Western Australia

Pilbara Coast

The Pilbara Coast is the name given to the stretch of coast between Onslow and Broome. The area is around 1500 km from Perth and there is a domestic airport on the outskirts of Dampier-Karratha.

This stretch of coast is sparsely populated and after Onslow the next area of settlement is the central Pilbara coast which takes in the towns of Karratha, Dampier, Roebourne, Wickham, Cossack, Point Samson and Whim Creek and offers some lovely stretches of coastline and national parks juxtaposed with heavy industry.

Dampier

Dampier, named after the English explorer William Dampier who came here in 1688, is a small town close to the Burrup Peninsula, site of the main gas processing plant for the offshore gas and oil fields and deepwater port for the export of iron ore. Adjacent to the gas plant is one of the biggest Aboriginal engraving art sites in Australia.
Hearsons Cove on the Burrup Peninsula is a good swimming spot and vantage point for the Stairway to the Moon. (This curious phenomenon can be seen from various points on the NW coast, including Roebuck Bay in Broome, when the moon is full between May and October.)

Karratha

Karatha is a modern town only a few kilometres from Dampier. It was developed in the late 1960s and is growing fast as the regional centre for the gas and iron ore industries. The town is situated on King Bay looking out to the Dampier Archipelago. As well as the Dampier Archipelago, you can also access Inland Pilbaraincluding the Karijini (Hammersley) National Park and the Millstream-Chichester National Park from Karatha.
The town has a three and a half kilometre heritage trail showing both the area’s natural history and its cultural heritage from its traditional inhabitants, the Jaburara Tribe, including the effects upon them of white settlement and the recent resources boom.
The mouth of the Clearville River is 26 km north of Karatha and Clearville Beach is a popular place, good for day trips and for camping.

About 30 km on up the highway from Karatha towards Broome is the town of Roebourne which is one of the oldest settlements on this coast and once the capital of the NW region. Nearby is Cossack, once the port for the region. Surviving parts of the old port have been restored and it makes an interesting excursion.

Port Headland

Port Headland is 600 km from Broome. It is another iron ore exporting port which has grown rapidly since the 1960s and which also produces and exports salt. The Staircase to the Moon can also be viewed from here and the favourite spot is the Cooke Point Caravan Park.

The road to Broome is rather monotonous and between Port Hedland and Broome there are several road houses but no more towns. Access to the beach is limited to the Eighty Mile Beach which has a caravan site.

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Snorkelling, Dampier Archipeligo © Tourism WA
Dampier Archipeligo vista © Tourism WA
Port Headland town view © Tourism WA

Pearson Cove, Burrup Peninsula, Pilbara © North West Tourism

DID YOU KNOW ... The dingo is sometimes incorrectly called the Australian native dog. In fact it was introduced into the country about 4000 years ago by Asian seafarers. The dingo is a primitive dog that evolved from the Indian or Pallid wolf.