, to take me on the Broome journey and beyond. I’m loving him already!