Destination Guide - North West Festival 2016

PathfindeR
THE Pilbara
the
pilbara
The Pilbara is a fierce,
ancient land whose earthly
treasures of crude oil,
iron ore and natural gas
draw fortune seekers from
across the globe and make
Australia the lucky country.
Prepare to be swept off your feet by a land of
extremes, of bright copper sunsets and sheer,
wondrous scale.
aircraft low through its narrow gorges during a
millions of works of indigenous rock art, and adjacent
great concentrations of the high-grade iron ore fuel
In 1946 in the central Pilbara the longest strike in
lashing rainstorm in the 1950s. Today the Pilbara’s
the steel mills of Asia.
At the Montebello Islands, an archipelago off the
startlingly beautiful coastline near Karratha, the British
army once tested atomic bombs as part of Operation
Hurricane. Today, fishermen haul barramundi, tropical
emperor and trevally from the islands’ warm, tropical
waters.
At Karijini National Park; an oasis of pulse-
quickening gorges and cool, gushing waterfalls
patches of wildf lowers and carpets of golden spinifex
Dampier, homeland of the Red Dog legend.
Australia’s history was organised without the use of
phones or radios by hundreds of Aboriginal sheepstation workers for fair wages and conditions, a
landmark demonstration in indigenous history which
lasted until 1949. Today you can muster cattle and
star gaze at outback pastoral stations alongside career
jackaroos on farm stays throughout the Pilbara.
Prospect for the whopping gold nuggets that
immortalised Australia’s hottest town, Marble Bar, in
fossicking folklore or see beautiful renderings of this
great northern land by Aboriginal artist collectives in
Newman, Roebourne and Port Hedland.
“It’s a frontier country that
attracts a certain type of
person … Everyone has a
story and it seems to me that
people in the Pilbara have
more interesting stories ...
The Pilbara is on the physical
perimeter of Australia and
seems to occupy a sort of
metaphorical edge in the
Australian psyche. People who
have safe and normal lives
seem to stay in cities.”
Chart the course f irst struck by Aboriginal people
spring from sun-baked soil.
gorges and prehistoric rock forms and by the
Creation stories of the region’s f irst people are told in
Experience old Onslow and Cossack and the restored
and industrial powerhouses in its wide open
rolling hills and lush waterholes alongside relics of
pioneers and others who managed to eke out a foothold in
J o h n E l l i o t t, P i l b a r a S t o r i es
Find yourself at iron stained Port Hedland; the world’s
Warning: This publication may contain images, names
more than 40,000 years ago through ravishing
adventurers, pearlers and aviators who built towns
neighbouring Millstream Chichester National Park ’s
wilderness. In the Pilbara’s Hamersley Ranges,
how they f irst lived and hunted there.
f irst spotted the rusty cast of oxidised iron on
Scout through the Burrup Peninsula where the
according to legend, mining tycoon Lang Hancock
which he built his fortune while piloting an Auster
earth’s richest archaeological records are held in
ruins that bear witness to a frontier life led by pearling
unforgiving wilderness.
biggest bulk export port and a town of intriguing contrasts.
and stories of Aboriginal people who have passed away.
Photograph by Christian Fletcher, Near Tom Price.
Top
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The Pilbara’s weather can be split simply into two
Throw a line into an ocean brimming with
barramundi and f ind way-above-your-average
f ishing at The Dampier A rchipelago, West
Moore Island, the Montebello’s and the
Mackerel Islands off the coast of Onslow.
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May to November, when it ’s not-a - cloud-in -the -sk y
Get your t yres dirt y on an off road camping
and four wheel drive adventure out of Newman,
from Kalgan’s Pool water hole to Eagle Rock
Falls to the rough countr y of Rudall R iver
National Park or f ind views spanning across the
Pilbara from Tom Price’s Mt Nameless.
sunny and the most popular time to visit the Pilbara .
Days are mild and nights are cool. Activities abound,
wild flowers flourish and communities buzz with events .
The Wet spans from November to April, when brooding
clouds let fly weeklong water falls of rain . Average
day time temperatures soar to the high -30s and 40s ,
and nights are balmy with spectacular lightning shows ,
swollen rivers , thundering water falls and plenty of
wildlife.
The Wet also brings with it cyclone season and localised
Explore the world of Australia’s earliest
people on an Aboriginal Cultural Tour
of Millstream Chichester National Park,
learning about customar y Aboriginal
hunting and gathering, bush tucker and
heritage from the lands traditional owners.
Leave the well-trodden tourist track with a
more authentic adventure on an outback farm
stay where you can watch a muster, meet a
jackaroo and share a yarn or t wo around the
campf ire at iconic Pilbara stations like Indee,
Pardoo or Cheela Plains in Paraburdoo.
flooding. Some activities , tours and locations may not
be open in this period, so it is best to plan in advance to
avoid any disappointment.
For more detailed information about the weather
and climate in the Pilbara region , visit the Bureau of
Meteorology: www.bom .gov. au/.
get there
Two major roads lead into the Pilbara from the South ,
the Nor th West Coastal Highway via C arnar von and the
Great Nor thern Highway, which passes through Newman .
About 1 , 50 0 km from Per th by road, a comfor table two
day road trip with a one night stopover. From the Nor th ,
the Great Nor thern Highway brings travellers coming
6
Make your way to jaw-dropping Karijini
National Park replete with deep gorges,
waterfalls, mountain hikes, secret swimming
holes and adventure abseiling opportunities.
3
when to visit
seasons; the Wet and the Dr y. The Dr y season is from
Pilbara
Experiences
See Port Hedland’s rare and beautiful
f latback sea turtles nesting on the beach,
visit the Spinifex Hill Aboriginal art
collective at work in their studio, get behind
the scenes access to enormous machiner y
and stadium sized ships on a tour of BHP
Billiton’s mining and port operations or see
international street art at the front gate of
Australia’s busiest port.
See the blazing smokestacks of one of the
world ’s largest liquef ied natural gas ventures at
Karratha, bounded by Red Dog’s own Dampier,
historic Roebourne with its illuminating Old
Gaol, the abandoned town-turned art hub of
Cossack and nearby seaside hamlets of Wick ham
and Point Samson.
Prospect for gold and primeval rocks on a
geo discover y trail through Marble Bar,
where famed jasper and the most ancient
traces of life on the planet, stromatolites,
nestle amongst its lovely hills and gorges.
from Broome and the Top - End to Por t Hedland, past
working cattle stations and pristine beaches , spanning
Take to the sk ies in a light plane and f ind
far f lung places where few visitors have ever
set foot, from Goldsworthy to Nullagine or
remote Aboriginal communities ser viced by
mail run pilots and Royal Flying Doctors.
some 60 0 km of coast. When driving, keep an eye out
for kangaroos and wandering cattle and expect to come
across a few road trains .
There are daily flights from Per th to Paraburdoo,
Newman , Karratha and Por t Hedland by Qantas ,
Virgin and Airnor th and a full flight schedule, and the
destinations to which they fly, can be found on their
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websites . Several char ted flights transpor t workers to
remote mine sites . There are also buses available into
Karratha , Por t Hedland and Newman from Per th and
other region towns in Western Australia .
Experience bull riding and camp drafting at
the annual Pannawonica Rodeo and visit the
legendar y Boot Tree, laden with steel caps,
each slung there as a send-off by scores of
mining folk who once called the town home.
Photograph by Simon Phelps
Salt and Iron (detail) Por t Hedland.
Photograph by Nicole Yardley
a
Pilbara
year
A year round
schedule of events
and seasonal insights
Jan uary
Port Hedland 's tropical coastline
becomes home to hundreds of
Australian f latback sea turtles as
one of the only places in the world
where they come to nest and hatch.
Visit its beaches from Januar y to
March for your best chance to catch
the new born hatchlings’ wobbly
race to the ocean.
