KARRATHA, WA TRAVEL
The red landscape of the Pilbara paints a region awash with the vast wealth of iron ore mining that established the area as a significant driver of our economy. You can't miss the giant infrastructure and non-stop activity in towns with a mix of modern industry and history. But look deeper and you'll find strong living connections to an ancient past, sometimes at odds with industrial progress.
Karratha is a fast-growing city on the shores of Nickol Bay, about 1500km north of Perth on the North West Coastal Highway. It's a popular destination for anyone doing a Big Lap or exploring the Western Australia coast. With a population of more than 20,000, it's a busy shopping and service centre and has one of the biggest best stocked supermarkets I have ever seen. As a mining town with a more than average disposable income the variety and quality of fresh food items was top shelf. The wide mix of ready-to-cook meals was unexpected, but I'd imagine perfect for shift workers. Sporting facilities abound and include a swimming pool and gymnasium and the beach at Hearson Cove is a 30-minute drive away.
English navigator William Dampier passed by in 1699 and lent his name to the nearby shipping
