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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Onslow
Go only if you want Mackerel Islands diving or fishing: 2 nights, self-sufficient, own car, fuel before you leave town.
Onslow is a small Pilbara port town of about 850 people, 1,373 km north of Perth, used as a base for the Mackerel Islands and little else. There is one supermarket, one fuel station, a handful of hotel rooms and no dive shop. Come with a car, a full tank and your own gear, or skip it and stay in Karratha.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry season, ferry running)
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cyclone season, extreme heat, ferry not running)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$120–180 excl. bed · Mid A$180–280 excl. bed · High A$280+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or takeaway snack at the fuel station | A$5–12 |
| Pub meal at a hotel | A$25–40 |
| Beer at a hotel bar | A$8–12 |
| Goods Shed Museum entry | A$2 |
| Mackerel Islands ferry, adult return | A$120 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$20–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ONS · Onslow Airport
- 5 km south of town; Virgin Australia from Perth about 2 h, three days a week, Qantas about once a week. Car hire is based in town and will meet you here.3.1 mi south of town; Virgin Australia from Perth about 2 h, three days a week, Qantas about once a week. Car hire is based in town and will meet you here.
Typical fares
- Onslow Airport → town centre, 5 km
- taxi or pre-booked transfer, about A$25–35
- Cane layby → Onslow, 80 km
- pre-book Onslow Bus & Taxi, price not included in the coach ticket
- Mackerel Islands ferry, adult return
- about A$120, 45 min each way, Apr–Oct Tue and Fri
Get around
The town centre is walkable, but everything else — Old Onslow, the termite mounds, the Wheatstone turn-off, Beadon Creek — needs a car. Avis and Europcar have desks in town. The Mackerel Islands ferry runs Apr–Oct, Tuesday and Friday, leaving Thevenard Island at 10:00 for a 45-min crossing to Beadon Creek and returning around 14:00; it is set up for island staff coming to town, so you cannot use it as a day trip out from Onslow.The town centre is walkable, but everything else — Old Onslow, the termite mounds, the Wheatstone turn-off, Beadon Creek — needs a car. Avis and Europcar have desks in town. The Mackerel Islands ferry runs Apr–Oct, Tuesday and Friday, leaving Thevenard Island at 10:00 AM for a 45-min crossing to Beadon Creek and returning around 2:00 PM; it is set up for island staff coming to town, so you cannot use it as a day trip out from Onslow.
See and do
Known for
- Mackerel Islands diving and fishing
- Staircase to the Moon viewing
- Old Onslow ghost town
- Wheatstone gas project tours
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Old Onslow | Drive south-west on the Old Onslow road, about 15 kmDrive south-west on the Old Onslow road, about 9.3 mi | About 30 min each way |
| Thevenard Island (Mackerel Islands) | Mackerel Islands ferry from Beadon Creek, 45 min | Half a day or more |
| Karratha | Drive east on the North West Coastal Highway | About 3 h |
| Wheatstone project tour | Drive 12 km west, tour by arrangementDrive 7.5 mi west, tour by arrangement | About 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Second Avenue (town centre)
- Hotels, supermarket, fuel station and the visitor centre within a few minutes' walk; best if you have no car.
- Beadon Creek Road
- Caravan park and cabins near the creek and ferry landing, 3–4 km north-east of the centre; needs a car.Caravan park and cabins near the creek and ferry landing, 1.9–2.5 mi north-east of the centre; needs a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the fuel station? | Where's the servo? |
| I have a booking | I've got a booking |
| How far is it? | How far's that? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I tap? |
| Is there phone signal? | Any mobile reception out here? |
| Thanks | Cheers |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Don't leave town with less than half a tank: the fuel station at 23 Second Ave is open daily 06:00–15:00 only.
- Mobile coverage is patchy: Telstra may work in town, other carriers often don't, and there is no signal on the highway approach.
- The bus drops you at Cane, a layby 80 km south of town on the Onslow Road turn-off; you must pre-book the Onslow Bus & Taxi connection separately.
- Cyclone season runs roughly Nov–Mar; check forecasts before driving the coast road.
- Direction Island cabins and its ferry were not operating in recent seasons: confirm before planning around them.
Onslow is a small, quiet town and personal safety is not the issue. The real risks are heat, distance, fuel and phone coverage: carry water, fill up early and tell someone your route.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Onslow yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mackerel Islands diving and fishing
- Staircase to the Moon viewing
- Old Onslow ghost town
- Wheatstone gas project tours
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Shire of Ashburton — Onslow Airport: www.ashburton.wa.gov.au/live/travel/onslow-airport.aspx
- Mackerel Islands: mackerelislands.com.au/
- Integrity Coach Lines: www.integritycoachlines.com.au/
- Chevron Australia — Wheatstone: australia.chevron.com/our-businesses/wheatstone-project
- Wikivoyage: Onslow, revision 5230855 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5230855
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Onslow
Can you take me to this address, please?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Onslow; the nearest are in Perth. US, UK, Canadian and other embassies and consulates-general are in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (check the current list).
Fuel 06:00–15:00 daily, supermarket 08:00–17:30 daily.Fuel 6:00 AM–3:00 PM daily, supermarket 8:00 AM–5:30 PM daily.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/onslow). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.