February
The town turns it on for cruise
ship visitors as only Port Hedland
can, with markets, live music and
communit y events.
M arch
J u ne
August
October
March marks the start of North
West WA’s own Staircase
to the Moon, an incredible
natural phenomenon created by
moonbeams and tide and only
visible f leetingly on certain nights
of the month.
See the landscape pop with
dazzling colour and life for
the brief and vivid Pilbara
wildf lower season from now
until September. Delicate
mulla mulla, native roses and
red desert peas crowd hills and
roadsides for a few short months
in the midst of the winters cool.
The Port Hedland Cup, the pinnacle
of the Port Hedland horse racing
season, takes place annually on the
f irst Monday of August. Cup Day
is so popular in Port Hedland that
the communit y takes its own public
holiday in lieu of Queen’s Birthday.
Cyclone season begins, turning the
countr yside into a photographer’s
wonderland with spectacular cloud
formations and lightning storms
that split the sky. This season is
danger rated, so be sure to keep up
to date on weather alerts and road
conditions over the next few months.
August also heralds the North West
Festival, the biggest music festival
north of Perth which jets in high
prof ile Australian acts for a t wo day
outdoor music festival and camping
experience in the vein of Tasmania’s
Falls Festival. Check out some
regional creativit y at the annual
Hedland A rt Awards, Australia’s
richest regional cash art prize. held
at the Courthouse Galler y, which
showcases art works from West
Australian artists from the Mid-West
up to the K imberley.
Nov ember
A pril
Four times a year, during Port
Hedland ’s cooler months, the
West End precinct lights up with
the West End Markets. Local
chefs, musicians, craftsmen and
providores f lock to Glass Lane and
the Courthouse Galler y Gardens
for the popular makers market.
Coordinate your visit with an
exhibition opening night at the
Courthouse Galler y and take in
Port Hedland ’s unique culture.
M ay
The Karijini Experience in
early May is a three-day festival
of music, trek k ing, dining, art,
opera, cook ing, and f ilm held at
magnif icent Karijini National Park.
J u ly
Marble Bar Cup sees thousands
of punters descend on WA’s
hottest town on the f irst Saturday
in July. Stick around trackside
after the f inal race for live
countr y tunes and remember to
pack your swag – there’s onsite
camping for revellers who want to
part y ‘til the wee hours.
The historic town of Cossack
comes alive from July to August
with the work of hundreds of
artists from across Australia for
The Cossack A rt Awards.
Bet ween July and September
Humpback whales swim past
the Pilbara coast as part of their
13,000km migration to calve
in warmer waters of northern
Australia. W hale watching
is magic off the Dampier
Archipelago around this time.
September
On the f irst weekend in September
the Pannawonica Rodeo doubles
the town’s population for the only
event of its k ind in the Pilbara.
There is camp drafting, bull
riding and rodeo events. There are
cowboys. It’s the essence of the
outback. Be sure to visit the town’s
famous Boot Tree, an old gum on
the roadside adorned with hundreds
of miners work boots, as you pass.
If you’re out Newman way, don’t
miss the chance to collect some
strik ing Indigenous art work from
the Martumili A rtists Annual
Christmas Sale which usually takes
place over a week towards the end of
November.
December
Port Hedland ’s communit y turns
out in their thousands for Carols
by Candlelight, organised by C3
Church. Warm the cock les of your
heart with a balmy summers evening
picnic, songs and a host of merrily
t wink ling lights at Christmastime.
You can check the dates of the event
at: w w w.v isitporthedland.com
to plan ahead.
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The
Pilbara’s
port of
plenty
Art, wildlife and
industry on an
epic scale
Port Hedland
At the world’s largest
bulk-export port colossal
loaders dump tonnes
upon tonnes of ore onto
enormous ships across
eight berths from the
biggest open-cut iron ore
mines anywhere, ever.
At dusk, the setting sun lights up
a horizon lined with hulk ing cargo
ships, car dumpers and bucket wheel
reclaimers. Loaded train carriages
ceaselessly f low in on 1,000km
of rail and ships churn out like
clockwork through the port for
foreign shores. The dock heaves
with f leets of road trains, f ly-in,
f ly-out workers in high visibilit y
vests and exports of iron ore, salt
and manganese.
Photograph by Simon Phelps
On Sundays families f ish from
the spoil bank or catch mud crabs
in the mangroves. On race day,
the f irst Monday in August, the
town grinds to a halt, throws its
own public holiday, frocks up and
watches the horses.
In the town centre a monument
stands to a quirky local tradition;
the iconic Black Rock Stakes
wheelbarrow race dreamt up for
charit y back in 1971, in which the
entire town raced 120-k ilometres
from Goldsworthy to Port Hedland
with ore laden wheelbarrows in the
bak ing heat.
Walls and buildings across
town carr y murals by some of the
world ’s best and most recognisable
street artists. Bet ween cafes and
art galleries you’ ll f ind street art by
Italy’s Pi xel Pancho, Jetsonorama
from the USA, REMED of France,
London-based Phlegm and Puerto
R ican A lexis Diaz.
From October to March, Port
Hedland 's beaches host hundreds of
magnif icent, rare and threatened
f latback sea turtles as they nest and
later their young hatch – returning,
extraordinarily, to the exact beach
where they f irst hatched. Ever y
year, when the temperature is just
right, turtle hatchlings emerge from
their shells, dig out of the sand and
totter instinctively to the sea.
You’ ll f ind in Port Hedland a
certain magnetism and generosit y
you can’t get in the big smoke;
work ing miners, countr y people and
fellows with grins as wide as the
brim of their akubra.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
contac t detail s
Por t Hedland Visitor Centre
9173 17 11 | info @visitpor thedland.com
13 Wedge Street, Por t Hedland WA
Tours | information | WiFi | Keepsakes
www.visitpor thedland.com
Port Hedland ’s World War II R if le
Range and the town’s Koombana
Lookout, tell of a daring place
galvanized by its frontier legacy.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
contac t detail s
Tour bookings can be made through
the Por t Hedland Visitor Centre
9173 17 11 | info @visitpor thedland.com
13 Wedge Street, Por t Hedland WA
Tours | information | WiFi | Keepsakes
www.visitpor thedland.com
pretty pool
provedore
Discover Industry:
BHP Billiton Iron Ore Tour
This one hour guided bus tour of BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s
Nelson Point facilit y gives a close up view of the work ings
of the mining giants’ operations. Learn about the bucket
wheel reclaimers and ship loaders that dominate Port
Hedland ’s skyline and gain an in depth understanding of
how Port Hedland ’s mining industr y works.
Discover Experience:
Tales of Port Hedland
Share a cuppa with a local and get
to know the real Port Hedland.
Each week a different personalit y
will share their stor y of Port
Hedland in the lovely surrounds of
the Port Hedland Visitor Centre.
Photograph by Christian Fletcher
Beastman and Vans the Omega completing a mural,
Discover Prett y Pool ’s
Provedore, where you will
f ind delicious fresh meals
and the best coffee in the
Pilbara, in the heart of Port
Hedland ’s prettiest coastal
suburb, Prett y Pool.
Por t Hedland. Photograph by Bewley Shaylor.
See the
A rtback
Discover Port Hedland:
Historical Town Tour
Peel back the layers of histor y to f ind a
town more unexpected and interesting at
ever y turn. Join the one hour guided bus
tour through Port Hedland ’s rich local
histor y including the Koombana Lookout,
Don R hodes Mining Museum and Dalget y
House Museum.
Some of the world ’s best and most
recognisable street artists have translated
their sk ills to the outback at Port
Hedland, producing a unique integration
of public art and the natural landscape
which can be viewed on walk ing tours
throughout the town.
Nesting national treasures.
See Australia’s only native
sea turtle at home.
