 North West Coastal Highway is the coastal route through Western Australia 's remote north @-@ west . From the Mid West city of Geraldton , the highway heads north 50 kilometres ( 31 mi ) to the small town of Northampton , and another 425 kilometres ( 264 mi ) to Carnarvon , the only large settlement along the route . It continues north @-@ east for 660 kilometres ( 410 mi ) to Roebourne , 30 kilometres ( 19 mi ) beyond the turnoff to Karratha , and ends 160 kilometres ( 99 mi ) further east at Great Northern Highway , 30 kilometres ( 19 mi ) out from Port Hedland . Apart from Whim Creek , between Roeburn and Port Hedland , roadhouses serving the highway are the only settlements on the long stretches of rangeland expanses between these towns . The highway provides access to tourist destinations including Shark Bay , Coral Bay , and Exmouth . North West Coastal Highway supports the diversified economies of the Mid West and Gascoyne regions , including mining , agriculture , fishing and tourism , transitioning to primarily mining , pastoral stations and offshore oil and gas production in the Pilbara . 
