Having just done a lap of OZ (mostly of the time in WA) mid last...

Having just done a lap of OZ (mostly of the time in WA) mid last year I’d say there is a lot more to the Pilbara then people (including myself) realise. Between mining communities, mines and Grey Nomads, there is people bloody everywhere in the Pilbara (A couple of WA’s best national parks are in the Pilbara). Also the Pilbara and its mines are well served by good roads and lots of flights.

I also did Cape York and did note the turn off to MMI on the way back from the tip. IMO, from a traveller’s point of view, I’d say that the Cape felt more remote then the Pilbara because the lack of decent roads and difficulty of getting mechanical or even medical help if needed. The road to Weipa is getting better, in about 5 years it will be all bitumen and some of the bigger flood points (Archer river for eg) will be all season.

Do you know if MMI barges its big equipment like trucks in? The cost of road transport would be horrendous. I saw two big dump trumps heading North when I was heading south near Archer river. Two escorts dong about 20km an hour where I meet them on the dirt. The low loader trailers where taking a flogging and I am sure the transport rates would triple for dirt section to compensate for increased damage to gear.