Why can't you visit the city of Wittenoom in Australia? (5 photos)

The town of Wittenoom in the Pilbara region of Western Australia has notoriety. For several decades, entry and stay in the territory cities are strictly prohibited by local authorities.





Road sign

The city has become a ghost. For 50 years there has not been a single inhabitant in it. The authorities constantly warn that even a short stay in Wittenum threatens life and health.

However, every year groups of tourists go there. And their flow does not dry out, despite the prohibitions.

Why not visit the Wittenoom?

What pushes tourists to go to a city where they face real harm?

The tragedy of the whole city

Wittenum's story is sad. A town with 20,000 inhabitants built in 1930. For Australia, this is a fairly large settlement.

Wittenoom's economy was based on mining and processing asbestos. At that time nothing was known about its carcinogenic properties.



The city has existed for over 30 years. During this time the dust asbestos mining has infected the entire neighborhood. Every corner of the city was impregnated. In total, the dust settled on 50,000 hectares. With time the concentration of toxic substances in the soil and air has become so great that diseases began to spread in the city.

In total, during the last period of Wittenum's existence from diseases associated with toxins, 2000 people suffered, that is every tenth inhabitant.

People began to slowly leave Wittenum. But in 1966 the authorities decided to completely close the city and resettle everyone from it. Ever since under Wittenoom is a forbidden territory, the authorities are constantly warn that it is deadly in it.





Air Asbestos Warning and Consequences of Asbestos Contamination

Asbestos mixed with soil and water. Released into the air toxic substances. Their concentration is uneven. Somewhere a person can receive mild, delayed harm that only a few years will know about later. But once in a place with saturated toxic fumes, you can get hurt right away.

Back to the 60s

Due to the immediate resettlement, the city remained in the form in what it was at the time of 1966. There was no point in taking the property away, so how it got infected. The evicted people abandoned everything.

Empty shops with goods on the shelves. Cars and bicycles streets. Furniture and things in open houses. Cafes and public buildings. All it is in its original state.



Old gas station in Wittenoom

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It all started when a local woman photographer wrote about romance of an abandoned city, in which you can see the settlement so what it really was more than 50 years ago. The photographer herself was not in Wittenum, but wrote that it would be interesting to visit there.

As a result, crowds of tourists flocked to the dead city, who consider such a trip an extreme adventure. Block there roads is unrealistic, the city is located on the outskirts, at a great distance from large settlements.



Tourists in Wittenoom

And the city is visited not only by lone stalkers.

The idea was picked up by local travel agencies, actively offering weekend in an abandoned city. Canned 60s give a trip of romance, and a threat that is not visible to the eye is adrenaline.

The local governor constantly states that such trips risky. And the activities of those who organize them are irresponsible.

But human curiosity and carelessness, combined with the desire of travel agencies to make a considerable profit from stalker trips so far prudence wins.