Burrup Peninsula

On Western Australia’s remote Pilbara coast, the Burrup Peninsula (Murujuga) holds one of the world’s richest collections of ancient rock art — tens of thousands of petroglyphs etched into rust-red boulders. This starkly beautiful landscape of spinifex, mangroves and turquoise coves feels like a living museum, where Indigenous stories and industrial history collide. It’s a place for travellers who want to step off the beaten track into deep time.

Highlights & What to See

• Murujuga National Park – The park protects the peninsula’s extraordinary rock art. Join a guided ranger tour or take the self-drive trail to see petroglyphs of kangaroos, turtles and ancestral figures that may be 40,000 years old.
• Hearson Cove – A sheltered, sandy beach perfect for a cooling dip after exploring the boulder fields. Good snorkelling at high tide.
• Dampier Archipelago – The peninsula is the gateway to this chain of 42 islands. Take a boat tour for dugongs, turtles and humpback whales (June–October).
• King Bay & the Burrup Hub – An astonishing contrast: the peninsula is also Australia’s largest industrial gas precinct. View the monumental LNG plants from a lookout — a surreal encounter with modern resource wealth.
• Conzinc Bay & Withnell Bay – Quiet camping spots with million-dollar sunset views over the archipelago.

Suggested Time to Spend

Base yourself in nearby Karratha or Dampier for at least two full days. One day is enough for the national park’s main rock-art loop and a swim at Hearson Cove. Add a second day for a boat trip into the archipelago or to explore the peninsula’s more remote beaches and industrial viewpoints. If you’re driving from Exmouth or Broome, break the journey with a night here — the landscape demands unhurried appreciation.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Karratha – The region’s service hub, with excellent Aboriginal cultural tours and the must-visit Red Earth Arts Precinct.
• Dampier – Tiny port town with the Dampier Historical Walk and a good seafood takeaway. Ferry to the islands departs here.
• Millstream-Chichester National Park – About 2 hours south, this park offers swimming holes, waterfalls and more Pilbara landscapes.
• Karijini National Park – A 3-hour drive to the south-east. Combine with Burrup for a classic Pilbara road trip of gorges, waterfalls and rock art.
• Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef – 5 hours west. Pair the peninsula’s ancient art with Ningaloo’s whale sharks and coral reefs for a diverse WA itinerary.

Please check official sources for current details.