BIG COUNTRY

THE PILBARA IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY, AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE, DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT LANDSCAPE IN WA'S RUGGED NORTHWEST

- KEV SMITH

IMAGINE a destination that covers more than 170,000km² and is made up of ancient landscapes, an idyllic coastline, heritage-listed sites, some of the oldest rock art on earth and, importantly, contains some great four-wheel driving opportunities.

The Pilbara region of Western Australia dates back 4.3 billion years and is twice the size of the United Kingdom. It is regarded as the oldest place on earth and has deep red rock formations so ancient that it predates fossil remains.

It is thought Pilbara is the Aboriginal name for a mullet that's found in a creek off the Yule River. As the area is so vast, I wasn't sure how to tackle it, and really wasn't expecting to see as much as I did. I spent a few days in the southern part of the Pilbara exploring Millstream Chichester NP and across to the mining area near Pannawonica, and then back to Onslow to explore the coast.

Nicknamed 'Cyclone City', Onslow has been subjected to more than a dozen cyclones in which wind speeds have been measured as high as 232km/h. Originally built for pearling, mining and pastoral use, Onslow is a sleepy town that attracts tourists year round. Officially, Europeans travelled through here in 1861 when an expedition was led through the Pilbara, but prior to that Abel Tasman visited the islands off Onslow in 1644.

Onslow is an interesting town with a heritage trail and free riverside camping at Five Mile Pool. As well as a visit to the old Onslow town ruins, make sure you check out the huge salt lakes that cover 90km², and from which 2.5million tonnes of table salt is produced every year.