The Pilbara region covers more than 505,000 square kilometres (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.
. . . Pilbara . . .
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.
The current industry that is removing vast amounts of iron ore from the region has a very extensive affect on the landscape and the experiences of the region. Port Hedland is the main export port, and huge tonnages of iron ore are shifted out. The railways, the mine sites, and the communities are geared to the iron ore export, and very little is open for the tourist to access.
- 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 area, with few real roads, with a mixture of inhospitable desert and very featureless rangeland.
- 1 Karratha – on the coast with some diving options
- 1 Newman – a fairly big town from which to explore the surrounds
- 1 Onslow – a small coastal town near the Ashburton River, and the gateway to Mackerel Islands to dive, fish and snorkel. Also known as a magnet for cyclones.
- 1 Port Hedland – the largest town serves as a hub for the iron ore mine
- 1 Tom Price – little more than dormitories for the mining industry workers
. . . Pilbara . . .