Over the past two months we have been highlighting some of the best 4WD destinations and adventures in Australia. There were 9 installments in all, covering off road adventures and rugged destinations in Australia. All Budget Trucks locations have a wide variety of vehicles available including 4WD and all terrain trucks that allow you to get to some of the most remote and rugged destinations in Australia. There are many tracks, adventurous road trips, and destinations in Australia where a four wheel drive vehicle is required and then others where one is recommended.
The Old Andado Track Photo Credit: MacDonnellRanges.com
Owen Springs Reserve Photo Credit: NorthernTerritory.com
We already did a recap of the last three blogs in the series, the Tasmanian four wheel drive adventures. For part 7, we started our sojourn to the island state of Tasmania and we featured four wheel drive tracks in Tasmania including Mt Wellington, Cradle Mountain, and the Huon Valley. For part 8 of our series on four wheel drive destinations, we were also in Tasmania featuring Mt William National Park, and Montezuma Falls. Our last blog of the series covered more four wheel drive destinations in Tasmania including Queenstown and Tasman National Park.
Now, we are recapping the four wheel drive adventures we featured that are all over the mainland Australia.
Part 1: Four Wheel Drive Destinations and Adventures in Stockton Beach, Simpson Desert French Line and Gibb River Road
Stockton Beach
Stockton Beach Photo Credit: NationalParks.nsw.gov.au
Not every 4WD destination is in the outback. Some are located in National Parks and some are on the beach. This is one of those cases, the Stockton Beach drive runs from Williamtown to Anna Bay in New South Wales in alongside Worimi National Park. Stockton Beach is one of the most well-known 4WD beach driving locations.
Simpson Desert French Line
Simpson Desert Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Robinsoncrusoe – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12606714
The Simpson Desert French Line is a road trip through the red sands of the desert where a 4WD or all-terrain vehicle will definitely be required. It begins in Dalhousie Springs (also known as Edith Springs) South Australia and takes you northeast for 439 km across state lines into Queensland to the outback town of Birdsville.
Gibb River Road
Boab Tree on the Gibb River Road Photo Credit: WesternAustralia.com
The Gibb River Road is known as one of the best road trips in Australia. It takes drivers on an adventure across the Kimberley, a remote region in the northern section of Western Australia. You will need a 4WD vehicle to get to pretty much any location in The Kimberley and to drive the Gibb River Road.
Part 2: Four Wheel Drive Destinations and Adventures: The Canning Stock Route, The Gunbarrel Highway, The Birdsville Track, and the Hay River Track
The Canning Stock Route
Canning Stock Route Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Peter WH (talk) – the English language Wikipedia (log), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3332801
The Canning Stock Route is a remote road trip through the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is an 1800 km trip from Halls Creek southwest to Wiluna that takes about 16 days to complete. The road trip takes you through three deserts, all of which are also 4WD only destinations: the Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, and the Great Sandy Desert. Since much of the route is Aboriginal lands, you will need a permit to make this trip.
Gunbarrel Highway
Gunbarrel Highway Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Gazjo at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Eingangskontrolle., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5806429
The Gunbarrel Highway is considered one of the most challenging, rugged 4WD tracks in the world. It runs 1400 km from Wiluna, Western Australia to Yulara, Northern Territory. Like the Canning Stock Route, it crosses deserts and Aboriginal lands, so you will need a permit and emergency supplies.
Birdsville Track
Birdsville Track Photo Credit: Queensland.com
The Birdsville Track takes you across the northern deserts of South Australia and into the Queensland Outback. The track is 534 km long and gives you a chance to see three deserts and follow the historic cattle herding trail that was used by pioneers before the turn of the century to get cattle from Queensland and the Northern Territory to South Australia.
Hay River Track
The Hay River Track takes off where the Birdsville Track leaves off in Birdsville Queensland and heads through very remote terrain into the Northern Territory. The track ends in Gemtree, NT near Alice Springs. Much of the track is remote and it runs through Aboriginal lands, so you will need a permit to make the road trip.
Part 3: Four Wheel Drive Destinations and Adventures: Cape York Track / Old Telegraph Track, Binns Track, and Victorian High Country and Billy Goat Bluff
Cape York Track / Old Telegraph Track
Old Telegraph Track Photo Credit: Cape-York-Australia.com
The Cape York Track, also known as Old Telegraph Road is a remote and rugged road trip into the Far North of Queensland. It is 848 km from Cooktown to Seisia. The best time to travel this road is during the dry season from May to October. It takes at least 24 days. You will definitely need a four-wheel drive vehicle and likely a snorkel for crossing the creeks and rivers. There are numerous crossings, so be sure that you have the right supplies and tyres.
