You wouldn’t come to Port Hedland to stay in an area of outstanding natural beauty however it does have its place on the Australian tourist trail. Likely to attract either heritage buffs or bird and sea life enthusiasts, Port Hedland is ultimately an industrial centre, with a few side lines designed to appeal to visitors. What the region is most famous for is its production of iron ore. It is one of Australia’s major iron ore ports, working around the clock in extraction, processing and exporting of the ore. So if you’ve come to Australia for cosmopolitan beaches, fine dining and nightlife, you might as well strike Port Hedland off your itinerary now! 

However, not all travellers fall into the category of surf dude or night owl so read on and you might well be surprised at what’s in store. 

For history buffs, the heritage trails are a must. There are 4 trails, ranging from 1.8km to 85km in distance!! Covering exploration of the town as it was pre-WWI, ranging from the old town site and pearler’s cemetery, via the Aboriginal hospital to the wharves, jetties and warehouses and all the way to the mangrove swamps! 

Another historical site well worth a visit is the Aboriginal site at Nelson Point, where you can discover some of the best stone engravings in the whole of Australia. 

Visit Dalgety House, an old dwelling that is now a museum and then on to the Courthouse Arts and Gallery Centre for a rich display of indigenous arts and crafts. 

There is another side to Port Hedland and that’s the birds and the sea life. Hardly surprising, the port attracts a vast array of bird life, making it a rich playground for twitchers and photographers. Perhaps more surprising is the abundance of whales and turtles. Come in season and you’ll be spoilt with whale watching tours and also the possibility of viewing nesting flatback turtles between October and March. Port Hedland is also a wonderful fishing spot.

And ok, I lied, there is a beach (well come on this is Australia) and it’s a pretty long one too. With a name like Eighty Mile Beach it offers the area a little slice of scenic heaven. Stretching from Port Hedland all the way to Broome, the beach offers soft white sand to kick back and relax on. What’s more, you won’t be fighting for beach space like the Bondi beachgoers.

Finally, the iron ore industry itself can make a fascinating excursion, especially if you are travelling with small children. For example, imagine the look on their faces as they catch sight of the iron ore train that really does seem to go on forever. Well, a train that has over 3km worth of wagons strung together would be quite astonishing to young eyes! Then there’s the huge machinery at the Nelson Point crushing works that can be quite eye opening and the huge ships loading the ore. Consider it education in motion and book a Nelson Point tour. Afterwards, you could travel out by road to see the huge pyramids of salt at the Leslie Salt Company.
 
Located approximately 1700km north of Perth, Port Hedland began life as a settlement for pearling luggers in the 1870s. 20 years later the port became popular for the shipment and exportation of gold bullion from nearby goldfields. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the port began operating its iron ore industry, receiving the ore from Mount Whaleback, one of the world’s biggest iron ore mining operations and only 400km from Port Hedland. The ore is transported by the longest private operating railway in Australia, where it is crushed and exported worldwide. 

Getting there

Port Hedland can be reached by road on either the North West Coastal Highway or the Great Northern Highway, north of Perth. If you don’t have a vehicle of your own, the Greyhound bus runs regular services to Port Hedland, along the coast road. 

Alternatively, Qantas operates a domestic flight service into the area.