Turtles can be found at Cemeter y Beach
by walk ing along the high tide line to
look for fresh emerging and returning
turtle tracks. Nesting season is bet ween
October and Januar y and hatchling season
from December to March, when you can
view the hatchlings bet ween 6am and 9am
most mornings through local organisation
Care for Hedland Environmental
Association.
Contact Care for Hedland
Environmental Association at:
t. 0488 907 260
w. w w w.careforhedland.org.au
Make it Happen
Contac t detail s:
Contact the Port Hedland
Courthouse Galler y; the town’s
creative hub at: 08 9173 1064 or
mail@courthousegaller y.com.au
to f ind out where to see these works.
The galler y is located on 16 Edgar
Street, Port Hedland WA, 6721.
Photograph by Simon Phelps
www.prettypoolprovedore.com . au
or 0 8 9173 1 8 0 0
Info:
The Provedore is open during the
day from Wednesday to Sunday.
How to g et the re :
43 Counihan Cresent,
Por t Hedland, WA 6721
Photograph cour tesy of Karijini Eco Retreat
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make it happen
Be drawn
into the
heart of the
wilderness.
Contac t detail s:
Karijini Visitor Centre t. 0 8 91 8 9 8121
West Oz Active
0438 913 7 13
| www.westozactive.com . au
Lestok Tours
0 8 91 8 9 2032 | www.lestok tours .com . au
Karijini Eco Retreat
Adventure tours
0 8 9425 5591 |
www.karijiniecoretreat.com . au.
Info
The ideal times to visit the park are late autumn ,
Karijini
National
Park.
winter and early spring. Winter days are warm and
clear, but nights are cold and sometimes frosty.
How to g et the re
West Oz Active tours are based at Karijini Eco
Retreat of f Weano Road, Karijini National Park .
Lestok Tours are based in Tom Price.
Spectacular 200,000 square
kilometre Karijini National
Park is a destination
unmatched for those
lucky travellers who have
experienced her 100-metre
gorges, primeval mountains
and sparkling waterfalls.
West Oz Active adventure
tours run professionally guided,
high activit y cannoning and
roping adventures in Karijini ’s
restricted ravines, providing all
the equipment to hike, f loat, and
abseil.
A lternatively, Lestok Tours
offer informative, guided hikes
bet ween beautiful lookout points,
with picnic lunches and hours to
squander in pools and swimming
holes. Lestok also runs tours of
R io Tinto’s Iron Ore Mine Site,
one of the world ’s largest open cut
iron mines from Tom Price.
Karijini Eco Retreat couples an
outback eater y offering highend indigenous fare and African
safari-st yle lu xur y tents with
ensuites, f ive star furnishings and
all the creature comforts.
You can also bird-watch, sightsee, camp and explore the f lora
and fauna at this ancient and
astounding Pilbara landmark.
West Oz Active
Adventure Tours
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scratch
beneath the
surface.
find hidden
secrets.
Geo Discovery Trails
Make it Happen
Contac t detail s
Published by the Depar tment of Mines and
Petroleum , Discover y Trails to Early Ear th is
available at the Por t Hedland Visitor Centre
at info @visitpor thedland.com or 0 8 9173 17 11 .
For more on Marble Bar, drop in to the Visitor
Centre on 20 Francis Street, Marble Bar or call
0 8 9176 1 0 0 8 .
Info
G PS -located Discover y Trails are accessible
from the road. Maps of the town are available in
Marble Bar for directions places of interest.
MARBLE BAR
How to g et the re
Marble Bar is 20 0 km south east of Por t
Hedland of f the Great Nor thern Highway.
Photograph by Simon Phelps
In the eastern Pilbara, an expanse
of 3 500 000 000 year old earth
crust reveals remnants of colossal
volcanic eruptions, ancient rock
forms, beautiful ‘Marble Bar’ (which
is really jasper), and the earth’s most
ancient traces of life, stromatolites.
Closely resembling the microorganic origins of life on Earth,
the formations provide an exclusive
insight into what the world was like
at the beginning of time.
Pick up a copy of Discover y Trails to Early Earth,
a traveller's guide to the East Pilbara which maps
si x trails fanning out from Marble Bar and take a
Geo Discover y Trail delving back into deep time.
W hile you’re there, experience the quirky gold
rush town that branded itself into the histor y
books in the 1920s as the place with the longest
ever heat wave, when the mercur y hovered above
37.8 degrees for 161 consecutive days.
Visit the former Comet Gold Mine, now a
museum, and take a dip at Coppin’s Gap
swimming hole; four wheel drive out to Carrawine
Gorge or buy a prospectors license and seek your
own golden lump of fortune.
Make it Happen
Contact West Moore Island Fishing Lodge,
fish @westmooreisland.com . au. 0 8 91 8 4
5 145 or 0417 9 01 207
Montebello’s at
www.montebello.com . au
or 0419 091 670.
Mackerel Islands
www.mackerelislands .com . au/ or 0 8 91 8 4
6444.
Contact
Karratha
Visitor Centre
Photograph by Yulia Shepilova
www.karrathavisitorcentre.com . au/ or 0 8
914 4 4 60 0 for a wealth of options for fish ing the Dampier Archipelago.
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Info A fishing guide, including details of
size and bag limits , can be obtained from
Pilbara Visitor Centres or the Depar tment
good
things
come to
those
who bait
Fishing in
the Pilbara
Pilbara coast
of Fisheries at www.fish .wa .gov. au/.
Fishing is top-notch
all over the Pilbara,
from West Moore
Island to the Dampier
Archipelago, the
Montebello’s to the
Mackerel Islands.
An hour and a half from Port
Hedland West Moore Island
Lodge is a f ishing utopia running
blue water, creek and shore f ishing
for ever y thing from red emperor
to giant trevally and barramundi.
You can hire a vessel and head
out with a packed lunch, bait
and ice to explore the Geographe
Shoals or take a guided tour of
the island ’s secret f ishing spots
and feast on oysters fresh from the
rocks at low tide.
West More Island has its
own desalination and power
generator and food, vessels and
accommodation are provided.
Guests are also welcome to bring
and use their own boat.
Take a f ishing safari at The
Montebello’s, a cr ystal clear
seascape encompassing more than
100 limestone islands and virgin
coral reef where the British
tested their atomic weapons in
the 1950s, or search for Red
Emperor off Onslow’s species
rich Mackerel Islands.
At the Dampier Archipelago’s
42 islands, islets and rocks,
lucky Pilbara f ishermen cast
for scarlet sea perch, blue bone,
spangled emperor and coral trout
and whale watchers get up close
and personal with big, beautiful
humpbacks as they migrate
along the coast bet ween July and
September.
How to get there Transfer vessels and
char ters operate to the islands from various
mainland locations .
Varanus Island.
Photographs by
Christian Fletcher
5
Make it Happen
Contac t
A world
away from
room
service.
Pardoo Station
www.pardoostation .com
pardoostation @hotmail.com or
0 8 9176 4930
Indee Station
0 8 9176 49 6 8
Cheela Plains Station
01
Farmstays
Photograph by
www.cheelaplains .com . au
Pia Thornett
robinpensini@bigpond.com or
0 8 91 89 8 0 8 4
02
Photograph by
Paul Cunningham
Inland and
pastoral Pilbara.
Info
Pardoo Station has plenty of room and doesn’t
03
Photograph by
take bookings for campsites .
Ian Filleul
How to g et the re
04
Photograph by
Pardoo Station is on the Great Nor thern Highway
Alison Newbold
about 120 kms east of Por t Hedland. Cheela
Plains is on the Nanutarra/Munjina Road 130 ks
west of Tom Price, Indee Station is 70 kms south
of Por t Hedland on the Great Nor thern Highway.
