Emu Creek Station; stunning creek side camping
We’ve always wanted to explore more of the Pilbara rivers, and when we heard of Emu Creek a few years back we recommended it to our parents. They visited and raved about it, and we made sure it was part of our 6 week itinerary travelling north.
We spent a night there not too long ago, and absolutely loved it.
EDIT – Apparently new owners are taking over shortly and camping will no longer be an option, so find out before you make the trip there!
Where is Emu Creek Station?
You’ll find this place off the north west highway, some 365 kilometres from Karratha, and 139 kilometres from Bullara Station.
How do you get there?
To get there, you have two options; a gravel road and river crossing, or a gravel road through to the main gates. We came in via the river crossing, which is the North Western entrance as that was the recommendation by Google, and we didn’t know there was a river crossing.
The crossing itself is easy, providing you have it in 4WD, the water levels are low and you maintain some momentum. We did everything wrong, and rolled into the river in 2WD, and I stopped mid way across to video, and then couldn’t get going again. We did eventually manage to do it in low range with a bit of back and forth, but I was pretty sure we were going to getting out and deflating tyres.
My parents towed their 2.8 tonne van in a few hours after us, and managed to end up in the same predicament despite already being in 4WD. With their tyres down considerably and they drove out with no issues.
What amenities do they have?
Emu Creek Station now has toilets and showers. We didn’t use them, but the showers run off a donkey hot water system and gets turned on around 3PM each afternoon.
They don’t offer powered sites, and just have your normal (amazing) station stay experience to enjoy.
How much does Emu Creek Station Cost?
Camping at Emu Creek Station is $30 per night per vehicle, regardless of how many people are with you.
About the camp sites
The camp sites at Emu Creek are all along the river, which will either have a decent amount of water in it, or pools unless you are late in the season.
The sites are reasonably well spread apart, with no formal designations and plenty of shade from the gum trees in the area. You can comfortably get a big van into most of the sites, with only a couple suited to tents and lighter setups, as the river sand is super soft.
We got stuck trying to set up camp in a way that would allow for two other vehicles, but got out pretty easily with Maxtrax.
Fires at Emu Creek Station
You can have fires at Emu Creek Station, but you must bring your own timber in, or buy it at the homestead. Collecting of timber on the property isn’t allowed as it just slowly gets destroyed.
Walks at Emu Creek Station
There’s a couple of nice walks at Emu Creek Station, and the entire property is worth a wander around. The Nyang Wool Shed in particular is worth a look, as it has some pretty incredible history.
Dogs at Emu Creek
Dogs are allowed at Emu Creek, but must be kept under control at all times, and cleaned up after.
Is it worth it?
Emu Creek Station is nothing short of pure magic. Camping on the river bed, with the bird life and amazing station stay feel is just fantastic, and we seriously enjoyed it.
Obviously, the water level in the river is going to vary a lot, and it was deep enough for us to have a decent swim, with most of the river over a metre deep. It is not always this way though.
If you are looking for an incredible station stay not too far off the road between Coral Bay or Exmouth and Karratha, absolutely visit Emu Creek Station.
