Pilbara Attractions

1600ha.

Christmas Island National Park occupies roughly an eighth of the area of the island, which lies to the south of Java in the same latitude as Darwin. It was established to protect the seabirds and the rain forest and offers a fascinating opportunity to explore an unspoiled natural landscape.

There are walking trails and a track for all-terrain vehicles.

Exmouth (pop. 3510) is one of the youngest towns in Australia, founded in 1967 as a support town for the controversial U.S. naval communications station. The station, now run jointly by the U.S. and Australian Navies, is the principal employer in the area.

The town is well equipped to cater for visitors (water sports facilities, good fishing).

The town is a good base for excursions to Cape Range National Park and Ningaloo Marine Park.

Karratha (pop. 10,000) is the new 'capital' of the Pilbara region, established in 1968 as part of the Hamersley Iron Project. The discovery of large deposits of natural gas off the coast, on the North West Shelf, gave the town a further boost. Its warm winter climate also attracts visitors, and it is a good base for sightseeing trips and safari tours.

Onslow (pop. 860), formerly an important pearl-fishing port, lies on the northwest coast. Gold was found here in 1890. After suffering frequent destruction in cyclones the settlement was moved in 1926 from the mouth of the Ashburton River to a new site 20km east. The ruins of the stone buildings (police station, jail, hospital, post office) can still be seen on the original site. The new Onslow, devastated in the tropical cyclone Vance in March 1999, now has the role of supply center for the offshore oilfields off Barrow Island and has also become a tourist resort.