Gantheaume Point

Gantheaume Point Gérard Janot / CC BY-SA 3.0

At the southern end of the famous Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia, lies Gantheaume Point, a promontory of spectacular sandstone.

The point was first viewed by Nicolas Baudin in 1801. He only saw it from afar and misidentified the point as an island. In 1821, Phillip Parker King investigated more closely and corrected the cartographic error.

Gantheaume is perhaps most famous for its oldest attraction. At very low tide, sure-footed explorers can clamber down the rocks in search of Cretaceous-Era dinosaur footprints preserved in the ancient mudflats below. There are casts of the footprints at the top of the cliffs for the less adventurous.

At the top of the cliffs is Anastasia’s Pool, a natural rock pool that fills up at high tide and was modified by a former lighthouse keeper to provide a hydrotherapy pool for his arthritic wife. In 2014, the pool succumbed to the tides and wet season storms and was mostly destroyed.

Also at the point is the chimney from an old lighthouse keeper’s house, the spectacular new lighthouse keeper’s residence—the backyard is available for hire for events, and an active osprey nest on the new lighthouse.

Know Before You Go

Seek advice about the tides before climbing down to look for the footprints. They are only visible when the tide is below 2.16m and you don't want to get stuck down there when the tide is rising. A lot of car hire places in Broome specify that their cars are not to be taken off the bitumen, but there is usually an exception for the short drive on a red dirt road out to the point.