The City of Karratha has transformed in recent years, becoming one of Australia’s most liveable regional cities. The vibrant hub of WA’s North West features modern facilities and an active lifestyle largely attributed to its younger demographic and beautiful natural landscape
Karratha’s location – perfectly positioned between Exmouth and Broome – makes it the ideal destination for exploring many of the Pilbara’s hidden treasures. In just a 20-minute drive you can explore the world’s biggest and oldest collection of Aboriginal rock engravings on the Burrup Peninsula or deep dive into the Dampier Archipelago from the port town of Dampier. Alternatively, travellers can stay in the historic ghost town of Cossack, Western Australia’s first port, and soak up the rich history and local art scene.
Whether you’re feeling adventurous or just looking to simply relax in the Pilbara serenity, here’s 10 interesting fact you need to know before you visit Karratha.
- Karratha’s Double Meaning
Karratha’s name translates into “good country” or “soft earth” in the local Aboriginal language of the Ngarluma People.
- Great Barrier Reef 2.0
The Dampier Archipelago is a chain of 42 islands with the richest concentration of marine Biodiversity in the whole of WA. Islets all of which lie within a 45-kilometre radius of the town of Dampier, featuring steep rock piles, mangroves and sandy beaches. For those who love the Great Barrier and Ningaloo reefs, this is the perfect spot to kick back and relax on a beach of your own or join the locals in enjoying the diving, boating, fishing, windsurfing, camping and walking tracks.
- World Heritage Attractions
The Murujuga National Park is home to a collection of more than 1 million petroglyphs, making it the highest concentration of rock carvings in the world, some dating to 40,000 years old. The National Park was the 100th declared National Park in Western Australia and has been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status.
- Fish, Fish and More Fish
The Dampier Archipelago boasts world-class fishing with 650 different species of deep water, reef and inlet fish from large pelagic gamefish such as sailfish, tuna and Mackerel, to highly sought-after demersal species such as coral trout, red emperor and snapper. Visit the Karratha Tourism & Visitor Centre information on fishing in the area.
- The real Sunny State
The Pilbara receives more sunshine than anywhere else in Australia – more than 10 hours a day on average1.
- The Best in Regional Health Care
Opening a new era in health care for the Pilbara region, the $207.15 million Karratha Health Campus in the CBD is the biggest investment in health infrastructure in regional WA, offering an expanded emergency department, brand new surgical centre, delivery suites and a maternity wing, with world class telehealth services.
- Edible rock oysters
Rock oysters already grow naturally in abundance on the Pilbara coast, and studies have shown the Pilbara’s environmental conditions and coastline make it well-suited to edible rock oyster farming. More than 100,000 juvenile oysters are currently being farmed at a site in in the Dampier Archipelago as part of a trial to determine if a $30 million commercial oyster industry is viable.
- Hustle and Bustle
Karratha Airport is the second busiest airport in WA, accommodating roughly 450,000 people annually2. Solar power is currently generating more than 30 per cent of the airport’s power supply using cloud predicting technology that optimises the output of solar energy.
- A hub for arts and culture
The acclaimed $56 million Red Earth Arts Precinct is not only a state-of-the-art arts and culture hub but an abstraction of the Pilbara designed to mimic the surrounding landscape. The facility features a 450-seat theatre, library, amphitheatre and outdoor cinema and played host in 2018 to the VAST Project after 25 local and nationally acclaimed artists came together to work on an album, film and variety of visual arts.
- A rich history
Just 50km from Karratha, visit the historic ghost town of Cossack and walk through some of the oldest buildings in WA. The abandoned town is now host one of the nation’s richest regional art prizes, the Cossack Art Awards, each year.
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