Port Hedland - Information

USEFUL CONTACTS

Port Hedland Tourist Bureau, 13 Wedge St, Pt Hedland. Phone: ( 08 ) 9173 1711 Fax: ( 08 ) 9173 2632

South Hedland Tourist Bureau, Suite 2 Lotteries House, Leake St, Sth Hedland. Phone: ( 08 ) 9172 5177 Fax: ( 08 ) 9172 5144

LOCATION & MAP OF PORT HEDLAND

The Pilbara is located about 1,600 kilometres north of Perth. The region covers roughly 500,000 square kilometres and is bordered by the Gascoyne Region in the south, the Kimberley Region in the north, the Indian Ocean to the west and the Northern Territory border to the east. 

Port Hedland is located 1,761 km north of Perth via the North West Coastal Highway or 1,660 km via the Great Northern Highway. Hedland is divided in to Port Hedland and South Hedland which is situated about 14 km from Pt Hedland.

http://www.dola.wa.gov.au/home.nsf/(FrameNames)/Touring+Maps

CLIMATE 

The Pilbara has a tropical, semi-desert climate with temperatures ranging from 0° - 45° C. A variable, mainly summer rainfall associated with thunderstorms is accompanied by temperatures sometimes topping 40 C (Phew!). Visiting the Pilbara at different times of the year offers different advantages. While the ideal months to visit the region are in autumn and spring, winter days are pleasantly warm and clear, though the nights can be cold and sometimes frosty. In the peak summer months, the extreme heat is compensated by the refreshing cool waters of the gorges which in winter can be too cold for swimming.

As the Pilbara is located in the cyclone belt of WA, conditions can change quite dramatically from day to day particularly in the summer, so keep an eye on the weather.

In Port Hedland hot summers (December to March/April) with a mean maximum of 37°C and pleasant warm days and cool nights in winter (June to September) - mean maximum is 27°C.

POPULATION

The Pilbara has a population of about 42,000 with about 12,000 living in Port Hedland.  The Pilbara is well known for the mobility of its population, having many short-term residents.  There is a large itinerant (mainly tourist) population that moves through the Pilbara during the winter months.  There also tends to be a migration of people away from the region during the summer months of December and January.

The Pilbara population is the most “male-oriented” region in the state.  In 1994 55.3% of the Pilbara population were males.  This can be explained by the nature of the local industry in the region, which attracts a large male workforce.

In the Pilbara in 1991, 27% of the region’s population were born overseas, which after Perth statistical division is the highest percentage of overseas born people in any region in the State. Such is its cultural diversity that the region boasts no less the 15 religious denominations, including Catholic, Anglican and Islamic.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES

The Pilbara economy, based on its mineral sector, is crucial to the Western Australian and Australian economy.  The regions two major resources are iron ore and gas/petroleum and these are two of the State’s largest exports. Another large employment sector in the Pilbara economy is building and construction, which at various times has provided more than 10% of the total work force. . Prospects for pastoral development are limited by the region’s climate. Apart from mining related production there had been some expansion of the local fishing industry, as well as a growing interest in potential agriculture, horticultural and aquaculture development.

TRANSPORT

The Pilbara is accesses by two major road arteries: The North West Coastal Highway and the Great Northern highway, which passes through Newman. Travel from Perth to Port Hedland is approx. 1,600km and takes about 24 hours or two days with 1 night stop over in Carnarvon.

Air

www.ansett.com.au
Skywest/Ansett operating daily services between Perth and Port Hedland.  Check their website or phone 131300 for latest prices. Student prices are available.

Port Hedland also has an International airport.

Bus

http://www.mccaffertys.com.au
McCafferty's/Greyhound: Ph 13 1499. Check their website or phone for latest prices.

Bus travel time is approx. 24 hours in the inland road and 28 hours on the coastal road.

In town, local bus services are limited but do operate between Port Hedland and South Hedland. See teh tourist authority for timetables.