01
Experience life on
an outback station;
mustering cattle, horse
riding or four-wheel
driving alongside some of
the men and women who
know the Pilbara best.
Pardoo Station is a work ing cattle
station and one of the growing
number of operating farms opening
their homesteads to visitors in a
refreshing antidote to the cook iecutter hotel vacation.
Surrounded by wide rolling
landscape, the farmstead is about
countr y st yle hospitalit y. Find
yourself station star-gazing around
a crack ling campf ire or
watching jackaroos muster
7000 cattle into the yards
by four wheel-drive and
helicopter.
At 400 000 acre Indee Station,
home of the annual Indee500
desert motocross race, you can
spin stories with the family
at happy hour, learn about
the nearby quarries or explore
farm relics from bygone days.
Further inland at Paraburdoo,
Cheela Plains is a family
cattle station in the heart of
the rangelands with ancient
paperbarks, prett y gorges and
river pools and a Southern
Hemisphere star show lighting
up the night sky.
02
03
04
“Living on stations has taught me
to live in the moment; each day is
a different challenge, a different
reward… We use horses and
motorbikes for mustering the cattle
in and my husband flies a helicopter.
We have a cook who makes dinner for
all the station staff and generally a
mechanic and or boiler maker building
yards, building gates, fixing stuff.”
Narelle Bettini, Pilbar a Stor ies
Photographs cour tesy
of Polar Aviation
6
The magic
of a high
wing
flight.
Charter flights
Nullagine,
Goldsworthy
and remote
communities
Aviation is a way of life
in the Pilbara, making
everyday things like mail
runs and doctor visits
possible for the people
who call a sparsely peopled
500 000 square kilometre
expanse of country home.
Pilots in light planes deliver week ly
sacks of letters to faraway roadhouses,
judges to small-town courthouses and
miners to satellite quarries.
You can discover communities,
pastoral stations, remote mines and
exploration sites from the loft y
angle of Royal Flying Doctors.
Take to the sk ies and trace the
Pilbara’s bare horizons on a joy
f light with Polar Aviation, which
operates scenic and charter f lights
out to those hidden gems in the
Pilbara less easily accessed by road.
Make it Happen
Contac t
Polar Aviation 0419 955 21 0 or
md @ polaraviation .com . au
Info
At $ 40 0 per hour, Polar Aviation can
Sweep over the yawning harbor and
the net work of tidal creeks that give
Port Hedland its Aboriginal name,
Marrapikurinya, in reference to
their hand shaped formation.
Fly over Goldsworthy, the Pilbara’s
f irst iron ore mine or travel out to
the quaint old gold rush town of
Nullagine, population now 200.
tailor a trip to your needs and budget,
from a half hour flight around town to
something more adventurous .
How to g et the re
Polar Aviation is located at both Por t
Hedland International and
Newman Airpor ts . Image cour tesy of Good Dog Enterprises
Pilbara resources tour
Departing from the Karratha Visitor Centre
ever y weekday morning, the Pilbara Resources
Tour visits Dampier Salt Lookout, Parker
Point and East Intercourse Island, R io Tinto’s
loading operations in Dampier. Closed in
shoes and long sleeve shirts are advised.
Contact Karratha Visitor Centre
on 08 914 4 460 0 or
K VCCounter @karrathav isitorcentre.com.au
Make it Happen
7
Contac t
Karratha Visitor Centre
The Red
Dog route
E x perience the
W est Pilbara
coast
Karratha,
Roebourne,
Wickham Cossack
and Point Samson
communities
Karratha, a borough spanning more than 15,000
square k ilometres and encircling the Woodside
operated North West Shelf Venture’s Karratha
Gas Plant, Pluto Gas Plant and R io Tinto’s Iron
Ore and Salt Operations, takes its name from an
Aboriginal word meaning ‘good countr y’. This area
is the home of Red Dog, a wandering cattle dog
who embodied the character of the Pilbara and
captured the hearts and imaginations of f irst the
town and then the nation, inspiring a bestselling
novel and blockbuster f ilm. At Dampier, a home to
coconut palms, sandy beaches, and Sam’s Island- a
costal atoll commandeered by a war veteran aboard
a raft lashed to 44 gallon drums, you’ ll f ind a
statue paying tribute to the mercurial mutt. Sharing
civic borders with the economic engine rooms of
iron ore, salt and natural gas is Roebourne on the
banks of the Harding R iver, where the Yinjaa-Barni
Art Centre and Roebourne Art Groups render the
loveliness of their land on canvas and the Old Gaol
holds its dark histor y in artefacts and timeworn
photographs. Ladies Day at the Roebourne
racecourse pits st yle against setting, the highlight of
the social calendar drawing f ine threads, champagne
f lutes and high heels to a windy red dirt track. Visit
Wick ham’s 1973 picture gardens or the sometime
ghost town of Cossack, which once homed Japanese
pearl divers and now hosts several hundred artists
each year at the most isolated acquisitive art award
of its k ind in regional Australia, the Cossack Art
Awards. Overnight at the deep water port of Point
Samson, the Pilbara’s favourite seaside holiday
village, where the tidal inlets are chock full of
barramundi and mud crabs and the locals drive over
from neighbouring towns just for the f ish and chips
dished up at the local tavern.
on 0 8 914 4 4 60 0 or
K VCCounter@karrathavisitorcentre.com . au
Roebourne Visitor Centre and Old Gaol Museum
0 8 91 82 1 0 60 or info @roebourne.org. au
Info
You can find detailed information on most West
Pilbara towns and places of interest at Karratha
and Roebourne Visitor Centres .
G et the re
Find Karratha Visitor Centre at Lot 45 4 8 De Witt
Road, Karratha and Roebourne Visitor Centre on
5 Q ueen Street, Roebourne.
8
Sleep
somewhere
wild and
untamed.
Off-road and
four wheel drive
adventures.
Newman and
Tom Price
Photograph by Simon Phelps
01
Venture off the beaten track with
a map and a four wheel drive and
discover untouched wilds and
thrilling drive tracks at Newman.
The mining town is home to the
celebrated Martumili Artists, the
larrik in who made international
headlines ta xiing a plane down
the main street to the pub and to
Mount W haleback, the world ’s
biggest open-cut iron ore mine
at 5km long. Its backyard is an
outback adventure playground
where you’ ll f ind a 10 000 to 100
000 year old meteorite crater or a
cascading three-tiered watercourse
at the end of rough and rocky
tracks. Explore Kalgan’s Pool and
Eagle Rock Falls, Wanna Munna
Aboriginal rock car vings or Weeli
Wolli permanent spring or pack
your spares and take on the “t wo
t yre track ” to Stuarts Pool. Strike
out for Rudall R iver National
Park or f ind views spanning across
the Pilbara from Tom Price’s Mt
Nameless- the highest mountain
in Western Australia that has a
summit accessible by vehicle.
Port Hedland Visitor Centre
has a range of masterful Hema
Maps with a keen focus on
off-road touring in the fourwheel driving and outdoor
adventure industries. Folded
maps, atlases and guides will
lead you to faraway waterholes
and secluded camp sites beneath
dazzling star-filled skies, guide
you through the epic Canning
Stock Route or simply reveal
the region’s beautiful gorges like
Carrawine and Running Waters.
Make it Happen
Contac t
Newman Visitor Centre on
0 8 9175 28 8 8
Tom Price Visitor Centre on
0 8 91 8 8 1112
Info
Maps and detailed information about four
wheel drive tracks and camp sites are
available at the Newman and Tom Price
Visitor Centres .
G et the re
The Tom Price Visitors Centre is located on
1 Central Road, Tom Price.
Newman Visitor Centre is on Newman Drive,
For tescue Avenue, Newman .
9
Take a
real trip.
Aboriginal
Cultural and
Rock Art Tours.
