Pilbara Karratha Holiday & Caravan Park - Things to see and do

Distance from park: 18km

Find out why the whole of the Pilbara fell in love with a red Kelpie/Cattle Dog. Red Dog was a member of the Dampier Salts Sport and Social Club and the Trade Worker’s Union, and even had a bank account. Once you have paid your respects at the Red Dog memorial, make your way to the Dampier Archipelago, a chain of 42 coastal islands, islets and rocks. Here you will find coral reefs to dive, 10, 000 year old rock engravings and glimpses of the local wildlife.

Distance from park: 5.7km

Learn about the men and women who came to the Pilbara region over 150 years ago and how they shaped Australia into the country it is today. This 6km ghost town was once host to thousands of people, and offers a fascinating insight into the Pilbara’s history. See the old ruins and learn of miners trying to find their fortune in pearling and gold mining.

This natural phenomenon occurs when the full moon rises over exposed mudflats at extremely low tide, creating the optical illusion of a staircase reaching for the moon. The staircase occurs three nights each month from March to October. On the West Pilbara Coast it can be experienced at Cossack Lookout and Hearson’s Cove, only 20 minutes from Discovery Parks - Pilbara, Karratha.

Distance from park: 5.7km

Take plenty of water when you begin this 3.5km Heritage Trail as there is nowhere to fill your bottle up along the way. If you only have a short time to offer and can’t commit to the entire trail, head to the water tank hill behind the visitor centre and climb up to the nearest lookout. Here you will be faced with endless views of the land. Keep an eye out for the Aboriginal rock art that is scattered around you

A must do while you are in the Pilbara is the fantastic Pilbara Resources Tour! The tour includes a look behind the scenes at Rio Tinto Cape Lambert Operations, a Cossack heritage town walk-through and lunch at Port Walcott Yacht Club. Closed in shoes, long sleeve collared shirt and long pants are a must, safety glasses are provided. Bookings are essential.

Overing 627,422 hectares just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Hamersley Range, Karijini National Park is Western Australia’s second largest park. Its climate can best be described as tropical semi-desert. A highly variable, mainly summer rainfall of 250–350 mm, often associated with thunderstorms and cyclones, is accompanied by temperatures frequently topping 40 degrees Celsius. The ideal times to visit the park are late autumn, winter and early spring. Winter days are warm and clear, but nights are cold and sometimes frosty.

Distance from park: 18km

You need to stop for a swim and a snorkel at the The Dampier Archipelago. This area is made up of 42 islands, islets and rocks, with over half of them protected by the Dampier Archipelago Marine Park, meaning they are mostly untouched by man. Who can say no to that sort of beauty? Dugongs, manta rays, dolphins and humpback whales are regulars to this part of the coast, giving you something amazing to write home about.