Sophia Alston

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Alistair Bates |Michelle Stanley |Sophia Alston

Port Hedland has resumed iron ore shipments after Tropical Cyclone Zelia battered WA's Pilbara. The port contributes more than $100 billion, or about four per cent, to the national economy each year. A supply chain expert warns the closure could have a "huge multiplier effect". As residents in Western Australia's north sift through the wreckage left by Tropical Cyclone Zelia, the "engine room" of the resource-rich region has purred back to life.

Jan 13, 2025 | abc.net.au | Rosemary Murphy |Michelle Stanley |Kelly Gudgeon |Sophia Alston

Heavy rainfall, a strange skyline and a waterspout over the ocean are just some of the weather phenomena witnessed across Western Australia's Pilbara region over the past 24 hours. The stormy weather has delighted many locals who watched on in awe. Dampier resident Eloise Dortch was out walking her dog on Monday morning when something caught her eye off the coast. "I didn't know what I was looking at," Ms Dortch said. "I saw this weird, dark trail going from the rain clouds down into ocean.

Dec 25, 2024 | abc.net.au | Sophia Alston

A cowboy hat is a wardrobe staple for many outback residents looking to protect themselves from Australia's harsh sun. But sunburn isn't the only thing country folk are thinking about when they don a hat. For many, the way a hat looks is just as important as the function it serves. "You can tell who's a wannabe cowboy and who's a real cowboy," station worker Georgia Elliot said.

Dec 8, 2024 | abc.net.au | Sophia Alston |Alistair Bates

On a balmy summer evening along the banks of the Gascoyne River in northwest Western Australia, members of the local Vietnamese community gather to listen to a presentation about how to prepare for an emergency. But many of them don't understand the English-speaking officials delivering information. Kim Hoi grows fruits and vegetables in Carnarvon and often depends on his wife Tanya Wim to translate. "He felt a bit left out and bit sorry that he doesn't understand much English," Ms Wim said.

Nov 26, 2024 | abc.net.au | Sophia Alston |Alistair Bates

While their classroom experience is often associated with the crackling sounds of shortwave radio, a group of remote students has put their lives on the land to music. Children from Carnarvon's School of the Air collaborated for almost a year to compose, produce and record a special music video, Station Life. From riding on horseback to evenings in front of the bonfire, many of the scenes span thousands of kilometres between some of Australia's most remote pastoral leases.