The Pilbara is the vast and remote semi-arid region encompassing the north-western corner of Western Australia. Synonymous with red dust and iron ore, the area is not only rich in mineral wealth, but an array of natural wonders which have firmly established this outback destination on the tourist map. The colourful towering spires of Hammersley Range and the desert oasis of Millstream-Chichester National Park are just a taste of what's to come.

Lapping at the edges of the dry, red earth, the Pilbara's Coral Coast is another reason to get yourself to this part of the Australia. Lying less than 100 metres from the beach in places, the coast is blessed by the immense Ningaloo Reef, the largest and most accessible west-coast reef in the world. Here you can swim and snorkel with enormous whale sharks and manta rays as well as colourful tropical fish and gentle dugongs.

Aboriginal for "Good Country", Karratha is a modern town established in the late 1960's to support the Pilbara's vast mineral wealth. With the added discovery of off-shore gas reserves, Karratha quickly developed into the main commercial centre of the region, and now boasts the most comprehensive range of facilities (including the largest shopping centre outside of Perth) to be found in state's north-west. The town's most noteworthy attraction is the 3.5 kilometre Jaburara Heritage Trail, which begins just by the tourist bureau. The country around Karratha is littered with ancient relics of Aboriginal occupation, and middens, grindstones and rock carvings can all be viewed along the trail.

Karratha not only makes a welcome stopover for those travelling the largely uninhabited North West Coastal Highway, it also provides the perfect base for pending explorations into the nearby Millstream-Chichester National Park. This spectacular 2000 square kilometre park is a lush green oasis in the centre of thousands of acres of dusty and spinifex covered desert hills. The parks numerous freshwater pools are laden with water lilies and surrounded by various species of palms and ferns, perfectly reflecting the timeless image that the word "oasis" usually conjures in one's imagination. Ideal for a cooling swim, the pools also refresh the adjoining expansive wetlands, which are home to a diverse range of water birds and other wildlife.

Millsteam-Chichester National Park lies under 200 kilometres south-east of Karratha, via a well kept dirt road. There are several basic but pleasant camping grounds within the park, linked by a small network of four wheel drive and bush walking tracks. If you don't have the gear, tours operate out of Karratha, as well as it's satellite towns of Dampier and Roebourne.

Dampier is a model town with modern facilities on King Bay. The deep waters around the bay have become the main port for many of the mining operations in the Kimberly, as well as the natural gas fields off-shore. Although it's an impressive set-up, of greater interest is the nearby Burrup Peninsula. The Burrup was once the seaside home to a flourishing Aboriginal community which have left an amazing legacy of some 10 000 rock engravings. The pristine beaches along the peninsula offer safe and secluded swimming.

Dampier's other notable natural attraction is the fishing and diving mecca of the Dampier Archipelago. The town overlooks a bizarre gathering of 42 unique islands, each one fringed by colourful coral reefs, marine life and a littering of shipwrecks.

Back on the North West Coastal Highway 32 kilometres past Karratha, Roebourne is the oldest prevailing town in the Pilbara and once capital of the north-west. A shadow of it's former self, the town's early prosperity is showcased in the museums and displays housed in the fine old buildings which still remain. History buffs will also appreciate the surrounding settlements of Cossack, Point Samson, and Whim Creek.

Port Hedland is another massive port on the Western Australian coast exporting the Pilbara's extensive iron ore deposits. So huge is the operation that 2.6 kilometre long trains haul their loads into shipping yards nine times a day! The town itself has long been relied upon, providing services for cattle grazers in the 1860's, a pearl lugging fleet in the 1870's, and the influx of fortune seekers in the gold rush of the 1880's.

Apart from tours of the overwhelming industries and the dusty pink pigeons in the area, Port Hedland's main attraction is Pretty Pool, a popular picnicking, swimming and shell fossicking spot. Just north of the tidal pool, Cooke Point presents the best place to view Port Hedland's version of "Stairway to the Moon" (see Broome in the Kimberley). Cookes Point is also one of several beaches on the surrounding coast where flatback turtles return to nest between October and March.

Fifteen kilometres south of Port Hedland, South Headland is the modern residential centre.

Travelling along the Great Northern Highway towards Broome, a secondary road (two thirds paved one third gravel) branches inland, and heads towards the friendly outback town of Marble Bar. One of the hottest places in Australia, Marble Bar has recorded periods of up to 160 days, where the temperature has consistently reached over forty degrees! This town takes it's name from an large bar of striking red jasper which traverses the nearby Coongan River. The landscape in the surrounding countryside is also impressive, especially after the late winter rains, when the bland spinifex covered ranges and hills are transformed into colourful collage of blooming wildflowers. In town, all well trodden paths lead to the legendary Ironclad Hotel, the local and districts convergence point. Just down the road, the still working Comet Gold Mine is also well worth a look.

Traversing the Pilbara's Hammersley Range, the Karijini (Hammersley Range) National Park incorporates some of the most magnificent outback wilderness anywhere in Western Australia. The enormous multicoloured domes of the range converge into a number a spectacular gorges, complete with sheer cliff faces and semi-permanent waterfalls gushing into rock pools along the shadowed floors. A network of awesome bushwalks and 4WD tracks allow visitors to experience this memorable landscape first hand. The walk into Hancock Gorge is particularly thrilling, with hikers having to descend vertical ladders and hundreds of steps before arriving directly at the heart of the crevasse. The many lookouts scattered throughout the park provide the perfect angles some breathtaking photo opportunities.

At the junction of the main roads in Karijini, the interpretative centre is run by the traditional Aboriginal people of the area. Pop in and see them, as they love helping visitors plan their trip into the park.

The closest and foremost town from which to explore Karijini National Park, is the highest settlement in Western Australia. Straddling the Hammersley Range at 747 metres above sea level, Tom Price is a company mining town originally set up to support the massive operations of the Hammersley Iron Project. Although iron ore is still the towns mainstay, tourism has become the preferred industry as more and more travellers continue flood into the region. Considering the location, this exceedingly hospitable town has some great facilities, providing visitors with a good range of a accommodation and places to eat.

Just over eighty kilometres south of Tom Price, Paraburdoo is another company town offering only basic services.

Warning!

The small township of Wittenoom on the northern fringes of Karijini Nation Park is no longer inhabitable as there is a significant health risk from airborne microscopic asbestos fibres, created by the milling process at it's nearby asbestos mine (closed in 1966). Entry to the town and Wittenoom Gorge is strongly discouraged!