Perth To Darwin Via Great Central Road/Uluru

Sandy Track Through The Desert

I am in the early stages of planning a trip from Perth to Darwin via the Great Central Road/Uluru in March 2008. I have visited 40 USA States so am no stranger to driving thousands of miles. I normally simply use a full size hire car (like a Chrysler 300) but feel that Australia would probably require at least a 4WD.

A motorhome is always a possibility but I would rather stay in motels. I see that between Perth and Uluru there are settlements named Northam, Merredin, Southern Cross, Kalgoorlie, Leonora, Laverton, Warakurna and Kaltukatjara. Could you possibly tell me if these settlements have motels or hotels?

Alice Springs to Darwin appears to be a much higher profile highway (on Google Maps it has shields and a lot more settlements) than Perth to Uluru. Is this the case?

What is your opinion of campervan travel through Australia? Would air conditioning be necessary in order to sleep or does it get cold at night in March?

Hope these are not too many questions but I am getting very excited at the prospect of my trip to Australia.

Kind regards,
Martin G. Schofield.

Response: Perth To Darwin Via Great Central Road/Uluru

Hi Martin,

You can never ask too many questions before a trip like that :-). Let me tackle them individually.

"Alice Springs to Darwin appears to be a much higher profile highway than Perth to Uluru. Is this the case?"

You can't really put it that way. On your way from Perth to Uluru you will pass through many different regions with many different levels of facilities and different quality roads.

The drive from Perth is all bitumen up to Laverton, and most of the "settlements" you mention are sizeable towns with full tourist facilities. You will find many options for accommodation.

The only part of the trip you need to be concerned about is from Laverton to Uluru.

"I normally simply use a full size hire car (like a Chrysler 300) but feel that Australia would probably require at least a 4WD."

Australia doesn't require a 4WD. However, there are of course regions where a 4WD will let you see more (get off the beaten track) and there are some roads that do require a 4WD.

The Great Central Road between Laverton and Uluru is a sandy track through extremely remote desert country. It is well maintained and, provided the road is dry, can be done in a 2WD. But a 4WD will make the trip a lot safer and more comfortable.

March is the tail end of the wet season, and while that region is not as wet as the north it can get rain that time of the year. Therefore I would definitely recommend a 4WD. Also, be aware that the road may get closed due to wet conditions. (Usually rather happens between Dec - Feb, but there is still a risk of rain in March/April.)

"Could you possibly tell me if these settlements have motels or hotels?"

I wouldn't call them motels or hotels, but you can get basic accommodation at the roadhouses: Tjukayirla, Warburton and Warakurna (double check about Warburton, not 100% sure about that one but they definitely have a campground). Kaltukatjara has only campsites.

And, as I already mentioned, up to Laverton and onwards from Uluru you are in the middle of normal civilization with all the usual facilities. With proper planning it's easily possible to do the whole trip without camping.

"What is your opinion of campervan travel through Australia?"

Hiring a campervan is in my opinion the best way to see Australia, but that's because I love camping and staying in remote places away from all the facilities. If you prefer to stay in motels anyway then it seems like an extra expense that offers no additional benefits.

"Would air conditioning be necessary in order to sleep or does it get cold at night in March?"

Depends where you are. Darwin is over 3000 km further north than Perth.

You should be ok without air conditioning up to about Mataranka/Katherine. North of that it will still be rather warm and sticky. (Take that advice with a grain of salt. If you are coming from the UK you may find it a bit warm even further south.)

Other things to consider:

The Great Central Road passes through Aboriginal lands and you need transit permits, one from the Western Australian authorities (ALT, apply here) and one from the Northern Territory authorities (CLC, apply here). The ALT can request the permit from the CLC on your behalf. The permits are free.

The other thing to keep in mind is that, as I already mentioned, March is the tail end of the wet season. The further north you go the bigger the chances of substantial rains and even flooding. Keep an eye on the road conditions and weather forecasts, and make sure that you are a bit flexible with your schedule.

I hope that answers all your questions (don't hesitate to use the comments section if you have more) and gives you a good idea of what to expect.
Have a great trip!
(And of course we'd love to hear how it went when you get back :-).)

