Broome hovercraft tour: Can I see the dinosaur footprints?
It’s possible to see ancient dinosaur footprints on a Broome hovercraft tour in Western Australia. The tours also skim over the vast tidal flats of Roebuck Bay.
The Western Australian town of Broome is well known for its pearl farming and camel rides down Cable Beach. But it’s also possible to take a Broome hovercraft tour. And not just any hovercraft tour – one that takes you to ancient dinosaur footprints.
9 great Broome experiences to book today
- 1. Sunset camel ride – take in the changing colours of Cable Beach on camelback.
- 2. Horizontal Falls flight – see one of nature’s most extraordinary natural phenomena
- 3. Crocodile park visit – watch big crocs being fed up close.
- 4. Half hour helicopter ride – see the extraordinary red rock coastline from above
- 5. Dinosaur footprints adventure – including a wildlife spotting boat ride down Dampier Creek.
- 6. Sunset cruise – enjoy an Indian Ocean sunset with wine in hand
- 7. Windjana Gorge day trip – venture deeper into the rugged Kimberley.
- 8. Town tour – learn Broome’s fascinating history along the way.
- 9. Mud-crabbing experience – catch crabs in the mangroves then eat them after they’re cooked by a pro.
The Broome hovercraft tours are run by Broome Hovercraft Eco Adventure Tours. They head out over the tidal flats of Roebuck Bay, land on the beach back by red sand dunes, and take guests to see dinosaur footprints left in the rocks millions of years ago.
Broome hovercraft tour on Roebuck Bay
As the pilot struggles to steer, it quickly becomes clear why hovercrafts were such a short-lived fad. Piloting one is not quite as simple as driving a car.
“It has the steering capability of supermarket shopping trolley,” says the pilot. “It’s all about the centre of gravity.”
Broome is one of the few places in the world where hovercrafts still have a role to play. The remote resort town in north-western Australia gets 10.4 metre tides, with the Indian Ocean retreating around a mile at low tide. In such circumstances, it’s handy to have something capable of travelling on soggy flats as well as sea.
Best 5 Broome day trips to book in advance
- Horizontal Falls and Dampier Peninsula day tour – including speedboat ride and Buccaneer archipelago flight. (See other Horizontal Falls tour options here).
- Dampier Peninsula 4WD tour – including Beagle Bay’s pearl shell church, Aboriginal communities & Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.
- Fixed wing air tour – including Cape Leveque, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm & Horizontal Falls.
- Windjana Gorge day tour – including the Tunnel Creek caves.
- Epic full day combo – see Mitchell Falls, Horizontal Falls and the Dampier Peninsula in one trip.
World War II seaplane wrecks
“On a very low tide, you can see seaplanes that were destroyed in World War II,” says the guide. There’s also plenty of birdlife, and the occasional crocodile venturing from its preferred home territory.
After a blast across Roebuck Bay on the hovercraft’s cushioned skirt, the pilot puts his trusty yellow steed into a spin designed to land the front on the beach. And what a beach it is, with staggeringly red cliffs towering over the sand.
But the pilot is more interested in the rocks on the beach. We walk over to them, and he gets us to stand in formation. He points to one roughly oval shape as the first guinea pig’s position. Then the rest of us are shepherded into similar spots.
When we look around at each other, there’s a clear pattern. “That’s because you’re standing in dinosaur footprints,” he explains.
Broome dinosaur footprints on hovercraft tour
These giant pad marks were made around 120 million years ago, and were only discovered in the 1970s. They belong, scientists believe, to a brachiosaurus. And the smaller imprints next to the bigger ones may well have been created by a smaller brachiosaurus – perhaps a kid running between its mum’s legs.
At the time, it would have been forest floor rather than rock the dinos were walking on. The centuries, however, have compressed everything down.
They’re not the only dinosaur footprints in these parts. Hundreds of sets have been found around Broome, including at James Price Point, and it’s largely because the landscape is so benign. There have been no earthquakes or volcanoes to change things since the dinosaurs died out and their historic highway became considerably hotter.
Broome hovercraft tour at sunset
After some quality time spent with these startling remnants of the past, it’s time to head back in the hovercraft, which bounces over the flats towards the waterline. Again, we spin to a stop, and the guide pulls out a picnic table from an erstwhile unseen hidey-hole.
Canapes and champers on the squelchy flats seems like an odd way to end a tour, until the sun starts descending in the sky. The little pools of water left behind by the retreating tide reflect the sun as it goes into its orange and red phases of the sunset. It’s quite the light show – and one that Mama Brachiosaurus probably could have enjoyed 160 million years ago.
The Broome Hovercraft Eco Adventure Tours’ sunset tour, which takes in the dinosaur footprints, lasts around four hours and costs $196.
Broome accommodation recommendations
There are plenty of places to stay in Broome – mostly scarily expensive. These are the best accommodation choices if they’re available on your dates.
- For the best pool scene: Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa.
- For Cable Beach location, but considerably cheaper: RAC Cable Beach Holiday Park.
- For a good value, fairly central aparthotel: Moonlight Bay Suites.
- For character, heritage and charm: Pinctada McAlpine House.
Flights to Broome Airport are available from Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. Other attractions in Broome include the Willie Creek Pearl Farm, the Pearl Luggers and the Matsos Brewery.
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Walk from Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse to Sugarloaf Rock.
The best things to do in Kojonup, WA.
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Enjoy fine dining and fine wine at Wills Domain in Yallingup.