Barkly Homestead is the first stop with Camooweal just over the Queensland border a further 250 k's along the road. 400 km of driving daily is realistic and feasible, but you should start early in the morning so you can arrive to your destination before it gets dark. Being the halfway point on this particular . Tour Kakadu National Park from the southern end, where you can go swimming at the amazing Gunlom Falls or follow the signs to Yurmikmik walks to explore the diverse rock formations. 44 hours. From: 1 traveler 2 travelers 3 travelers 4 travelers 5 travelers 6 travelers. (Image: Tourism NT/Kate Flowers). During Savannah Way wet season, you will definitely need your 4x4 car to cross the river. Be sure to top up with fuel/gas here, the next stop is at Barkly Homestead and prices are very steep. Especially around September when the 'Carnival of Flowers' takes place. There are a couple towns to take breaks like Mount Surprise, Mount Garnet and Georgetown. Journey through the heart of Australia experiencing the iconic outback, stunning flora and fauna, topped off with the tropical and lush top end and world renowned food and wine destinations. (nitmiluktours.com.au). Days 2-3 Undara Lava Tubes (225 kms, about 3 hours). During the wet season, torrential streams can be seen here, and during the dry season these falls are almost completely dried up. Watch the sunset in Charles Darwin National Park or just enjoy a nice warm evening in one of the many accommodation options in Darwin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There are plenty of free camping sites nearby, where you can enjoy the scenery during the wet season when the falls are running. There's two ways you can do the Broome to Darwin drive.One's via the highway, which has some nice stops but is a little bit bland. Your next stops should be former gold-rush town Pine Creek and Adelaide River, famous for its jumping crocodile cruises. To get a taste of whats on offer in the outback Savannah, read our Savannah Way review here. I plan to go through June school holidays. About this app. After all, tap water is drinkable in Australia, plus its free. Travelling from South Australia. Another stop on the way should be at Mataranka, where you can bathe in the 34 C warm, natural thermal springs, surrounded by crystal clear waters and tropical plants with palm trees. The next stop in the Northern Territory is 400 kilometers north along the highway to Daly Waters. SUGGESTED TIME FRAME: 14 days minimum. Both are on the doorstep of Judburra National Park (formerly the Gregory National Park) and have a motel . Fishing is great fun and locals will help with advice regarding bait and the best spots (or maybe the second best spots!) The famous Outback service began in Cloncurry, and you can learn more at the John Flynn Place Museum in town. Georgetown is located on the wide banks of the Etheridge River, and with a population of just 250 people, this is a small town in Australia. . Darwin to Perth Fuel Cost - Motorhome Hire - Gallivanting Oz Quick Tips for Road Trip Darwin to Cairns. The bite marks on the buoys would indicate whether a new saltwater crocodile is in the river or not. (319 kms, about 4 hours). Google traffic. Continue west to Undara Experience try to arrive in time for a sunset wildlife tour. The same applies to going along the sealed route from Cairns to Darwin. Our itinerary takes you along sealed roads, meaning that you can rent cars and campervans to complete the journey without worrying about your rental companys off-road policy. We stopped at Pine Creek and Adelaide River, both worthy of a leg stretch and wander around. Chevron Australia Products Leveraging global experience in fuels and lubricants, convenience marketing and supply. This is a great tour to do during the dry season, generally between May and October. Located in West Bay, east Kimberley. Discover the magic of Wilpena Pound with a glamping experience in the cultural heartland of the Flinders Ranges. I have travelled on at least three routes from Cairns to Darwin. Return to Outback Australia Travel Guide home page. You will find turquoise spring water pools perfect for a plunge in adjacent Elsey National Park, a landscape patchworked with savannah woodland, stone country and monsoon rainforest. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland). Tip: Start a fire in the bush and cook with your camp-oven, enjoy the sunset over a glass of wine or beer in front of your campfire somewhere in the middle of nowhere - a priceless experience to remember.After 756 km you will reach Normanton, where you can stock up with food, water, fuel and even take a shower at one of the campsites. The Adventurous Cairns to Darwin Trip Via Savannah Way. Then Camooweal (A2 highway), Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Hughenden, Townsville (Transfer Point), head north to Cairns along sea highway. Oct. In northern Australia, there are more crocodiles than humans, so you should not be their next meal. Or drive on and go bush camping to meet the local birdlife at Leichhardt Lagoon. Considering the distance youve just traveled, its really just down the road! We even hiked up multiple mountains/volcanoes with them. Your email address will not be published. Freshwater crocodiles, however, are considered to be "harmless". The Barkly Highway ends and joins up with the Stuart Highway at Three Ways. Lorella Springs waterhole. Swim in the serene waterhole of Leliyn (Edith Falls) in Nitmiluk National Park. The peaceful pools of Berry Springs. by: Ann Wareing . Cant get enough fishing? The Barkly Highway is the . Accommodation here ranges from cabins to converted railway carriages and a campground. You can stop for fuel in Jabiru, Mataranka, Borroloola, Cape Crawford, Burketown, Dumadgee, Normanton, Katherine, Cairns, Mareeba, Chillagoe, and Darwin. Go canoeing on Katherine Gorge, and make friends with the wildlife at Nitmiluk National Park on scenic walking tracks. Take a break at Lake Eacham, and admire Little Millstream Falls near Ravenshoe. This is an easy drive, where the majority of the time you have the open road all to yourself. The roads are partly sealed. 