Photo by Benhamin

Comments for
Perth To Darwin Via Great Central Road/Uluru

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Thank You
by: Martin G. Schofield

Hello,
Many thanks for your comprehensive response. I have done a great deal of research on various types of trips in the past (e.g. I drove 5,000 miles around Canada and Alaska in June this year), but I have never come across a service as good as yours. I have great confidence in your word and will organize anything I need to (visas, Aboriginal Permission etc...) through your wonderful site. Keep up the good work. Truly, truly superb.
Kind regards,
Martin G. Schofield.

Thanks for the kudos
by: Birgit

Thank you very much for the kudos :-). I'm glad you found the answers useful.

Similar plans
by: Joel

Hello,

My question is similar to Martin's and you have covered a lot of what I had in mind to ask. I am flying in to Perth in August, and a rough plan I have is to travel up the west coast to Darwin and then into Uluru, and then making my way to Sydney for Christmas.

This is my first port of call so sorry for only a brief outline, but I was hoping for some advice on the best/cheapest way that this route could be achieved. I would love to go off the beaten track a little and camp, although having never driven in this type of terrain, I would be a little apprehensive but more than willing to give it a go. I would say I have pencilled in about 4 months to do this, any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Joel

Four months
by: Birgit

Hi Joel,

Four months sounds like an excellent time frame for that trip. Up the west coast, back down through the centre and across to Sydney also sounds like a great route to me.

I would not worry too much about the driving. There are many off the beaten track locations that don't require great skills or anything. The reason that they are "off the beaten track" is that most people just rush through this country and don't have the time to see much.

I don't know how you plan to get around and can't say much regarding costs. Not knowing your budget and not knowing what style of travel you are thinking of I can't say anything.

I do have one tip for you, and that is to download the free Kimberley guide booklet from my other website. That will tell you a lot about the far north and I think you will find it a great help at this stage of planning, at least for that part of the trip, but also for a few overall ideas.

How far is it?
by: Javi

Hello!
I'm a spanish guy, and i would like to do this road. Unluckily i don't have so many days, just around 3 weeks, and i would like to know approximately how many kilometers there are between Perth, Uluru and Darwin? I did a calculation that maybe would be around 4000km, but maybe you can tell me better.

I will go in august, and my doubt is to rent a car or a 4x4. I have been in Namibia, and we just needed a 4x4 for a couple of times, but if i wouldn't have it, i would have a serious problem! ;-)

Another question, is about the nowhere land between laverton and uluru.... Is there something to see or is just 3 or 4 days with the same landscape?
Thank you very much for your answers!!!!

Perth-Uluru-Darwin
by: Birgit

Hi Javi,

Your calculations are about right. It's about 950 km from Perth to Laverton, 1100 km from Laverton to Uluru and about 1960 km from Uluru to Darwin.

You can drive the Great Central Road in a 2WD, but if you hire a car you are not allowed to. The hire companies won't let you drive 2WDs off the tarmac.

It doesn't necessarily take 3 or 4 days to drive from Laverton to Uluru. It's up to you.

If you enjoy the desert you take your time. I do and find there is plenty to see. I never get sick of observing the subtle changes of scenery and vegetation. However, there aren't any attractions or tourist sights in the usual sense. If you find it boring you just keep driving...

Fuel stops
by: Dave

Hi I was reading the other readers comments and found that no mention of fuel stops were mentioned between Perth and Uluru.
what would the average distance be between stops,or is it something i shouldn't be worried about.
I was planning on going the central route from Perth on my motorbike (GTR 1400) but i guess that sandy track would put that idea out.
Could I go coastal then cut across to Uluru.
I hope to go on this trip with a few biker friends from the UK in the first or second week of April.
Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Fuel stops where?
by: Birgit

Hi David,
Which route are you talking about for fuel stops?

For fuel supply points on the Great Central Road see this page.

With a road bike you'll have to stick to the coastal route.

Yes, there are service stations on our highways. 200 km is the average distance. On occasion it may be slightly over, but not much.

I have no idea what the range is of such a bike, so if that is getting close, get a map and verify the exact distances. My gut feeling is you don't need to worry at all.

