Australia´s North West Holiday Planner 2024

PILBARA COAST BURRUP PENINSULA Home to the world’s largest rock art gallery, beautiful beaches and an opportunity to learn about one of the region’s resources projects, the Burrup Peninsula has plenty to discover. • Murujuga National Park covers more than 4900ha of the Burrup Peninsula. Internationally renowned, the rugged “outdoor gallery” showcases what is thought to be the highest concentration of rock engravings, petroglyphs, of any known site in the world. • The heritage listed rock art has special meaning for Aboriginal people and its traditional custodians the Ngarluma- Yindjibarndi, the Yaburura- Maardudhunera and the Woon-goo-tt-oo. Take an Aboriginal guided tour to learn about the significance of the ancient rock art and Murujuga National Park to the local people. • You can see good examples of engraved motifs at Ngajarli (Deep Gorge) near Hearson Cove, within easy walking distance and accessible to all vehicles. • Enjoy the beautiful beach at Hearson Cove – swim, walk, relax or enjoy Staircase to the Moon. • Four-wheel drive north to Withnell Bay to discover a number of great fishing sites. Drive to the Burrup Peninsula via the Dampier and Burrup Roads from Karratha; approx. 20 minutes. Tour the ancient petroglyphs with traditional custodians, departing from the national park. DAMPIER Located 20km west of Karratha, Dampier is one of the largest shipping ports in Australia. It’s also the gateway to the Dampier Archipelago, home of the Pilbara’s Red Dog trail, and full of interesting stories to discover. • Don’t miss the memorial to the Pilbara’s favourite canine ’Red Dog’ on the way into town, and then follow the ’Roaming with Red Dog Trail’ to explore Dampier. • Dampier is the departure point for live-aboard fishing charters to the Montebello Islands. • Take the Dampier Port Tour or learn about the history of Dampier Salt as you overlook the salt ponds from the Dampier Salt Lookout. • Head down to the Dampier Beachside Markets held once a month between April and December. Enjoy stalls, food, drinks, kids’ activities and live music. • Relax on the Dampier Foreshore, with shaded picnic and barbecue areas, walkways and swimming beaches, or call into the café for views across the harbour with your coffee. Enjoy Dampier’s stunning sunsets. • Keep an eye open for Humpback Whales between July and September. Drive to Dampier via the Dampier Road from Karratha; approx. 40 minutes. DAMPIER ARCHIPELAGO Take a tour or launch your own boat to explore the beautiful and untamed Dampier Archipelago, 42 islands, islets and rocks just off the coast of Dampier. The islands offer incredible marine-, wild- and bird-life spotting opportunities, and have been zoned to provide a balance between conservation and recreation. • The Dampier Archipelago supports the largest hawksbill turtle rookery in the Indo-Pacific island region, and is also home to important nesting grounds for flatback, green and loggerhead turtles. • From June to September, you’ll also spot humpback whales on their annual migration, as well as bottlenose and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. • More than 100 bird species have been spotted in the islands, including migratory waders on their journey from Northern Russia. A COAST OF CONTRASTS HEARSON COVE, BURRUP PENINSULA 68 | www.australiasnorthwest.com