One of Australia’s most interesting and visually arresting regions is undoubtedly the Pilbara in northern Western Australia. The Pilbara region spans across 507,896 km2 (including offshore islands). In a state of isolated places, Karratha is certainly a long way away - some 1,535 kilometres north of Perth in the western region of the Pilbara. The vast proportion of the Pilbara population resides in the western region, due to the eastern end of the Pilbara consisting mostly of desert. The population of the Pilbara region exceeds 20,000.
People are drawn to Karratha for many reasons. The town thrives on the iron and gas industries, producing 26 percent of the gross national product. While Karratha is heavily mining focused, it offers much more to residents and visitors. Popular activities include exploring the islands of the Dampier Archipelago and adventuring through the amazing gorges of Karijini National Park or Hamersley Ranges. In particular, the winter months are especially popular for tourists who make the journey up each year to enjoy the beautiful weather and laid back lifestyle.
Karratha not only has picturesque natural beauty to explore, but also a number of recreational and sporting facilities. These include Karratha Aquatic Centre, Walkington Theatre, bowling club, golf club and the Karratha Entertainment Centre which has a gymnasium as well as tennis, squash, netball and badminton courts.