The Dampier
Peninsula and
Millstream
Chichester
National Park
The Pilbara’s rock art is up to
30 000 years old, predating the
U NESCO World Heritage listed
Lascau x Caves and encompassing
the highest concentration of rock
art in the world.
Ngurrangga Tours are led by a
local indigenous guide whose
people have called the area home
for tens of thousands of years, and
travel to the Burrup petrogly phs
on the peninsula, at Deep Gorge
and Hearson’s Cove.
Your guide will show you some of
bet ween 100 000 and a million
ancient car vings of f igures and
animals like the Tasmanian tiger
on ramparts of rock and explain
the signif icance and meanings
behind them.
Photographs by Bewley Shaylor
You’ ll learn about bush tucker, how
to live off the land and will visit old
camping grounds where the region’s
f irst people used to live and hunt to
hear their creation stories.
Ngurrangga Tours run full-day and
overnight four wheel drive expeditions
to the waterholes and cultural sites at
Millstream-Chichester National Park
and Gregor y’s Gorge, considered the
birthplace of much of North West
WA’s Aboriginal culture.
Lush, rolling Millstream Chichester
National Park enfolds the Fortescue
R iver with gorges, palm lined
pools and plent y of bush-st yle
camping facilities and is a place of
high cultural signif icance for all
indigenous people. Stop at Py thon
Pool, a freshwater rock pool at the
base of the Chichester Range or nap
on the pillow y riverside reed beds at
the old Millstream Homestead.
Make it Happen
Contac t
Ngurrangga Tours on 0423 424 093 , 0 8 91 82 17 7 7
or clinton .walker@gurrgura .com . au.
Info
The four-hour petroglyph tours and full- day
Millstream tours run on demand and ever y thing is
supplied; just bring walking shoes .
G et the re
Find them at 42 Roe Street, Roebourne, 20 0 km
from Por t Hedland on the Nor th West Coastal
Highway.
01
Photograph by
Claire Paddison
02
Photograph by
In the f irst week of September at Pannawonica the
population doubles, fringed chaps are donned, horses
stamp their hooves and spectators hoist themselves onto
fences ready for the annual Robe R iver Rodeo.
Lillian Frost
03
Photograph by
Leanhe Rowley
04
Photograph by
Sarah C arless
10
Saddle Up
The Robe River Rodeo
Pannawonica
01
01
In the inland Pilbara at the foot
of Pannawonica Hill, past an old
gum tree whose branches hang
heavy with boots like weird fruit, a
1970s purpose-built mining town
hosts a rodeo event like no other.
Cowboys k ick the dust sky high on the back of steers
and broncos and there are barrel races, steer wrestling
and roping events, camp drafting and a g ymk hana for
youngsters. Anyone can sign a waiver and throw their
hat into the ring to have a go riding a bull in the open
steer race.
Winners are v ying for the A ll Round Cowboy and
Cowgirl crown, trophies, sashes and prize money.
Challengers who also participate in camp draft events at
the Tom Price and Newman Rodeos are automatically in
the running for the Pilbara Perpetual Trophy.
Camping is free for the duration and funds raised at the
event go back into the tight knit communit y.
W hile you’re there take a four wheel drive track out to
splash in shaded swimming holes at the rodeo’s namesake
Robe R iver and scour the rocks for ancient rock car vings
at the gateway to Millstream National Park.
03
Make it Happen
Contac t
Ashbur ton Shire on 0 8 91 8 8 4 4 4 4 or
www. ashbur ton .wa .gov. au
Info
Find details on the rodeo at www.
pannawonicarodeo.com . au
04
G et The re
Pannawonica is accessible of f the Nor th
West Coastal Highway and is around 195
km from Karratha .
02
Giddy up.
The Pilbara horse
racing circuit
Iconic
Pilbara
pubs
From Kununurra to Derby, Broome to
Newman , and Por t Hedland to Pannawonica ,
horse racing is big in the Nor th West and
the carnival atmosphere is electric . Racing
season kicks of f in May and runs until
August, with cup days in Por t Hedland,
Marble Bar, Newman and Roebourne the
highlights . You’ll find most of the towns’
population trackside; dressed to the nines ,
The Pier Hotel
Once named Toughest Pub in the World in a
1970s feature article penned by English journalist
John Dyson, the Pier Hotel of today is the town’s
nightspot of choice for a cold pint and a dance.
—
The Esplanade
Much of Port Hedland ’s histor y unfolded within
the walls of the sprawling Esplanade Hotel.
Now housing trendy-as-they-come Empire Bar;
the tavern ser ves up cocktails and craft beer and
remains the backbone of the town’s social scene.
The
Pilbara’s
stories
taking a punt and watching the horses .
Marble Bar Cup - July 4. Pack a swag and a
ball gown - this is one weekend-long shindig.
Roebourne Cup - July 25 . Put on your glad
rags- but prepare for some dust. This track
is does red dir t Pilbara style.
Read up on the
Pilbara or watch
these films
Por t Hedland Cup - August 3 . This annual day
of Monday revelr y star ts early and runs late.
Newman Cup - August 2 2 Kick up your
heels at “ the track that fell of f the back of
a truck ”- the only fully grassed racetrack in
the Nor th West.
For up to date information on the race
rounds and rodeos pop in to the Visitor
Centre’s at each town or check the fixtures
at www.visitpor thedland.com .
—
The Whim Creek Hotel
A Pilbara z and the perfect pit stop bet ween
Roebourne and Port Hedland, 120-something
year old W him Creek Hotel has been battered
by cyclones, housed a beer swilling camel and
sated many a North West traveller’s thirst
with cold beer. Today it is run and operated
by Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation and
Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation and provides
opportunities for local Aboriginal people.
—
The Ironclad
Marble Bar’s f irst hotel was built in the 1800s
and still retains its corrugated iron cladding and
popularit y as a prime pastoralist’s watering hole
among the red ranges today.
—
The Tambrey Tavern
boasts the biggest beer garden in the Pilbara
and has maintained its position as a Karratha
landmark for more than 20 years
1. Kangushot: The Life of Nyamal
Lawman Peter Coppin The powerful
stor y of Peter Coppin, or Kangkushot,
his life in the Pilbara and his
involvement in the 1946 Aboriginal
workers’ strike, the f irst of its k ind in
the nation’s histor y.
Image cour tesy of
Good Dog Enterprises
4. Blue Dog, a feature f ilm
2. Nor’ Westers of the Pilbara Breed,
Jenny Hardy’s fascinating record of
the Pilbara’s pioneers has become a
classic of the North West since its 1981
publication.
3. Red Dog by Louis De Bernieres. The
Captain Corelli ’s Mandolin author
penned an utterly charming adaptation
of the stor y about Karratha’s legendar y
red kelpie which has since been made
into a major motion picture.
exploring the early events
leading up to Red Dog’s
discover y on the road to
Dampier and his ultimate
rise to Australian legend,
is currently being f ilmed
in Perth and the Pilbara.
Filmmaker Nelson Woss,
creator of the Award
winning Australian f ilms
Red Dog (2011) and Ned
Kelly (2003), is producing
this new celebration of an
iconic Pilbara stor y for
release in 2016.
The project reunites Red Dog
director K riv Stenders and writer
Daniel Taplitz with Woss to tell
a unique Australian stor y, shining
a spotlight on the Pilbara’s diverse
communit y, deep heritage and
rich landscape. Actors, crew and
technicians are living and work ing
in the region during the mak ing
of the f ilm and production has
engaged the local communit y for
aspects spanning from cultural
consultation with Ngarluma
traditional owners to the
employment of Pilbara residents as
on-f ilm as extras.
5. Discover y Trails to Early Earth
by Martin Van K ranendonk and
Jean Johnston is a geological
traveller’s guide to the East
Pilbara that leads readers through
its ancient landforms.