12:59 pm Katherine. Stay overnight at the luxury Cicada Lodge. ). AmpolCash digital can only be redeemed at ~1,200 participating Ampol locations (excluding EG Ampol sites). In Katherine and the surrounding area there is a lot to discover so it is worth planning an additional day. Keep your distance from the rivers and streams by at least 3-5 metres. From the tropical, touristy, sunny Cairns, youll be heading west into the interior, where long stretches of seemingly endless road are punctuated by quirky small towns with resident populations that barely break out of the hundreds, where there are more kangaroos than people, and where life is truly a world away from the big cities of the east coast. Save. Limmen National Park has excellent estuary and river fishing locations.Another popular stop for canoeing and fishing is the Elsey Cemetery in Mataranka.Katherine Low Level National Park is great for fishing.And finally, Mary River National Park provides excellent opportunities for bushwalking and fishing. The Barkly Highway is the only sealed road between Queensland and the Northern Territory. Just get a bucket and attach a string to it for throwing in the water. Welcome to the Northern Territory! I will be ducking down to check out Uluru though and then over to Broome (already done Darwin). Isa from there, but it's a bit more off the beaten track and parts may flood in March. Head on to the Undara Volcanic National Park, where you can discover many natural wonders. This will however take an extra day. Discover this amazing sandstone gorge on an ecocruise on a family cattle station. Your destination for the night, Croydon, also has a gold-mining history and has an interesting heritage precinct. Fuel stops; Threeways, Barkly Homestead, Camooweal, Mt Isa. Distance: 94km's from Palmerston, about 1hr, 15 mins. My road trip experience from Darwin to Cairns (Click pic to see full size) The route sets from Darwin through the Daly Waters and turns into 66 highways at Warumungu. Continue west to former gold-mining settlement Georgetown and check out the mineral collection at The Terrestrial Centre. There are fuel stops at Victoria River Roadhouse and Timber Creek in the Northern Territory. You would normally see the welcome to the Northern Territory sign (which has since been removed) and cross the border, being welcomed by speed signs allowing you to drive at 130km/h. The Alice Springs Route covers 4,154 . After spending the past 4 months in Queensland, we decided to take road trip from Cairns to Darwin. You can get a quick quote below. (Link: see our Kakadu National Park review here).Australians avoid driving at night due to the many animals that are on the road at that time. Theres no denying that fact, but its still easy to underestimate the kilometers involved. Cairns to Adelaide 2974km = $202.20 in petrol; VS. Total airfares for 4 people: $756, one way (Image: Tourism NT/Kate Flowers). Only swim at safe swimming spots, and be careful around waterways and rivers, as Australias biggest saltwater crocodiles are found in the Top End. Hoping to get there in with 3 overnight stops - 4 at the most as on a time limit with work. There are accommodations along the road in most villages as well as in Cape Crawford, 100 kilometres South-West of Borroloola. Embark on your Outback Way adventure by purchasing The Outback Way Atlas and . All rights reserved. 1. Show only these on map. Visit the fascinating Barramundi Discovery Centre and enjoy an evening meal at the Sunset Tavern. If you intend to road trip more of Australias east coast, make sure to also check out our other itineraries: Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Brisbane, Brisbane to Cairns, and Cairns to Darwin. Although we could have gone straight from Cairns, having never been to Cooktown before, we decided to start our journey with a 2 day pit stop in Cooktown (a 700km/435mi detour). From Katherine you can head west towards Kununurra in Western Australia or continue heading north to Darwin. The Emerald Pool, Lorella Springs from above. June to November. (Please note that cost of fuel per litre can change and is an estimate only). BEST TIME OF YEAR: Can you please let me know places of interest to see along the way. You can visit the local museums, take sunset cruises out into the harbor, and if you have a few days to spare, head out into nearby Kakadu National Park to experience more of the Northern Territory's . With three peaceful pools and a sprawling picnic area, Berry Springs is a wonderful morning excursion about 50 minutes from Darwin's CBD. If you were to drive the entire coastline, you'd cover a total of 16,155mi (26,000km). You need four-wheel drive to complete this journey. In the NT, you'll drive through the major centres of Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine before arriving in Darwin. Edith Falls is a series of pools and waterfalls that come together and are very beautiful. The longest distance without a petrol station is 700 km on the Burke Development Road. Does it sounds like a very crazy plan to you or could be this done? These tours will take you through Cape Crawford, Lost City, Hells Gate QLD, and Caranbirini Nature Reserve, just to name a few places. See also our themed driving route, the Explorers Way. Start: Cairns. The loneliest stretch is between Camooweal and the Threeways. This was our shortest day by far, just 315km/196mi. The Savannah Way skirts the Gulf of Carpentaria, but this is one of a few chances to see the coast. Thanks, awesome road trip, yippie. We pretty wear them all the time. Best Places to Stay in Darwin:Argus Hotel Darwin Oaks Elan Darwin Ramada Suites Darwin. Stock up on supplies in Mount Isa, because with a population of 20,000, this is the largest town youll be visiting for a while. 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