After the most successful year of his coaching career to date, Alan Richardson travelled to Broome in early October, leaving behind a football city consumed by the most active trade period in the game’s history. Well almost; he still fielded calls from List Manager Tony Elshaug, but he wasn’t exposed to the constant noise of who was moving where.

Having never previously visited the Western Australian coastal oasis, Richardson and his wife Joanne were ready for an escape from the everyday grind of football, which despite St Kilda’s season finishing four weeks earlier, still hadn’t ground to a halt. After accepting an invitation from key club sponsor, Harold Tracey, late in the season, the Richardson’s had an escape route set.

Richardson first crossed paths with Tracey, whose company H & M Tracey have been devout, long-term sponsors of the Saints, in his first month at the helm of St Kilda. It was there, in New Zealand, where the pair struck up a friendship and where Tracey first planted the seed of Richardson visiting Broome at some stage in the future.

“I met Harold on a training camp in New Zealand a couple of years ago. He’s a terrific person and we hit it off straight away. I’d never been to Broome before and he wanted to know halfway through this year what I was doing at the end of the season.  It worked in perfectly to get to Broome to spend a week with him, Maureen and the kids so as soon as the season was done and dusted, Joanne and I went there for a week,” Richardson told told saints.com.au.

Alan Richardson and Harold Tracey outside H & M Tracey headquarters in Broome.

“We stayed at their house for most of the trip and spent the last couple of days at Cable Beach which is just an unbelievable beach with incredible sunsets every night, it was so relaxing. To be honest, I didn’t know a lot about Broome and what it had to offer before I went on the trip, but by the time we returned my eyes had been opened to an amazing part of the world.”

Renowned for his big personality and adventurous attitude, Tracey ensured that the Richardson’s explored a world most Australian’s aren’t fully aware exists within their own borders. 

“As well as ensuring we had a relaxing time, Harold arranged some amazing experiences for us. The very first morning a helicopter landed on his front lawn and took us to the Willie Creek Pearl Farm where we had a look at the way they grow and harvest pearls. It was a terrific experience,” Richardson said.

“The next day we went to a place called Horizontal Falls (pictured below), in the Kimberley’s. We boarded a huge speedboat and toured the waterways, flying home the same route. It was breathtaking, really incredible scenery."

The view from the flight above the Horizontal Falls.

As the week unfolded, Richardson stepped outside his comfort zone. Covered from head to toe in clothing while the rest of the party wore singlets and shorts, the Saints’ coach waded through a creek in water up to his chest in parts, constantly worrying about what might be drifting past beneath the surface. 

“Harold took me crabbing and had a good laugh at my expense. It’s fair to say I was a little timid.” Richardson said.

“We eventually caught about 20 crabs, cooking some by the side of the river and feasting on chilli crab upon our return that night”.

Alan Richardson with a big prize after mud crabbing in Broome.

While amused by the sight of Richardson mud crabbing, Tracey relished the opportunity to show the Saints coach his own slice of paradise, opening the Richardson's eyes to one of Australia's hidden treasures.

“‘Richo’ is probably typical of any guy that hasn’t done it before; we got to one of the holes and said ‘Righto you pull this crab out’. He put the hook in and felt how heavy the crab was and said ‘No way bugger that, I’ll leave that one to you’. For someone from Melbourne to go walking through these tidal mud creeks in crocodile country, you can imagine how he felt,” Tracey said.

After five days exploring Broome and the stunning Kimberley region, Alan and Joanne retreated to Cable Beach for the final two nights of their trip west. Situated on a stretch of coastline as far as your eyes can see, Tracey introduced the Richardson’s to a secluded beach that might as well have been their very own.

“I call it my backyard and that’s really what it feels like. We live right on the coast and you go down there and it really could be your own beach because it is so long and there is so much space, you don’t have many people in the same area ever,” Tracey said.

The stunning view along Cable Beach in the north-western corner of Australia.

While Queensland has long been Australia’s holiday destination, Tracey suggested that those looking to invest in property should peer beyond more traditional options and look at Broome as a genuine option.

“Broome is a fantastic prospect for those looking to invest. If you’ve got an investment house in Broome it gives you the opportunity to get over to paradise as a tax deduction to check up on your investment home. People have the opportunity to get really good returns on their investment and to come to a place that is unlike anything else in Australia,” Tracey said.

One thing is for sure, the Richardson’s will be back. Broome even lured former Saints champion Danny Frawley and his wife, Anita, during the off-season. But that’s another story.