6. Rabbit Proof Fence: The true
stor y of three East Pilbara
aboriginal girls forcibly taken
from their families, their daring
escape and 1,500 mile journey
home along the rabbit-proof
fence that bisects Australia.
7. The Pilbara Project catalogues
images, impressions, musings
and stories of the region by a
host of creative people.
8. The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots
by Loretta Hill is a sweet stor y
of red dust and romance that
journeys through life in a Pilbara
mining camp.
ABORIGINAL
ART CENTRES
WESTERN
AUSTRALIA
Western Australia is home to around 25 art
centres. Some of the most recognised include
Martumili Artists, Mangkaja, Warnum,
Waringarri, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Warakurna
Artists, Warlayirti Artists and Spinifex Hill
Studios. Of these, the majority are located
within proximity to the Canning Stock
Route, established during Western Australia’s
Federation period, which remains the longest
stock route in the Southern Hemisphere. The
richness of cultural knowledge and the highcalibre of painting coming from communities
around these areas is often centred on the stock
route itself, pointing to the significant effects
of the route on Aboriginal communities. This
significance was explored and archived in the
recent Canning Stock Route Project, launched
in 2006 for the centenary year of the founding of
the Canning Stock Route, in collaboration with
ten remote Aboriginal community art centres.
In the Pilbara there are four art centres, each with a general focus
on acr ylic painting and f ibre arts. Located in Roebourne are
Yinjaa-Barni Art and Roebourne Art Group. The newly-opened
Spinifex Hill Studios in Port Hedland is notable for its diversit y in
artistic st yles, related closely to the town’s function as a strategic
meeting and stopping point. In Newman lies the phenomenally
successful Martumili Artists, a group that also ser vices si x remote
communities within the Shire of East Pilbara.
A ll art centres in the Pilbara welcome visitors and offer the chance
to see the artists at work. Mak ing a visit is a truly wonderful
opportunit y to gain insight into the astonishing diversit y of
experiences within the Pilbara, a region that is in a period of
unprecedented social, economic and geographical change. The
chance to share their stories empowers the artists, and revenue
from sales is crucial to supporting communities as well as the
oldest continuing tradition of art in the world.
image cour tesy of Pilbara Development Commission
The
Martumili
Artists
With a studio and operational
base in Newman, Martumili
Artists are essentially a roaming
art centre that facilitate painting,
fibre art and sculpture in six
communities in the Shire of East
Pilbara. It was established in
2006 after years of planning to
ensure the Martu artists retained
creative, strategic, and financial
control of the centre.
01
Make it Happen
Contac t detail s
Mar tumili Ar tists on 0 8 9175 8 02 2 or visit
www.mar tumili.com . au
Info
The Martu people are
comprised of more than eight
language groups including
Manyjilyjarra, Kartujarra,
Putijarra and Warnman.
‘Martu’ is a Manyjilyjarra
word for ‘one’ or ‘man’ and
Martu countr y stretches from
the Percival Lakes, Lake
Disappointment, and along the
Canning Stock Route to the
Northern Territor y border.
The studio is open from Monday to Thursday
1 0am - 4. 30 pm and closed Friday to Sunday
How to g et the re
The studios are within the Shire of East Pilbara
Administration Building on the corner of
Kalgan and Newman Drive Newman .
Operating in the largest
geographical shire in
Australia, Martumili
ser vices the communities
of Jigalong, Parngurr,
Iringadji (Nullagine), Punmu,
Kunawarritiji and Warralong.
The long distances and
remote places make for
a logistically complex
operation, but the abilit y to
work in communit y is crucial
to the artists.
In their short histor y
Martumili Artists have
achieved phenomenal
success, culminating in an
exhibition at the Museum
of Contemporar y Art in
Sydney in late 2014. The
over whelming success has
seen renewed commitment
from sponsors and Martumili
Artists will off icially open
their visionar y new studio in
Newman in April 2015.
01
Mar tumili Ar tist Studio.
image cour tesy of Pilbara
Development Commission
02
Muni Rita Simpson from Mar tumili
Ar tists points to one of the
waterholes in her painting Minyipuru,
20 07. Photograph by Tim Acker.
FORM , C anning Stock Route Project.
03
(L- R) Mar tumili Ar tists Yikar tu
Bumba , Jatarr Lily Long,
Yuwali Janice Nixon and Dadda
Samsonwaer baskets on their head,
20 0 8 . Photograph by Morika Biljabu.
FORM , C anning Stock Route Project.
02
03
01
02
The
Spinifex Hill
Artists
01
Maggie Green , Untitled, acr ylic on canvas
76x125cm , 2015 . Spinifex Hill Ar tists .
02
Sculptural installation at Spinifex Hill Studios
by Winnie Sampi, 2014 . Photograph by Bewley Shaylor.
03
Open day at Spinifex Hill Studios , 2014 .
Photograph cour tesy of FORM .
The Spinifex Hill Studios are
home to the Spinifex Hill Artists,
Port Hedland’s only professional
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander artist collective. With
their new South Hedland studios
opening in 2014, the Spinifex Hill
Artists have made the exciting
transition from community arts
group to professional collective.
There are now over thirty core
members regularly working in
the studio, attending professional
development workshops, and
producing art for exhibition.
With Noongar, Yamaji, Banjima, Nyiparli,
Innawongka and Karimarra artists, Spinifex
Hill Artists do not have a signature aesthetic,
but are known for a spectacular range of st yles
and a diversit y of stories. The centre welcomes
beginner, mid-career and established Aboriginal
artists and provides access to materials, creative
and professional training and arts education
to bolster their knowledge and empower their
practice.
Another distinguishing feature of the art
centre is the au xiliar y studio onsite, devoted
specif ically to the design and fabrication of
three-dimensional art works. The studios host
national and international artists for visits and
residences, and hold regular workshops for the
general communit y.
For a truly unforgettable Pilbara experience the
public are warmly invited to visit the studios,
yarn with the artists and see them at work.
03
Make it Happen
Contac t
Spinifex Hill Studio on 0 8 9172 1 69 9
or visit spinifexhillstudio.com . au
Info
The studio is open to the public
9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
How to g et the re
Find them at 1 8 Hedditch Street
South Hedland
Karijini Tree. Photograph by Nicole Yardley
The
Road
East
South-East of Port Hedland the
Great Northern highway unfurls
inland like a great grey ribbon
past the wonder and grandeur
of Karijini National Park to
Newman, Meekatharra and Mount
Magnet.
Make it Happen
Contac t Detail s
Karijini Visitor Centre
0 8 91 89 8121
Karijini Eco Retreat
0 8 9425 5591
Newman Visitor Centre 0 8 9175 28 8 8 .
Info
Access to Karijini is via unsealed
roads and while the roads are graded
regularly, 4WD vehicles and low speeds
are recommended.
How to g et the re
Travelling from Por t Hedland; turn west
on Karijini Drive from Great Nor thern
Highway af ter about 30 0 km . Newman
is a fur ther 150 km from the Karijini turn
of f on the same highway.
A place like Karijini needs time. Take a week or
at least a few days getting the blood pumping
canyoning, trek k ing and swimming through its
labyrinth of plummeting gorges and allow its
quiet majest y to seep into your being.
Karijini is 300 k ilometres from Port Hedland
and the road through the park is unsealed with
accommodation available at camps sites, Karijini
Eco Retreat or nearby Tom Price.
Return to a road that threads inland, through
Newman, where you can visit the Martumili
Artists at their studio or tour Mt W haleback ’s
epic f ive-k ilometre-long open cut mine- the
f lipside of the coin to Port Hedland ’s Port
operations tour before driving on to the yawning
mid north.
The
Road
North
Head north along the Great
Northern Highway, Broome-bound.
