Ayers Rock to Perth

by Sagar
(Auckland, NZ)

Thanks for your reply on the campervan hire from Melbourne to Perth question. We have now booked our campervan and will be travelling from Brisbane instead and making a stop for 3 - 5 days in Alice Springs area.

Now, we have a couple more questions:
Can you confirm if the straight road from Ayers Rock to Perth via Warakurna, Leonara & Kalgoorlie, is bitumen? We researched this on Google maps but it doesn't look like a sealed road. If it isn't then do we have to go all the way up to Katherine, Kununurra, Broome, Karratha & then Perth.

Also, when you say "free" campsite in the previous question I had asked, do you mean we park ourselves in the bushes and still get away with it without getting a fine?
Thanks

Re: Ayers Rock to Perth

The Great Central Road from Ayers Rock to Perth is most certainly not bitumen.

Here is another reader question about the drive from Uluru to Perth via the Great Central Road that you may find helpful.

To go through Katherine and the Kimberley is indeed a massive detour.

If you want to go through that area grab the free Kimberley guide from my other website. That should help some. (And take note of the distances and the driving times recommended in it.)

Yes, you can indeed camp wild in a lot of areas. Who would fine you? There's nobody out here. There are also many authorised free bushcamping areas. There are even many books available that list free campsites in Australia.

(Unfortunately I think the books I review on that page are out of print at the moment. But there are others.)

Most campsites in national parks are also dirt cheap.

How will you be getting from Brisbane to Alice Springs? That's another massive drive.

Didn't you say you only have about 2 weeks all up?

I am afraid Brisbane to Perth via Uluru will be too much to do in that time frame.

Comments for
Ayers Rock to Perth

Click here to add your own comments

Ayers Rock to Perth
by: Sagar

Hi
Thanks for your reply once again.
I did go thro the other reader question on the drive from Uluru to Perth. Helped us heaps :)
The plan is to hire a campervan from Brisbane and drive thro Toowomba -> Augathella -> Barcaldine -> Winton -> Boulia -> Alice Springs. Again, we arent sure if Winton - Boulia is a sealed road, doesnt say that on google maps.
So some more q's for u pls :)
1. Can we do the above route in a campervan ?
2. We are going to risk taking our campervan from Uluru to Perth direct, instead of taking a detour via Katherine and the Kimberleys (I know its a beautiful place though). Your advice on this...? And also by taking this option, we do need permit as we will be passing thro Aboriginal land yea?

Thanks so much for your responses. We really appreciate that :)
Sagar

Plenty Highway
by: Birgit

Winton-Boulia is fine. To get from Boulia to Alice Springs, that's the rough part. The Plenty Highway is a sandy red track, like the Great Central Road, but a lot rougher. Unless it's just been graded it will be badly corrugated.

It certainly fits the label of "Outback driving" much better than your original idea of crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway :-).

What vehicle have you got? Especially the Queensland side of the Plenty is bad. (It's actually not the Plenty Highway. From the border to the east it's called Donohue Highway and is just a track.)

I'm not sure if you can do it in a 2WD. If that's what you want to do, take extreme care and make sure you get very up to date and reliable information about the conditions. (RACQ 1300 130 595, Boulia Shire Council 07 4746 3188)

Also, it's most definitely a dry weather road only (May-Sep should be ok).

The Great Central Road on the other hand should be fine in a 2WD, provided it is dry and you take care.

Keep in mind that unless your vehicle is a 4WD you are probably not allowed to take it offroad. I you do and anything goes wrong you have to foot the bill.

As for permits: yes, you do need two, and the links are in the other post about the Great Central Road, towards the bottom.

X Close Editor

Rating

Submitted by: Birgit

Title

Comment
Winton-Boulia is fine. To get from Boulia to Alice Springs, that's the rough part. The Plenty Highway is a sandy red track, like the Great Central Road, but a lot rougher. Unless it's just been graded it will be badly corrugated. It certainly fits the label of "Outback driving" much better than your original idea of crossing the Nullarbor on the Eyre Highway :-). What vehicle have you got? Especially the Queensland side of the Plenty is bad. (It's actually not the Plenty Highway. From the border to the east it's called Donohue Highway and is just a track.) I'm not sure if you can do it in a 2WD. If that's what you want to do, take extreme care and make sure you get very up to date and reliable information about the conditions. (RACQ 1300 130 595, Boulia Shire Council 07 4746 3188) Also, it's most definitely a dry weather road only (May-Sep should be ok). The Great Central Road on the other hand should be fine in a 2WD, provided it is dry and you take care. Keep in mind that unless your vehicle is a 4WD you are probably not allowed to take it offroad. I you do and anything goes wrong you have to foot the bill. As for permits: yes, you do need two, and the links are in the other post about the <a href="http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/perth-to-darwin-via-great-central-roaduluru.html">Great Central Road</a>, towards the bottom.

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Ayers Rock to Perth
by: Sagar

Hi
We are hiring a Kea campervan. So, do you suggest an alternative route we take to reach Alice Springs ? The other option we have is to take a detour from Winton -> Mt. Isa -> Three Ways -> Tennant Creek -> Alice Springs but it works out to be 400 km longer than the route we were going to take.

Oops
by: Birgit

Sorry for the late answer. I missed that question.
A Kea... The brand really does not matter:-). What matters is if it's suitable for off road driving or not, if it's a 4WD or not and if you are allowed to take it on unsealed tracks. Kea have both, 2WD and 4WD vans.

As for the alternative route, you already answered the question yourself. Yes, it's a big detour, but you may not have much choice. It may not take longer either because you can drive much faster.