There’s a kind of magic, an infectious buzz, a hive of activity going on in Broome.
It’s Saturday morning and I’m standing in a vibrant rainbow hub known as the Broome Courthouse Markets.
The electric blue sky is as intense as the heat that radiates down on shade cloths and bare limbs of the stallholders and market-dwellers.
The air hums with the sound of chatter, music and sweet scents.
Like most weekends, particularly during the dry season, a flurry of locals and tourists flock to the markets, eager to sample something uniquely Broome.
For more than 25 years, it has taken visitors on an alluring journey through food, music, trade and stories told by interesting Kimberley characters.
This is the place to discover Broome’s culinary and creative wizards from artists, cooks and musicians, to photographers, authors, designers and an array of authentic producers.
The first stop of this morning’s expedition is at a fruit and veg market stall laden with homegrown produce including honeydews, squash, oranges and corn on the cob. There are also fresh herbs on display too including basil and coriander, and zesty sticks of lemongrass waiting to be used for some exotic Broome concoction.
Curious tourists congregate nearby, while a bearded ukulele player sits cross-legged in the middle of the footpath.
I wander past two smiling Filipinos selling potted plants and brightly coloured jewellery and then onto a very different stall altogether.
A burly Australian called Mick is busy spinning a good yarn to two women leaning in front of neatly stacked coloured jars containing exotic dry rub mixes.
Laid out in front are a row of large luminous pearl shells each containing small pinches of precious spices showcasing African, Asian and Middle Eastern flavours. My tongue tingles with delight as I try out some samples.
I walk on and think about buying an ice cream from a nearby vendor to cool my palate but I’m distracted by a French busker giving a rather flamboyant performance on the acoustic guitar and harmonica.
I pass by a rack of brightly painted silk scarves made by local artist Sally Bin Demin, a well-known Broome character.
As I walk past another fruit and vegetable stand, I hear the faint sounds of wind chimes and spot them glistening in the sun in the distance.
A few steps along, and I’m now in the heart of the marketplace, dominated by aromatic scents of Thai, Filipino and Indonesian food wafting from various food outlets.
It is a wonderful reminder of Broome’s rich multicultural history and diverse cuisine.
The air is filled with mouth-watering flavours and the sounds of sizzling meat as parents, children, locals and tourists queue up earnestly to enjoy delicious authentic street food.
I glance around and suddenly I’m hit with an intense, freshly-roasted coffee aroma and watch two young girls wearing rainbow-dyed T shirts grind up the evocative dark beans in front of customers.
I make my way around stalls selling various paintings and prints of fat red boabs, the mystical Staircase to the Moon and other iconic Broome scenes.
I also meet a mysterious fortune teller by the name of Pedro who wears a feather in his hat and a cockatoo on his shoulder. He tells me his is originally from Czechoslovakia and has lived in Broome for 25 years.
As I ponder whether to ask this stranger to read my palm, I bump into a local poet, a friend from the local writers’ group.
We find a shady spot to sit down and have a yarn about the upcoming writers’ festival coming up in Broome in August.
After a good catch up, I realise it’s past lunchtime.
I weave my way back through the maze of stalls and notice a few sellers packing up and bundling items away in the back of their vans, content after a morning well spent in the midst of Broome’s thriving market mania.