Stop overnight at Pardoo Station
for a memory-making station stay,
detour a few days to Marble Bar
with its pretty jasper, swimming
holes, iconic wild west pub and exgold mine and make sure to fill up at
remote Sandfire Roadhouse.
At Eight y Mile Beach, which is
renowned for its phenomenal f ishing
and shell collecting, you’ ll f ind Eco
Beach Resort set on one of the most
secluded stretches of sand in the
countr y.
The resort has self-sustaining eco
villas and tents, an ocean front
restaurant and inf init y pool.
Just around the next corner, discover
exotic Broome; a magic town of
lu xur y, wilderness, desert and sea.
Make it Happen
Contac t Detail s
Pardoo Station 0 8 9176 4930
Marble Bar Visitor Centre
0 8 9176 1 0 0 8
Eco Beach Resor t 0 8 9193 8 015
Broome Visitor Centre
0 8 9195 2 20 0
Info
Eco Beach aims to create an accessible wilderness
experience and can cater for arrivals by car, boat,
helicopter or even plane.
How to g et the re
All destinations are of f the Great Nor thern
Highway nor thbound from Por t Hedland. You’ll
find Eco Beach retreat at Lot 323 Thangoo Station .
Photograph by Justin McKirdy
The
Road
Sou th
South of Port Hedland off the North West
Coastal Highway is Millstream Chichester
National Park, an incongruously lush and
tropical haven of gentle hills, billabongs and
serene gorges where fresh water springs nourish
verdant paperbarks and palms.
Learn about Aboriginal songlines, stories, bush
Photograph by Christian Fletcher
food and medicines on country from traditional
Ngarluma people on Ngurrangga Tours’ expeditions
through the park.
Visit Dampier’s monument to world famous Red
Dog, explore the ghost town of Cossack or relax
relax and sample some of the region’s famed fish
and chips at Point Samson’s Honeymoon Cove, a
Make it Happen
by fringing coral reefs.
Contac t Detail s
beautiful sandy beach and fishing hot spot protected
Further down the coast, snorkel off the Coral Bay
and Exmouth coast and make for World Heritage
listed Shark Bay.
Roebourne Visitor Centre
0 8 91 82 1 0 60
Karratha Visitor Centre
0 8 914 4 4 60 0
Ngurrangga Tours
0423 424 093 | 0 8 91 82 17 7 7
E xmouth Visitor Centre
0 8 9 949 1176
Shark Bay
0 8 9 94 8 159 0
Info
More detailed information about West Pilbara
Here you can swim with whale sharks, see
stromatolites at Hammelin Pool and find humpback
whales, loggerhead turtles and the world’s largest
dugong population in its sheltered waters.
attractions is available from the Roebourne Visitor
Centre, just two hours from Por t Hedland and
an ideal stopover close to Millstream Chichester
National Park and gateway to the towns of Cossack,
Dampier, Karratha and Point Samson .
How to g et the re
Millstream Chichester National Park is on the
Roebourne to Winternoon Road in Roebourne.
Shark Bay is 9 0 0 k ’s from Roebourne and 550
ks from Coral Bay along the Nor th West Coastal
Highway.
The
Canning
Stock
Route
Take on the fabled and
truly hard-core Canning
Stock Route through three
of WA’s remote deserts.
There is so much more to this road than
the drive. The 1800 km 4WD track from
Wiluna to Halls Creek cuts through the
Great Sandy, Gibson and Tanami deserts
and was established by Aboriginal stockmen
in the early 1900s.
The C anning Stock Route near Well 4 6 . Photograph by Tim Acker. FORM , C anning Stock Rout Project.
Travelling along the C anning Stock Route, 20 07.
Ar tist Charlie Wallabi Tjungurrayi at Kaningarra , 20 07.
Photograph by Tim Acker. FORM , C anning Stock Rout Project.
Photograph by Tim Acker. FORM , C anning Stock Route Project.
Make it Happen
Contact Details
C anning Stock Route Info Line 0 8 9425 209 9
or enquiries@ canningstockroute.net. au
Australian National 4WD Council
www. anf wdc . asn . au/canning _ stock _ route.php
or visit www.canningstockroute.net. au
The two week trek is steeped in rich culture
and history and riddled with ancient
Indigenous rock art sites.
Info
The best time to travel the C anning Stock
Route Between May and September when
temperatures are relatively mild. E xtensive
preparations and checking road closures and
It is considered one of Australia’s the
greatest four wheel driving adventures.
conditions with local authorities is strongly
advised. Information on distances between
wells , facilities and available ser vices ,
car preparation and recommended car
and camping equipment is detailed in the
Permits are required to travel through
private and Aboriginal Lands, parts of the
track are only accessible by high clearance
4WD vehicles and fuel, water, supplies and
services are limited.
information booklet supplied as par t of your
permit pack .
How to get there
There are entr y/exit points to both the east
and west midway along the track . While not
close by, the route can be accessed from Por t
Hedland via the Great Nor thern Highway.
The
Warlu
Way
The Warlu Way 4WD trail winds
through the Pilbara, Kimberley and
Gascoyne following Aboriginal songlines.
It passes through Karratha, the Dampier
Make it Happen
Cossack and Point Samson and cuts across
Contac t
Guided by interpretive signage, the 2500 km Warlu Way follows
Keraudren and Eighty Mile Beach to Broome.
the path of the warlu, or Dreamtime sea serpent who journeyed
through the area creating waterways.
Archipelago and Burrup Peninsula, Roebourne,
Karijini and Millstream Chichester National
Parks; Port Hedland, Marble Bar, Cape
Details A brochure for the Warlu
Way can be downloaded from the
Australia’s Nor th West Tourism
website at www.warluway.com . au.
Info
Some roads may require a permit.
How to g et the re
Brochure guides and signs point
the way, star ting any where from
E xmouth to the inland Pilbara .