Laverton to Uluru
by: Zen

Hi B!

First of all I have to say job well done creating this resourceful website! It has seriously saved me lots of trouble preparing for the trip from Perth to Uluru. I'm extremely grateful.

Me and two mates are preparing to head up to Uluru in the beginning of October, which I assume weather should be still fine(correct me if I'm wrong). We'll be going on a 4WD BUT have not much knowledge on how to fix one except for the super basics like changing wheels and checking the cooling system and engine oil. Here's a rough outline of our checklist, could you take a look to see if we've missed anything:

-Spare wheel x1 (should be enough for the great central road?)
-Tyre inflator x1
-Spare coolant
-Spare engine oil
-Hand winch + recovery kit x1
-4 20lt diesel jerry cans (& of cos our 60lt fuel tank which covers 400km give and take)
-Hydraulic jacks x2
-Few planks and carpets for recovery
-Spare nuts for the wheels
-Spare thermostat x1
-Tools (wrenches, spanners etc)
-Spare fuses
-Shovel x1
-First aid kit
-Lots of water and can food
-Tents (Full on camping)

-NO UHF or satellite phones
-Don't know exactly what maps to bring and how detailed they have to be
-Don't know what other tools to bring since this is our first desert trip
-Don't know if what we're bringing is enough to at least allow us to drive on a few 'off beaten tracks'

Could you give us a few advice on what maps we should get and any other comments or feedback will be very much appreciated. Once again thanks B and others!!!

Regards

Zen

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Submitted by: Zen

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Hi B! First of all I have to say job well done creating this resourceful website! It has seriously saved me lots of trouble preparing for the trip from Perth to Uluru. I'm extremely grateful. Me and two mates are preparing to head up to Uluru in the beginning of October, which I assume weather should be still fine(correct me if I'm wrong). We'll be going on a 4WD BUT have not much knowledge on how to fix one except for the super basics like changing wheels and checking the cooling system and engine oil. Here's a rough outline of our checklist, could you take a look to see if we've missed anything: -Spare wheel x1 (should be enough for the great central road?) -Tyre inflator x1 -Spare coolant -Spare engine oil -Hand winch + recovery kit x1 -4 20lt diesel jerry cans (& of cos our 60lt fuel tank which covers 400km give and take) -Hydraulic jacks x2 -Few planks and carpets for recovery -Spare nuts for the wheels -Spare thermostat x1 -Tools (wrenches, spanners etc) -Spare fuses -Shovel x1 -First aid kit -Lots of water and can food -Tents (Full on camping) -NO UHF or satellite phones -Don't know exactly what maps to bring and how detailed they have to be -Don't know what other tools to bring since this is our first desert trip -Don't know if what we're bringing is enough to at least allow us to drive on a few 'off beaten tracks' Could you give us a few advice on what maps we should get and any other comments or feedback will be very much appreciated. Once again thanks B and others!!! Regards Zen

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Relax :-)
by: Birgit

Hi Zen,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you find the site helpful.

Well, whether October is good depends on how you define "good". It shouldn't rain, but it will be scorching hot in the centre.

Hopefully you won't need half of the stuff you are carrying. The Great Central Road is unsealed, but it isn't a challenging desert crossing. It's a perfectly good road, just not yet sealed. You are very well prepared.

I normally stick with the maps by HEMA. The Red Centre map plus the WA handy map would probably be all you need. If you wanted to do some more serious exploring you could get some of the desert track sheets. The NW central sheet for the area round Uluru, Kings Canyon and the McDonnells, and the SW sheet for the Great Central Road.

Laverton to Uluru
by: Zen

Hi B,

It's a good thing to know that I'm over and not under prepared. Thanks for the input, much appreciated :)

Ooops
by: Birgit

I only just saw the line about the few additional "off the beaten tracks".
Doesn't really change anything. I wouldn't say you are over prepared, just very well prepared, as you should be.

If you do venture off the main roads somewhere, make sure you let someone know where you are going and when you want to be back, and take enough water. That, plus staying with your car if you get stuck, are the most important rules.

But as long as you stick to the usual destinations and tracks you should be fine anyway.