Australia : The Pilbara
THE PILBARA
Red dust and iron ore are the stuff the Pilbara is made of. Miles of flat, hot coastal plain are populated by a handful of mining and port towns. The region has a tropical climate: wet in the summer, dry in the winter, and hot year-round. The dramatic Hammersley Ranges add spice to the otherwise monotonous landscape. Its roads are surrounded by prickly spinifex grass and gum trees, and is often festooned with kangaroo carcasses. Heat, floods, cyclones, winds, and mosquito-bourne disease are just some of the impediments to settlement in the region. But despite all this, the Pilbara is a compelling destination for tlie seasoned traveler. Take the time to visit the gorges of Karijini National Park, the Aboriginal rock carvings of the Burrup Peninsula, and the historical towns and sheltered beaches of Roebourne and Point Samson, and you may bepleasantly surprised by the treasures hidden in this scrubland.
