REGIONAL TOURISM

A couple of hours leisurely drive from Jigalong lies the mining town of Newman. It is 1186km north of Perth or 458km south of Port Hedland and is the largest town in the East Pilbara region. In addition to its physical beauty the region is the source of much of Australia's industrial wealth.

The area offers tourists a selection of awe inspiring ranges with deep gorges and spectacular cliffs and the rich fiery red soils are matched by the red & gold sunsets and clear blue skies during the day. After rain the country turns green resulting in a spectacular show of wildflowers and a rapid increase in wildlife. Rainfall is sparse in winter and follows unreliable cyclones in summer. The native plants and animals are adapted to the harsh climatic conditions. Vegetation is sparse except in river beds where tall gums grow and provide shelter for a varied wildlife. We are situated in one of the most cyclonic regions in the world.

Protected National Parks of the region offer you the opportunity to drive, camp, walk, swim and explore the Millstream-Chichester and the Karijini National Parks in the impressive Hamersley Ranges. (day visit passes required). The local tourist centre can offer information on tours or self drive experiences / adventures through this unique landscape. Examples that you should consider include:

• Ask for the water hole map. There are several great crystal clear waterholes to visit near Newman, many with incredible Aboriginal rock carvings and no one around. Favourites include Punda and Wanna Munna as well as the well known Kalgins pool where they filmed the movie "Japanese story" with Toni Collette.
• Tom Price and the local Whaleback Mine both offer tours of the massive open-cut mines (BHP Whaleback discovered 1957 is the worlds largest) and their huge machinery used to remove and export some of the worlds best quality ore.
• Karajini National Park offers the most notable and spectacular landscapes with the beautiful jagged, winding gorges, sheer cliffs, cascading waterfalls with crystal clear pools and spectacular array of wild flowers.
• Wildflowers are an unexpected bonus if travelling the region after opening rains when the Spinifex and mulga give way to a countryside littered with the native Wattles, Sturt Pea, Mulla Mulla and Ashburton Pea.
• Rudall River National Park is another popular destination, crafted by millions of years weathering to provide a picturesque selection of mountain ranges and desert dunes; an unspoiled outback for you as nature intended. Australia’s largest park, it is located on the boundary of the Little and Great Sandy Desert. It is harsh country but, you'll be spellbound by it's beauty and remoteness. Sights in the park include the many pools, Hanging Rock, Kalkan Kalkan Soak and the Desert Queen Baths.
• Marble Bar (the local rock later found to be Jasper) is renowned as one of Australia’s hottest locations but offers the tourist some cool waterholes in which to cool down (The local ‘Iron Clad Hotel’ is also good for this), gold mine tours and the old WW2 Corunna Downs Airfield from where Australian & American forces carried out bombing raids on the Japanese (located about 16km out of town).
• The Canning Stock Route, built at the turn of the century by Alfred Canning winds its way between Wiluna in the south and Halls Creek in the north and was developed with its water-wells as a means of moving livestock up to the Kimberleys. It is not a trip for the novice but has some unexpected sights like the crystal clear underground watered cave at “Mujingerra Cave”, the unique Windich & Derba Springs. Canning was a brilliant surveyor and outback navigator with the survey of most of the states pastoral areas to his credit.
• The Rabbit Proof Fence has all but disappeared but many sections can still be found along its 1820km length, stretching north from Burracoppin in the south, its construction began at the turn of the century and continued for many years in the hope that it would stop rabbits and other ferral pests from entering the states valuable pastoral & farming land. Of course it was also used as a guideline for the movie of the same name about three young Aboriginal girls in the 1930s who walked the length of the fence to make their way from enforced captivity back to their families (See the ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ page). The following link will show you the full history of the states Rabbit Proof Fence - http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/pls/portal30/docs/folder/ikmp/pw/vp/barrier_crawford.pdf
• Nullagine is also a bed of history, established in the late 1800’s after the discovery of gold and gemstones, the area boasts huge paperbarks, a wildflower haven (in season) some lovely, glass clear pools and its unique granite landscape.