Attractions
Every year, more than a million people visit the Pilbara to see the wide variety of attractions that the region has to offer. Consider experiencing natural attractions like the Karijini National Park, stunning landscapes, islands and beaches. There is fishing off the coast and in the creeks and rivers, as well as gold fossicking inland, there are also the Dampier salt flats spanning kilometres wide, the Burrup peninsula, where travellers can get a view of Woodside’s North West Shelf Gas Project, as well as numerous cultural and heritage attractions, including historic rock art, galleries and original settlements. Located in the beautiful coastal town of Dampier, travellers can follow the roaming with Red Dog trail and see the town through the eyes of Red Dog, the famous Pilbara wanderer.
For those interested in the Pilbara’s industrial operations, there are tours operating in Port Hedland Port that look at the huge ships carrying iron ore and the infrastructure of the huge miners, BHP, Fortescue Metals and Roy Hill as well as many of the other mining giants who export from the world’s largest bulk export port. Lestok Tours also offers a 1.5 hour industrial tour of one of the largest open cut mine in the world, the Rio Tinto iron ore mine at Tom Price. There are numerous tour companies offering a range of tours of the Pilbara’s sights and attractions ranging from viewing mining operations to Aboriginal culture sharing and native flora and fauna sighting. The Pilbara region is rich with natural wonders ready to be explored as well as being one of the largest mining and resource hubs in the world. For travellers wanting an experience of a lifetime the Pilbara region will deliver.
Fishing
Pilbara waters are well known for it's Fishing. From the Montebellos to the Mackeral Islands. From oceans, lakes, creeks mangroves and rivers, there are plenty of freshwater and ocean fishing opportunities in the Pilbara. You can hire a boat, join a fishing tour or fish from the land. Just about everywhere in the Pilbara is said to be a hotspot for bluebone fish, barramundi, whiting, crabs and squid. Barramundi or ‘Barra’ fishing is a thrilling challenge. The waters around Dampier are said to be filled with the fish, which grow up to a massive two metres in length. The massive tidal range of up to 11 metres makes for fantastic river and creek fishing for Barramundi, Mangrove Jack, Fingermark or hunting for mud crabs.
If you are time poor and don’t want to spend all day trying to find the best fishing spot, booking a fishing charter is the fastest way to ensure that you get to the best spot quickly and are catching fish in no time at all. One charter company is Pilbara Sea Charters, which operates within the Samson area, leaving from Port Hedland. Another is Aqualand Charters, which operates out of Dampier. Fishing off the coast of the Pilbara region is so fantastic that many have likened it to an aquarium. It truly is one of WA’s best fishing locations.
Karijini
As you stand amongst the ancient geological formations of Karijini National Park, you feel awestruck at the red layered cliffs that line the spectacular gorges eroded by nature over billions of years. The Pilbara’s gum trees, termite mounds and expansive plains give way to picturesque gorges, refreshing waterfalls and the emerald waterholes of Karijini National Park. A soothing oasis of trees and ferns provide shady refuge as you explore the wonders of this Western Australian national park. In the heart of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Karijini National Park is the second largest national park in the state and is a showcase of two billion years of the earth’s natural history. With vast gorges, crystal-clear pools, ageless rocks, and cascading waterfalls Karijini National Park has billions of years of natural beauty waiting to be discovered.
Camp under a star-filled outback sky or enjoy nature-filled luxury in an eco-retreat. There is a maze of walking trails throughout the national park ranging from easy to more challenging in difficulty that wind their way through the natural beauty of the park and its awesome scenery. In the heart of the winter months, wildflowers lay carpets of purples, reds, and yellows in contrast with the natural outback colours in a magnificent display. The best time the view some of the stunning scenery is on sunrise or sunset when some of the vivid colours of the park come to life. Travellers can access the national park through Karratha, Tom Price or Newman via sealed or unsealed roads.
Ngurangga Tours
Clinton Walker started Ngurrangga Tours to educate and immerse people in the ways of his culture and history so that they could understand more about Pilbara Aboriginal culture and country. Ngurrangga Tours mostly operates from Karratha and offers visitors a unique experience of the Pilbara through the eyes of a traditional owner.
Guests are given the opportunity to learn about bush foods and medicines, explore stunning locations, view and understand ancient rock art in the world’s largest outdoor rock art gallery, hear traditional stories and listen to traditional songs sung using the wirra (boomerang).
Clinton is passionate about raising the profile of the Burrup Peninsula; located in Murujuga National Park. It is one of Australia’s most significant heritage sites and an important cultural place for Aboriginal people. The Burrup Peninsula is on the National Heritage register and is home to up to a million Aboriginal rock carvings, some dating back 40,000 years. Despite this, it is relatively unknown worldwide and even in Australia.
The Pilbara region in Western Australia has some of the world’s most ancient natural landscapes, dating back two billion years and stretching over 500,000 square kilometres.
With over 700 historic Indigenous archaeological sites and 10,000 rock engravings (Petroglyphs), many dating back some 30,000 years, the Burrup Peninsula is now heritage listed. It’s the perfect place to discover the unique art, history and culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Pilbara.
Deep rocky canyons lead to peaceful plunge pools in the beautiful Karijini National Park. Hundreds of islands with dazzling white beaches and untouched coral gardens are yours to explore on the Dampier Archipelago and Mackerel Islands. And yet the Pilbara is also known as the engine room of Australia - home to a massive mining industry in crude oil, salt, natural gas and iron ore.
Explore the Pilbara's colonial past in Roebourne, which is the oldest settlement in the North West. Cossack is a ghost town and has many beautifully restored historical buildings, which offer an insight to the hardships and successes of the first settlers.
Travel inland and you’ll experience the unique communities of the rugged outback, from Tom Price, the highest town in Western Australia, to Marble Bar, the hottest town in the country.
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