The Pilbara

One of the oldest geological regions in the world, the Pilbara has an amazing colourful landscape of rugged gorges, spectacularly pristine sandy beaches and some of the oldest artworks on the planet. The sparsely-populated region covers 500,000km2 encompassing 2 billion year-old rock formations, making it one of the most ancient landscapes on Earth. The area is rich in iron ore deposits, natural gas and petroleum, all of which contribute significantly to Western Australia’s wealth. See for yourself the massive scale of the mining operations on tours that depart from Tom Price, Roebourne and Newman.

Originally established as a shipping port to service the agricultural hinterland, Port Hedland is now the highest tonnage port in Australia. The town of Onslow is located on the coast, 1,386km north of Perth. The original townsite, abandoned in 1925, has interesting ruins to visit including the jail and old jetty. One of the largest towns in the Pilbara, Karratha services the vast mining operations of the North West. 1,535km from Perth, Karratha is a great base from which to explore Karijini National Park and the Dampier Archipelago. Karratha has a warm climate and offers all the services visitors would expect including major retailers, comprehensive tours and a range of accommodation.