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Major city · Australia

Onslow

Go only if you want Mackerel Islands diving or fishing: 2 nights, self-sufficient, own car, fuel before you leave town.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

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.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Apr–Oct (dry season, ferry running)
avoid Nov–Mar (cyclone season, extreme heat, ferry not running)
Airport
ONS
Nights
2
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Onslow000 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From mobiles112

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Onslow, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or takeaway snack at the fuel stationA$5–12 (≈ US$4–8)
  • BeerBeer at a hotel barA$8–12 (≈ US$6–8)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketGoods Shed Museum entryOpen Apr–Dec daily 10:00–15:00A$2 (≈ US$2)
  • Budget bedPowered caravan pitch, a night, per roomA$50 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedHotel or resort double room, a night, per roomA$240 (≈ US$160)
  • High-end bedHotel or resort double room, a night, per roomA$320 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$120 (≈ US$80) · Mid A$200 (≈ US$140) · High A$340 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Mackerel Islands diving and fishingStaircase to the Moon viewingOld Onslow ghost townWheatstone gas project tours
Airports
ONS Onslow Airport (5 km (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.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    37°C (99°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    36°C (97°F)

  3. Mar

    Avoid

    35°C (95°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    32°C (90°F)

  5. May

    Best

    28°C (82°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  7. Jul

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  8. Aug

    Best

    26°C (79°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    32°C (90°F)

  11. Nov

    Avoid

    34°C (93°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    36°C (97°F)

Best: Apr–Oct. Avoid: Nov–Mar. Month by month →

Warmest Jan (37°C (99°F)), coolest Jul (12°C (54°F) low), wettest Feb (4 rain days), driest Sep (1). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Onslow: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

37°C (99°F)

26°C (79°F)

3 rd

Feb

36°C (97°F)

26°C (79°F)

4 rd

Mar

35°C (95°F)

25°C (77°F)

3 rd

Apr

32°C (90°F)

22°C (72°F)

2 rd

May

28°C (82°F)

17°C (63°F)

3 rd

Jun

25°C (77°F)

14°C (57°F)

4 rd

Jul

24°C (75°F)

12°C (54°F)

3 rd

Aug

26°C (79°F)

13°C (55°F)

2 rd

Sep

29°C (84°F)

16°C (61°F)

1 rd

Oct

32°C (90°F)

19°C (66°F)

1 rd

Nov

34°C (93°F)

22°C (72°F)

1 rd

Dec

36°C (97°F)

24°C (75°F)

2 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Old Onslow

go

Door to door: About 30 min each way

Drive south-west on the Old Onslow road, about 15 km (9.3 mi)

Ruins of the 1885 settlement: gaol, courthouse, police quarters and cemetery, free to wander at any hour. Take water and shade.

Thevenard Island (Mackerel Islands)

overnight

Door to door: Half a day or more

Mackerel Islands ferry from Beadon Creek, 45 min

Ferry runs Apr–Oct, Tuesday and Friday, and is timed for island-to-town trips; stay on the island rather than trying to day-trip from Onslow.

Karratha

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h

Drive east on the North West Coastal Highway

Nearest dive shop, big supermarket and Murujuga rock art; a better base if Onslow is full.

Wheatstone project tour

caution

Door to door: About 2–3 h

Drive 12 km (7.5 mi) west, tour by arrangement

Chevron LNG facility tours run roughly once a month May–Oct; ask the visitor centre for dates and bookings.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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 (1.9–2.5 mi) north-east of the centre; needs a car.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$120–180 (≈ US$80–120) excl. bed
Mid
A$180–280 (≈ US$120–190) excl. bed
High
A$280 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel or resort double room1 × 2 nights × A$240A$480
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × A$200A$800
Mackerel Islands ferry, adult return2 × A$120A$240
Fuel, 100 km of local driving1 × A$20A$20
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$25A$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$159
Trip total≈ A$437 per person per day, bed includedA$1,749≈ US$1,200

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; flights and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or takeaway snack at the fuel stationA$5–12 (≈ US$4–8)
Pub meal at a hotelA$25–40 (≈ US$17–30)
Beer at a hotel barA$8–12 (≈ US$6–8)
Goods Shed Museum entryOpen Apr–Dec daily 10:00–15:00A$2 (≈ US$2)
Mackerel Islands ferry, adult returnA$120 (≈ US$80)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekA$20–40 (≈ US$14–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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 (50 mi) 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.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From mobiles
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

OnslowOnslow

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Can you take me to this address, please?To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From mobiles112

Embassy

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).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Onslow Airport → town centre, 5 km: taxi or pre-booked transfer, about A$25–35 (≈ US$17–25)
  • 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 (≈ US$80), 45 min each way, Apr–Oct Tue and Fri

Say or show

  • Where's the servo? — Where is the fuel station?
  • I've got a booking — I have a booking
  • How far's that? — How far is it?
  • Can I tap? — Can I pay by card?
  • Any mobile reception out here? — Is there phone signal?
  • Cheers — Thanks

Fuel 06:00–15:00 daily, supermarket 08:00–17:30 daily.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Onslow. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Oct (dry season, ferry running) · avoid Nov–Mar (cyclone season, extreme heat, ferry not running) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for ONS: Virgin and Qantas arrival days, car-hire meet-and-greet, taxi fallback.
  2. Ferry-day fixture for Beadon Creek: Tuesday and Friday Apr–Oct departures and returns, with a what-if for cancelled sailings.
  3. Fuel and water cutoffs with last-sale times, plus a half-tank rule for the highway legs.
  4. Place pages for Old Onslow, the Goods Shed Museum, Onslow Point and the termite-mound viewing area.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources