Karratha
The name ‘Karratha’, which originated from a pastoral station, comes from the Aboriginal word meaning ‘good country’ or ‘soft earth’. The town came into being in the late 1960’s due to the tremendous growth of the iron ore industry, the need for a new regional centre and the lack of further available land in Dampier. Karratha now sprawls almost 10km in an east – west direction.
Held on the first weekend in August every year, the FeNaClNG Festival gets its name from the chemical symbols of the three main commodities produced in the region - iron ore, salt and natural gas.
Karratha Experiences
- Walk and photograph the cultural Jaburara Heritage Trail, see rock engravings and artefact scatters. The trail is related to the Giant Fruit Bat known as ‘Warramurrangka’
- Hearson’s Cove is great for a swim on high tide and between the months of April to October a viewing point to see the ‘Stairway to the Moon’ phenomenon.
- On your way to Hearson’s Cove, stop in at Deep Gorge and immerse yourself amongst some of the rock engravings that litter the heritage listed Burrup Peninsula.
- Learn more about natural gas, its extraction and processing at the North West Shelf Venture Visitor Centre.
- Swim and picnic at Maree Pool, 30km south of Karratha, just off the North West Coastal Highway.
- Explore further inland through the Chichester Ranges to the mystical oasis of Millstream Chichester National Park.
- Discover more at the Karratha Visitor Centre