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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.
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.
[edit] Regions
- 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.
[edit] Cities
- Port Hedland is the largest town, with a population of around 15000. 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). Attractions are more artificial than natural: everything in completely reddish, and the length of the rail convoys coming from the inner areas (carrying tons and tons of iron ore) are purely demential. There are some limited diving options in town.
- Roebourne 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.
- Towns inland are also more industrial than touristic, some of them like Tom Price are little more than dormitories for the mining industry workers. Wittenoom is worth being noted as an asbestos mining semi ghost town, where inhabitants were forcibly evacuated (a few residents still however refuse to leave the place in spite of the health hazard). On the Eastern side, Marble Bar is believed to be one of the hottest cities in the world. In December, temperatures easily cross 45C.
[edit] Other destinations
- 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. Accomodation inside the park is limited to some camping.
Panorama of Millstream National Park
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- 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.
[edit] Understand
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.
In the few areas where there are actually people to talk to, English should do just fine, just like in the rest of the country...
[edit] Get in
Getting in the Pilbara requires flying to Port Hedland or Karratha via Perth (daily flights by Qantas), or drive the very long route from either Perth or Darwin (Port Hedland to Perth is 1650 km via the Great Northern Highway, 1770 via the Coastal Highway, and Port Hedland to Darwin is 2400 km...).
[edit] Get around
There are two main sealed roads, the Great Northern Highway and the Great Coastal West Highway.
Coming to the Pilbara without paying a visit to Karijini would be missing a lot.
[edit] Eat and Drink
Eating fine delicacies should probably not be the main objective of a trip to the Pilbara. Port Hedland and Karratha are reasonnable options to gather sufficient supplies to go into the outback, and are probably the only options to have a drink anyway.
Temperatures can be extreme, so the recommended choice for a drink in the area is actually water.
[edit] Stay safe
- The Pilbara is hot, very hot, so always carry plenty of fluids with you. Some unsealed roads are quite remote, bring extra food and extra water with you in case you leave the sealed highways (in which case a 4WD is highly recommended).
- Road Trains are common on the Great Northern Highway in this area. Take care, as it is extremely difficult for them to break over short distances. Passing a Road Train is not a good idea.
- The area around the semi ghost town Wittenoom was a large asbestos mining center in the middle of the 20th century. Be wary if you decide to drive through the area, and do not hesitate to close the windows of your car and limit your activities outdoor. The town is to be stripped of its statute, so there is a chance it will not even appear on road signs in the future.
[edit] Get out
If you are extremely well prepared for some very serious remote 4WD driving, you can reach the vast Rudall River National Park on the Eastern side of the Pilbara. This park is actually one of the largest National Parks in the world, but also one of the most remote and least visited. There are absolutely no facilities, stores or supply, and you will have to drive 260 km on 4WD tracks from Newman.
There are no possibilities to leave the Pilbara to the East on the ground (no tracks, even unsealed). The only way to get out the region is to the North on the Great Northern Highway or to the South.