Directory Listings
Restaurants / Eateries Port Hedland
South Hedland
Service Stations Port Hedland
Tourism services
Restaurant 1904 & the Empire Bar
08 91739700
2-4 Anderson St, Port Hedland 6721
Komayaka Oriental Rest Restaurant
0891721199
Caltex
08 91735193
150 Anderson St Port Hedland 6721
Seafarers Centre – Tours, Souvenirs, Wifi
0891731315
info@ehph.com.au
www.theesplanadeporthedland.com.au
Hotel
Hotel/ Motel Port Hedland Airport
The Esplanade Hotel
08 91739700
2/4 Anderson St, Port Hedland 6721
Port Haven
08 91731737
Great Northern Hwy
info@ehph.com.au
www.theesplanadeporthedland.com.au
Hospitality Inn
08 91731044
Webster St, Port Hedland 6721
porthedland@hospitalityinns.com.au
www.hospitalityinnporthedland.com.au
The Ibis Styles
08 91731511
Cnr Lukis and McGregor St Port Hedland 6721
H1900-re01@accor.com
www.accorhotels.com.au
Motel/ Self contained
The Pier Hotel
08 91731488
25 The Esplanade Port Hedland 6721
info@thepierhotel.net.au
www.thepierhotel.net.au
Bruno’s Ocean Lodge
08 91731511
7 Richardson St Port Hedland 6721
brunosoceanlodge@bigpond.com
Caravan Parks
Cooke Point Caravan Park
08 91731271
Cnr Athol and Taylor St
Port Hedland 6721
cookepoint@aspenparks.com.au
www.big4.com.au
Black Rock Tourist Park
08 91723444
2115 North Circular Rd
South Hedland 6722
reception@blackrockcp.com.au
www.blackrocktouristpark.com.au
Port Hedland Golf Club
0891722046
Great Northern Hwy
South Hedland 6721
phgolfclub@bigpond.com
www.Phgolfclub.com.au
Port Hedland 6721
porthaven@phcci.com.au
www.phcci.com.au
Mia Mia
08 91401725
Lot 2444 Great Northern Hwy
Port Hedland 6721
bookings@miamia.com.au
www.miamia.com.au
The Landing
08 9172 4111
945 Great Northern Hwy Port Hedland 6721
bookings@thelandingph.com.au
www.thelandingph.com.au
The Walkabout
08 91721222
954 Great Northern Hwy Port Hedland 6721
reservations@walkabouthotel.com.au
www.thewalkabouthotel.com.au
Hotel/ Motel South Hedland
The Lodge
08 91722188
5-13 Hawke Pl South Hedland
6722
enquiries@thelodgemotel.com.au
www.thelodgemotel.com.au
South Hedland Motel
08 91722888
7 Court Pl
South Hedland 6722
admin@southhedland.com.au
www.southhedlandmotel.com.au
Self-contained
Hamilton Lodge
08 91585180
Cnr Hamilton Road and Hudson Way
South Hedland 6722
Hamilton.reservation@morriscorp.com.au
Other
Turner River
08 91725191
Lot 7 Manilinka Dve
Boodarie
turnerriverlodge@bigpond.com
The Pilbara Room 08 91731044
Cnr Sutherland & Webster St, Port Hedland 6721
porthedland@hospitalityinns.com.au
www.poethedland.wa.hospitalityinns.com.au
Heddy’s Bar and Bistro
08 91731511
Cnr Lukis & McGregor St Port Hedland 6721
H1900-re01@accor.com
www.accordhotels.com.au
Silver Star Cafe
0411143663
12a Edgar St Port Hedland
www.silverstar.com.au
Rakia’s Coffee Shop
08 9173 3228
Boulevard Shopping Centre,
Anderson St Port Hedland 6721
Dome
08 91731557
Cnr Kingsmill & McKay St Port Hedland 6721
www.domecoffees.com.au
Bruno’s Pizzeria and Ristorante
08 9173 1440
The Recreation Club
Keesing St Port Hedland 6721
Harbour Cafe
(08) 9173 2630
Wedge St Port Hedland 6721
www.hedlandharbourcafe.com.au
Port Hedland Yacht Club
(08) 9173 3398
Lot 5550 Sutherland St, Port Hedland 6721
admin@phyc.com.au
www.phyc.com.au
Pretty Pool Provedore
(08) 9173 1800
43 Counihan Crescent, Pretty Pool
www.prettypoolprovedore.com.au
Wedge Street Coffee Shoppe
(08) 9173 2128
Wedge St Port Hedland 6721
Bernie’s Place 0891734342
Edgar Street Arcade Port Hedland 6721
Groovy Smoothie
0428826480
Boulevard Shopping Centre
Wilson St Port Hedland 6721
Chicken Treat
0891731168
Boulevard Shopping Centre
Anderson St Port Hedland 6721
www.chickentreat.com.au
22-26 Throssell Rd South Hedland 6722
Last Chance Tavern
0891725888
Throssell Rd South Hedland 6722
info@lastchancetavern.com.au
www.lastchancetavern.com.au
Chicken Treat
0891722322
Throssell Rd, South Hedland 6722
www.chickentreat.com.au
Zambrero
1/2 Throssell Rd South Hedland, 6722
Southhedland@zambrero.com
India Cottage
0891723721
Throssell Rd, South Hedland 6722
www.caltex.com.au
Coles Express
08 9173 1146
Wilson St Port Hedland WA
www.colesexpress.com.au
South Hedland
Caltex
08 9172 1068
Hamilton Rd, South Hedland WA 6722
www.caltex.com.au
BP
08 9172 1680
200 Forrest Circle, South Hedland WA 6722
Doctors Port Hedland
Sushi Master & Dancing wok
0891724790
South Hedland Shopping Centre 6722
Port Hedland Medical Centre
08 91733733
7 Edgar St Port Hedland 6721
Boost Juice
South Hedland Shopping Centre, 6722
www.porthedlandmedical.com
Fishy Fishy
5/2 Throssell Rd, South Hedland
South Hedland Kebabs 08 91402080
2/2 Throssell Rd South Hedland 6722
Rakia’s Family Restaurant
(South Hedland bowling and tennis club)
0499 764 304
1 Hedditch St, South Hedland 6722
Panda Dynasty Gardens Chinese Restaurant and Takeaway
08 9172 1000 Throssell Road, South Hedland 6722
Pizza Caper’s
08 9172 4668
9-31 Throssell Rd, South Hedland WA 6722
www.pizzacapers.com.au
McDonald’s Family Restaurant
08 91725000
South Hedland Shopping centre
Throssell Rd South Hedland WA 6722
www.mcdonalds.com.au
Café Maison
08 91724709
South Hedland Shopping Centre Throssell
Rd South Hedland WA 6722
www.cafemaison.com.au
Subway
08 91722080
Throssell Rd, South Hedland 6722
www.subway.com.au
Wedgefield
Sue’s Place
08 91402409
5 Trigg St Wedgefield 6721
Wilson Street, Port Hedland WA 6721
admin@phseafarers.org
www.phseafarers.org
Town of Port Hedland
08 9158 9300
13 McGregor St Port Hedland 6721
council@porthedland.wa.gov.au
www.porthedland.wa.gov.au
Matt Dann Theatre
(08) 9158 9368
35
Hamilton Rd, South Hedland WA 6722
mdinfo@porthedland.wa.gov.au
www.mattdann.com
Wanangkura Stadium
08 9140 0100
Hamilton Rd, South Hedland, WA 6721
Wanangkura.stadium@ymca.org.au
www.porthedlandleisure.com.au
reception@porthedlandmedical.com.au
Port Hedland Library
08 9158 9378
Dempster St Port Hedland
phlib@porthedland.wa.gov.au
South Hedland
South Hedland Library
Sonic Health
0891725911
10 Hedditch St South Hedland
southhedland@sonichealthplus.com.au
www.sonichealthplus.com.au
Hedland Health Campus (Hospital)
0891741410
26-34 Colebatch Way
South Hedland 6722
Wirraka Maya (Aboriginal Health Service)
0891402922
17 Hamilton Rd South Hedland 6722
08 9158 9373
Leake St, South Hedland 6722
sthlib@porthedland.wa.gov.au
Gatwick Aquatic Centre
08 9173 3303
McGregor St, Port Hedland WA 6721
www.porthedlandleisure.com.au
South Hedland Aquatic Centre
08 9172 4666
1 Leake St South Hedland 6722
stephenm@wmhsac.com
www.wmhsac.com
Marquee Water Park – Splash ‘n’ Play
08 9158 9638
Cottier Dve, South Hedland 6722
bookings@porthedland.wa.gov.au
Dentists
Civic Centre
Port Hedland Dental Clinic
0891735838
3/10 Wedge St Port Hedland 6721
porthedlanddental@westmet.com.au
Hedland Dental Surgery
1800230230
1/19 Edgar St Port Hedland 6721
enquiries@hedlanddc.com.au
www.hedlanddc.com.au
Twins Dental
0891725555
Shopping centre South Hedland 6722
Dental at Wirraka Maya
0891402922
17 Hamilton Rd South Hedland 6722
stephenm@wmhsac.com
www.wmhsac.com
0891589300
McGregor St, Port Hedland 6721
council@porthedland.wa.gov.au
South Hedland Landfill
0891402826
North circular Rd, South Hedland 6722 landfill@porthedland.wa.gov.au
Shopping Centres
Port Hedland Boulevard (Woolworths)
0891735193
150 Anderson St, Port Hedland 6721
www.woolworths.com.au
South Hedland Square (Coles/ Kmart)
0893037300
9-31 Throssell Rd, South Hedland 6722
southhedland@charterhall.com.au
www.southhedlandsquare.com.au
Pilbara Storm
Photograph by Peter Eastway
Government of Western Australia
Department of Regional Development and Lands