the Pilbara region of WA

Introduction

covers an area of 507,896 km² and has a population of around 45,000 (~15% identify as indigenous peoples)
most live in the western third of the region, in towns such as Port Hedland, Karratha, Wickham, Newman and Marble Bar.
contains some of Earth's oldest rock formations including:
- the stromatolites from from extinct cyanobacteria Pilbaria
- 3.4 billion-year-old sandstones at Strelley Pool, which preserve fossils of sulfur-processing bacteria
- 3byr old granites
- banded iron formation (BIF)
landscapes of coastal plains and mountain ranges with cliffs and gorges
region includes the drainages of the Murchison, Gascoyne, Ashburton, Fortescue, and De Grey rivers.

a large collection of World Heritage-listed petroglyphs at Murujuga near Dampier dated to thousands of yrs ago
1st mined in 1888 - Pilbara Goldfield but alluvial gold ran out by mid-1890s
1937, mining of asbestos commenced at Wittenoom Gorge.
1950s, three British nuclear weapons tests were carried out in the Montebello Islands, 130 km off the coast
1960's discovery of high-grade ore in the Hamersley Ranges
off-shore liquified natural gas (LNG) through the North West Shelf Venture and Pluto LNG plant, both operated by Woodside

Roebourne coastal sandplain - western third
central third - inland uplands of the Pilbara Craton, including the predominant Hamersley Range which has a considerable number of mining towns, the Chichester Range and others
- KarijiniNP - some lovely gorges and refreshing waterholes, 4-6 day exploration 4WD trip consider base camp at Dales Campground
  - Hamersley Gorge is 350km south of Port Hedland and 700km NE of Canarvon and 115km W of Dales Campground
  - located near the asbestos mining ghost town of Whittenoom and the iron ore town of Tom Price
  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvWRrVdM6S0
eastern third is almost entirely desert - The Great Sandy Desert