Pilbara Travel

The Pilbara region covers  more than 505,000 square kilometres (which is equivalent of 195,000 square miles) of Western Australia.

It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the Northwest, the Kimberley to the North, the Northern Territory to the East and the Goldfields, Mid West and Gascoyne regions to the South.

The Pilbara is a very ancient land, with iron mining being the main industry.

Like all other areas of Northern Western Australia, the Pilbara is very sparsely populated. It is a very hot area, the Marble Bar area is often quoted as the hottest place in Australia.

The Pilbara is an arid land of Old, a landscape of ancient rocks and stones, some estimated to be over 3 billion years old.

The area is not fully barren (like the inner deserts), but is still very inhospitable, dry, and most of all extremely hot.

Just like the rest of Western Australia, the Pilbara is very sparsely populated, furthermore here a good majority of the small population works for/is related to the mining industry.

The scenery, however, has not been disfigured, and some beautiful natural attractions are found throughout the vast expanses of the Pilbara.

Regions, Cities and Major Towns of the Pilbara

• Port Hedland is the largest town, with a population of around 15,000. It serves as a hub for the iron ore mined in the region, and is of limited interest to the average tourist (unless of course you are into iron mining, in which case you will love the place).
• Roebourne, Point Samson, Dampier and Karratha, further West on the coast, are smaller, with some diving options. Like Port Hedland the towns may provide little more than a refreshing break for drivers on the Coastal Highway.
• Central Pilbara Coast is dotted with very small industrial mining towns, the largest being Port Hedland. Life there revolves around iron mining, and all shops, houses and vehicles are reddened by the iron ore.
• Karijini region, the beautiful Karijini National Park is one of the top destinations of Western Australia. Between the coast and Karijini, accessible by an unsealed track is the Millstream Chichester national park, less visited, but nonetheless worth a detour.
• Beyond Karijini, the Outback Pilbara is a large chunk of remote arid bushland, with very little attraction.

Things to See at the Pilbara

• Karijini National Park is the top destination in the Pilbara, and one of the most impressive natural attractions in Western Australia (if not the whole of Australia). Hundred meters deep red canyons, gorges and magnificient trekking will be the reward of the long drive from the coastal area.
• Millstream Chichester National Park is on the way to Karijini, reached by unsealed track starting at a bifurcation 40 km East of Roebourne. Python Pool, a small swimmable waterhole on the track to the parks makes for a refreshing stop on the way.