lestok rio tinto mine site

I absolutely love big trucks and big mining equipment and this tour full filled my dream to see these units in action. We were on a bus and our guide was Baz, who knew everything about the mine equipment and mine operations. We could look down into the open cut to see the various layers as well as see the trucks bringing the iron ore out. This tour has been a real highlight of our travels around Australia

Given the Pilbara is the engine room for Australia's exports, this tour is excellent to see the scale of what's going on in the region's massive iron ore mines. Once you hit the coast at Dampier or Port Hedland, you will see the ships that carry all the iron ore off to China. Tour guide Baz was good. As I did this tour in March, it required a minimum of 10 to go - which was only confirmed 2 days before departure. Cost was $30 per adult which I thought was reasonable. Tour departs at 10am and returns at 11.30am. Tours like this are the only way for the general public to see inside these mines - I am not aware of any other mine that conduct such a tour, so credit must go to Rio Tinto for allowing access.

As everyone else has said, the bus driver guide was awesome. You pay at the visitors Centre and pick up your hard hat and safety goggles. The bus then picks up the tour group from there and the driver gives you an informative amusing and comprehensive commentary as you drive around the site. Would recommend it.

As in the Trip TripAdvisor's records I could not find Eco-Retreat, Karijini I am now contributing my little piece. Tom Price in itself was impressive and various motel/hotel/bungalow sites and places were all excellent, the Karijini National Park is in fact the place to visit as an attraction and as an experience. Eco-retreat can be reached by normal car but 4x4 is advisable. Eco-retreat is some 80 kilometers from Tom Price. And is in the center of the Karijini National Park. It is open in the dry season (April to October). Accommodation is in safari type housing tents creating the atmosphere of real safari scene as seen in the movie out of Africa, except the wild life is different. The accommodation is superb, solar power and solar hot water..and above great restaurant with great wines. The area is a national park providing the beauty of the Pilbara region of WA. with the variety of most .

Bob's tour is well worth it. His knowledge of how the mine operates is impressive. Just being able to access such a massive mine site and see the place in operation was very authentic and an important insight into a major Australian industry, that is, iron ore and mining. Well worth it.

Passing through Tom Price (a mining town) on our way from Karijini National Park to Exmouth we took this tour. It was a tour through the main mine points on a coach. The only place we alighted was at the rim of the biggest excavated area at a viewing area. There was a good number of heavy dumper trucks moving about and lots to see in the grading areas. BUT the main point for us was the informed commentary of the bus driver. He has been doing it for years and knows a wealth of info. The trip goes at 10am every day from the visitors center in TP and costs $30 (numbers permitting)... expensive for a Rio Tinto PR event! but we were glad we did it!

We enjoyed our tour of the mine at Tom Price. Guide was informative and knowledgeable. If he did not know something he said he would make it up, which is in keeping with the best Aussie tradition.bus was comfortable.

This was a fantastic tour, run by a very knowledgable long time local as our tour guide! The air conditioned bus was a bonus as the temperature was 38degrees.I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in seeing a large scale mine in full operation!