Located 1,535km north of Perth, and 850km from Broome,Karratha is an isolated town in Western Australia.
Established back in 1968 to house the workers of the Hamersley Iron mining company, and again in the 1980s for the North West Shelf Venture of petroleum and natural gas operations.
The surrounding outback landscape is eerily flat, with tidal salt marsh between the town and the ocean. This is your gateway to Australia’s wild, wild west.
Explore the surrounding areas on the Yaburara heritage trail. A track that has been carefully developed with the Ngarluma people, the Traditional Owners of the land. Learn about Aboriginal culture through engravings, a Talu site and artefacts along the way.
Uncover Cossack, a historic ghost town only a 30-minute drive from Karratha. What once lay an early settlement, is now an abandoned town that showcases some of the oldest buildings in Western Australia.
An hour long drive from Karratha is Roeburne, one of the first town in North West of Western Australia, established when gold was discovered in the area. Journey through the town on the Roeburne Heritage Trail, and discover the history behind this small isolated town in the wild west. This walking trail will take you 5km through the significant buildings in town, signposted with the story behind each site.
