Travelling from East Coast to Darwin

by Amal
(Sydney)

We are looking to travel from Sydney to Cairns, down to Mt. Isa via Atherton over a period of approx 2 months, leaving Sydney in early March.

We are in a Toyota Rav4 (not a real 4wd) and my main concern is that along the highway from Ranken to Waramangu (375km) there seems to be no petrol station in between.

Do you know if there is a guide with roadhouses etc (Barkly Hwy & Flinders Hwy)?

Thank you for all the wonderful information on your site and for the free Outback book, I feel much better about our trip after reading it and a whole lot braver.

Thank you

Comments for Travelling from East Coast to Darwin

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Cairns to Darwin fuel availability
by: Birgit

Hi Amal,
Thanks! Glad you feel braver. That's my main goal with this site :-)

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you.
Now, I don't know the east all that well. I was meant to go over there earlier this year but ran out of time. This country is too big!

I wouldn't know where exactly you can get fuel, but you can easily find out from any HEMA map. They are my favourite maps and especially the green region maps double as little travel guides as well. And they all show where you can get fuel.
I just had a quick look and there are three options:

Cairns to Broome (The whole Savannah Way. You'd only need half of that)
Queensland Outback (That is the green region map I mentioned and would be my first choice, but I am not sure if it reaches far enough north for you. Personally, I'd get it anyway.)
Queensland Handy State Map (That has all the info you need on roads and petrol etc, but not the tourist info that the map above has.)

But I would think that as long as you fill the tank when you get a chance you should not run into trouble. 375 km on one tank wouldn't be problem, would it?

Once you're in the Northern Territory it's 261 km from Camooweal to Barkly Homestead and 187 km from there to Threeways. (HEMA map for the NT)

rav 4wd
by: sue hilton

A Toyota RAV is a real 4wd. I did the Plenty, the Donahue and the Birdsville in mine and all I did was blow a tyre. Not a problem. I am 62 years old and had no problems what so ever.

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