![]() About the region: The Murchison region covers almost 470,000 square kilometres or nearly one fifth the area of Western Australia. One of the most accessible parts of outback Western Australia, the region extends along the coast from Greenhead in the south to beyond Kalbarri in the north and more than 800 kilometres east into the mineral rich hinterland. With an area twice the size of the United Kingdom, the Murchison embraces a wide diversity of landscapes and land uses. The coastal regions of the Murchison are covered under Batavia & Coral Coasts.
The Hamersley Range dominates the Pilbara region, which lies to the north of the Murchison. In the south the mountains slope gently up to flat-topped outcrops and in the north they rise majestically from golden spinifex plains. The main activity in the area is mining, centred at towns like Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Newman. The Pilbara came to national and international prominence during the 1960s when the go-ahead was given to extract iron ore deposits in the region. Today the Pilbara economy is crucial to the State, providing two of the State's largest export revenue earners - iron ore and liquefied natural gas.
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| Mt Robinson |
Handrail Pool, Weano Gorge |
Collier Rocks, Dampier Arch. |
How To Get There: the Murchison region can be accessed by road, travelling north from Perth via Great Northern Highway. At Muchea, continue north on Great Northern Highway to Meekatharra via New Norcia, Wubin and Paynes Find to reach the Murchison hinterland.
To travel towards the Shipwreck and Coral Coast via the inland route, continue north from Muchea along Great Northern Highway to Walebing, turn left onto The Midlands Road and follow it via Moora, Three Springs and Mingenew to Dongara.
Alliteratively, turn left after Muchea and travel north via Brand Highway to Dongara. Another option is to follow Brand Highway to Badgingarra, then turning left onto Jurien Road to Jurien Bay; follow the coast north via Green Head and Leeman to Dongara.
From Dongara, proceed north via Brand Highway to Geraldton and beyond.
The Best Time To Visit: Rainfall is generally low (the further inland you go, the lower the rainfall) and mainly is experienced in the winter months, particularly at the tail end of summer cyclones and summer thunderstorms. Large amounts of wildflowers bloom following good winter rainfall.
Summers are mostly hot, with summer temperatures generally being over 30 degrees Celsius, and there are frequently long periods where the temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius (100 degrees F). Winters are generally cool and sunny in the inland regions. Travellers to the area should be aware of these extremes and equip themselves sufficiently well to ensure their own wellbeing.
Murchison
Pilbara
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Natural Wonders
Natural Attractions
Caves
Historic Places
- Meekatharra: former Court House (1911)
- Cue: Government buildings (Post & Telegraph Offices, Savings Bank, Warden's Office, Mining Registrar's Office, Police Station, Police & Land Office, Inspecting Surveyors Office and associated quarters, 1897); Masonic Hall (1899); ruins of abandoned mining towns of Day Dawn and Big Bell
- Mt. Magnet: ruins of abandoned mining town of Lennonville (11 km north)
- Yalgoo: Courthouse Museum; St Hyacinth Chapel; Jokers Tunnel; Heritage Trail
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- Roebourne: Holy Trinity Church (1894), Union Bank (1889), Victoria Hotel (1866), Post Office, Hospital, Court House and the Old Gaol (1886-87)
- Dampier: Trial shipwreck, Trial Rocks
- Cossack: Court House (1885-86); Post & Telegraph Office (1882); Customs House and Bond Store (1890-95); Registrar's Office and Residence; Gailbraith's Store (1890-91); Tidemaster's quarters (1890); Cemetery; School (1896-97); Jarman Island lighthouse and quarters
- Marble Bar: Comet Gold mine and Tourist Centre; tin workings on Nullagine Road; Corunna Downs World war II RAAF Base ruins; Government Offices (1894-95); Iron Clad Hotel
Waterfalls
- Newman: Eagle Rock Falls
- Karijini National Park: Joffre Falls; Fortescue Falls; Kermit's Pool
Misc. Attractions
- Cue: Walga Rock Aboriginal rock art; Wilgie Mia ochre mine
- Warburton: Warburton Aboriginal Mission buildings; Walter James Range Aboriginal art sites, Western Desert
- Gascoyne Junction: Boom Boom Spring Aboriginal engraving site
- Port Hedland: Nelson Point Aboriginal rock art; South West Creek Aboriginal rock art (6 km south-west); iron ore shipping berths
- Roebourne: Depuch Island Aboriginal art sites (over 5,000 engravings)
- Dampier: iron ore loading terminal; , Burrup Peninsula Aboriginal art sites - Dampier 'Climbing Men' Aboriginal art site (9 km north-east); Skew Valley, Kangaroo Valley, Hunter Valley, Happy Valley and Gum Tree Valley Aboriginal art sites; salt works; Miaree Pool; Staircase to the Moon; Hearsons Cove
- Karratha: Pilbara Railway Historical Society
- Wickham: Cape Lambert iron ore loading facility
- Tom Price: Mt. Tom Price iron ore mine
- Paraburdoo: Ratty Springs Aboriginal rock art and a natural spring (50 km)
- Pannawonica: Rio Tinto iron ore mine, Robe River
- Wittenoom: Wittenoom township and abandoned CSR blue asbestos mines (Wittenoom and Yampire Gorges); Upper Yule River and Abydos Homestead Aboriginal art sites
- Newman: Wanna Munna Aboriginal Rock art
- Marble Bar: Abydos - Woodstock Aboriginal Art Sites
- Nullagine: Kintyre Uranium lease
- Pardoo Creek: Abydos/Woodstock Aboriginal Art sites
Journeys
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| Regions of Western Australia |
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