The Staircase to the Moon is a natural phenomenon that occurs only in the North West of Australia between March and October. During the full moon this region experiences such dramatic tidal changes throughout the day that enable the pockets of water caught in the sand ripples to reflect the natural rising colour of the moon. Viewed at full moon on a still evening this light creates what looks like a golden staircase leading to the moon.
The times for the rising moon are in the local telephone book, they are also displayed monthly at the Port Hedland Visitors Centre. The best vantage spot is next to the Cooke Point Caravan Park (Goode Street) in Port Hedland. There is a viewing deck set up especially for this natural occurrence. The approximate Full Moon rising times for 2020 are:
| March | 10th @ 19:00 | 11th @ 19:53 | 12th @ 20:37 |
| April | 8th @ 18:25 | 9th @ 19:10 | 10th @ 19:58 |
| May | 7th @ 17:44 | 8th @ 18:33 | 9th @ 19:29 |
| June | 6th @ 18:04 | 7th @ 19:01 | 8th @ 20:00 |
| July | 5th @ 17:45 | 6th @ 18:43 | 7th @ 19:41 |
| August | 3rd @ 17:25 | 4th @ 18:25 | 5th @ 19:15 |
| September | 2nd @ 18:04 | 3rd @ 18:54 | 4th @ 19:43 |
| October | 2nd @ 18:27 | 3rd @ 19:16 | 4th @ 20:04 |
Note: A super full moon occurs when the moon's closest to the Earth, during this time the moon may seem bigger and brighter.