Jasper deposits
Marble Bar, known as the hottest town in Australia, gets its name from a local deposit of colourful mineral that was thought to be marble and turned out to be jasper.
The jasper deposits cross the Coongan River, forming Marble Bar Pool and adjacent to it Chinaman Pool. Both are both very picturesque picnic spots, only 5 minutes’ drive from Marble Bar town.
Marble Bar is a small mining town, approximately 1500km north east of Perth on the Great Northern Highway.
Camping in spinifex country
Pilbara is a beautiful region, characterized by red colour, iron rich earth. There are so many pristine places there, including some awesome free camps, waiting to be discovered. But sometimes, the nigh falls before you can reach your destination. This happens to us from time to time. Quite often a solution is to pull out from the road – as long as there is a side road and clearing. On our long trip up north last year, we did just that.
Our camp for that cold night in July was what in Wikicamp is marked as Kate’ Pit. It turned out to be a perfect spot for a night like that.
Morning revealed beautiful scenery – typical Australian outback. Low winter sun was casting warm light onto the rough spiky spinifex grass, contrasting red rocky outcrops and blue sky. Stops like this one become a precious experience because of the opportunity to connect with nature and discover hidden beauty in remote outback.
Kate’s Pit is a large gravel pit, off the road, with no facilities, 38km south of Marble Bar.
We love every bit of Pilbara – including its red rocks and dirt endless roads!
