The Great Central Road is the main vehicular route linking Central Australia to Western Australia and is
well-travelled by tourists throughout most of the year, despite being an unsealed road. For travellers, the route offers a practical shortcut but the trade-off is limited facilities and few attractions for travellers. Total distance 1061km from the start of the Tjukaruru Rd (at
Kata Tjuta in the NT) through to
Laverton in WA.
The NT side of the Great Central Road is called Tjukaruru Rd and starts just 50km west of
Yulara (at
Kata Tjuta). From here the road heads west for 243km to the border of NT/WA. From the border to
Laverton in WA is a further 868km.
The road passes through large tracts of aboriginal lands featuring a number of aboriginal communities and all travellers must have a permit to use the road, regardless of whether you stop at these communities. Be aware that you will need 2 permits - one for the NT side, and another for the WA side. Before planning your trip, ensure you read the conditions on these permits as there are certain restrictions. For details about where to get your permits, refer to the Preparation section.
Some of these communities have roadhouses where travellers can stop to refuel, purchase takeaway food, and even stay overnight in the adjourning caravan parks. However other communities are not open to the public so you must read the permit and road signage to comply with the regulations. A couple of communities have art galleries at the roadhouse and visitors are welcome to browse or purchase local indigenous artworks.
The Great Central Road traverses extremely remote, desert scrub country and it's a journey that should not be taken too lightly. Whilst there is nothing technical to the drive and can be traversed by most vehicles, and caravans, you should plan your daily travel distance to designated camps and be aware of your fuel requirements. You can expect a lot of dust, some potholes, corrugations, and road ruts.
It is advisable to travel in a 4WD vehicle, although a 2WD vehicle will make the trip. The road is wide and flat although the road surface is stony. For the most part of the journey, it is the stretches of corrugations that are the main consideration for 2WD travellers. Reducing tyre pressures is required to soften the ride, and improve vehicle handling, and your general comfort.
Outback Way
The Outback Way is made up of seven inter-connecting roads including The Great Central Road (WA); Tjukaruru Road, Lasseter Highway, Stuart Highway and
Plenty Highway (NT); and Donohue Highway and Min Min Byway (QLD). Collectively these are called
The Outback Way .
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
Driving the Great Central Road section of the
Outback Way traversing the middle of the Shire is a great eco-tourism experience passing through the
Rawlinson Range, Walter James Ranges, and Gill
Pinnacle. Other sites along the way are Beadell's Tree and Giles Meteorological Station. Tjulyuru Cultural & Civic Centre displays some of the finest Aboriginal art in Australia.
History
The
Warburton Mission ran from 1933 to 1973, run by William Wade and his wife. In 1961 the Dormitories closed, but the school continued to run. In 1968, due to the large
population from the
clearing of the
Woomera rocket range, Docker River was opened. In 1975, 4 more homeland communities were developed. Tjirrkarli and Tjukurla, although smaller communities opened in the late 1980's.
Len Beadell
Len Beadell worked as a surveyor in the Australian Army (Army Survey Corps). In 1947, Len was asked by the government to build a road across the interior of Australia as part of the search for a suitable site for weapons testing. The main reason was to establish the weapons testing facility at
Woomera, and also the place where the British atomic bomb was tested -
Maralinga, which is aboriginal for ‘thunder’. These sites were surveyed and selected by Len, and during the 1940s and 1950s, was responsible for opening up the last remaining isolated desert areas of some 2.5 million square kilometers of central Australia. The Great Central Road is part of a network of desert highways built under the leadership of the famous surveyor, to service
Woomera and the Giles meteorological station. There are a number of waypoints dedicated to Len Beadell, who is often regarded as the last true Australian explorer. These include: Giles Meterological Station where Len’s original
grader stands in a large cage, Len Beadell Plaques - which were setup by the Gunbarrel Crew, and
Mount Beadell where a memorial has been raised on top of the
hill. In recent times, the newer Great Central Road has superseded some of Len's original tracks, by taking a more direct route. However, all of Len's original roads still exist such as
Anne Beadell Highway,
Gunbarrel Highway,
Connie Sue Hwy and
Sandy Blight Junction Road. These roads are increasingly popular with 4WDrivers and adventurers alike. Many sections are difficult going and almost all of them lie in aboriginal lands and require travel permits, as
well as a great deal of preparation.
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