Port Hedland Western Australia
Australia
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the largest bulk export port on the planet: the town ships iron ore from the red hills of the Pilbara to Asia. Three-hundred-metre vessels slide past within sight of the houses, guided by tugs that look tiny beside them.
From Marapikurrinya Park and the nearby visitor centre: the bulk carriers pass so close to shore that you can make out faces on the bridge wings. Interpretive panels along the Esplanade explain the pilots' work and the logistics of the iron trade.
Some operators offer guided tours, but they can only be arranged through the ship: the sites are closed to the public the rest of the time.
'The place of the open hand', after the creeks that reach into the mangroves like the fingers of a hand. It is the name the Kariyarra people gave this place long before the ore carriers.
Early 20th-century buildings with corrugated iron verandahs, from the days when the town lived on pearling and cattle, now brightened by contemporary murals. A map from the visitor centre helps you find them street by street.
A work by a Pilbara Aboriginal artist: local galleries show canvases in deep ochres drawn from the red country. It is the finest souvenir available here.
From October to March, yes: flatback turtles, a species found only in northern Australia, nest on the town's own beaches. Volunteers supervise viewing to protect the nests.
A golden reflection that appears on the mudflats on certain full-moon evenings between March and October, when low tide and moonlight coincide. Locals come down to the shore in family groups to watch it.
The salt mountains of the neighbouring salt fields, visible on the airport road. Their brilliant white startles the eye in the middle of the red country, and they are a reminder that this coast produces more than iron.
Hat, water and sunscreen: the Pilbara sun is fierce in every season. Plan shade breaks in the West End cafés. Distances in town are short and cruise line shuttles usually link the wharf with the main points of interest.