Binns Track
Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve Along the Binns Track Photo Credit: NorthernTerritory.com
The Binns Track road trip takes you through the remote Northern Territory of Australia. The distance for the track is 2191 km and the estimated minimum travel time is 10 days. The Binns Track is an outback road trip through some very rugged desert terrain in the Northern Territory. There are mountains and valleys on this desert track with jagged rocks, bogs, and dry riverbeds to navigate through.
Billy Goat Bluff Road Trip in Victorian High Country
Alpine National Park Photo Credit: Parkweb.vic.gov.au
Billy Goat Bluff is a road trip through the Victorian High Country that takes drivers through the mountains in Alpine National Park. The 300 km scenic adventure brings you up to a height of 1,480 elevation as you drive from Mansfield to Harrietville in Victoria.
Part 4: Four Wheel Drive Destinations and Adventures: Nullarbor Plain, Cape Le Grand National Park and Cape Leveque
Nullarbor Plain
Nullarbor Sign on the Eyre Highway Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25679371
The Nullarbor Plain is the largest limestone karst landscape in the world. It covers an area of 270,000 sq km in South Australia and into Western Australia. The word Nullarbor comes from “null” and “arbor” meaning no trees; and that is because this is a very barren, flat section of land bordered by the Great Victoria Desert to the north and to the south are the magnificent Bunda Cliffs and blue waters of the Great Australian Bight.
Cape Le Grand National Park
Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park Photo Credit: Parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au
Cape Le Grand National Park is just an hour drive from Esperance to this coastal park with picturesque views over the Southern Ocean. The park is 31,801 hectares and is known for its scenic coastal views and secluded bays. You can only reach the park with an all-terrain vehicle or a 4WD truck. Popular activities in the park consist of playing in the beaches of the sheltered bays in the park, bushwalking, mountain hiking, fishing, boating, and camping.
Cape Leveque
Cape Leveque Photo Credit: KimberleyAustralia.com
Cape Leveque is located 240 km north of Broome at the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula, which is at the top of the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. As you might imagine, this is a very remote place within a remote place and the road here is rugged and takes about 2 ½ hours, but the amazing coastal views make it all worthwhile. Like most of the places here in the Kimberley, Cape Leveque has strong ties to its aboriginal history and culture.
Part 5: Four Wheel Drive Destinations and Adventures: Great Central Road, Shark Bay, and the Oodnadatta Track
Great Central Road
The Great Central Road Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Gazjo at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Albinfo using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5814071
The Great Central Road is a road trip through the outback. It begins in Laverton, Western Australia and takes you over 1100 km northeast into the Northern Territory. The road trip ends in Yulara, Northern Territory near Uluru and Katja Tjuta.
Shark Bay
Shark Bay Lagoons Photo Credit: SharkBay.org
Shark Bay is a beautiful place to visit with beautiful azure blue and turquoise waters. Despite the ominous sounding name, the shallow and calm waters are great for swimming in and exploring the ocean life below. Shark Bay is surrounded by remote and rugged terrain so you will need a four wheel drive vehicle to get here.
Oodnadatta Track
Mound Springs on the Oodnadatta Track Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By David Olsen, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42456673
The Oodnadatta Track is located in South Australia and is a little over 600 km long between Maree and Marla. It is known as one of the easiest four wheel drives in Australia, so it is an excellent choice for beginners. The region is definitely remote outback though. The main attraction is Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park.
Part 6: Four Wheel Drive Destinations and Adventures: The Old Andado Track, Anne Beadell Highway, Dalhousie Springs, Owen Springs Reserve, and Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park
Dalhousie Springs in Witjira National Park
Dalhousie Springs Ruins Photo Credit: environment.sa.gov.au
Dalhousie Springs is located in Witjira National Park which is in the Simpson Desert and close to the Simpson Desert French Line road trip we featured in part one of our series. Dalhousie Springs is a big attraction in the desert because you rarely find artesian springs in the desert, but here there is a group of more than 60 of them!
Anne Beadell Highway
Anne Beadell Highway Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Gazjo at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5859205
The Anne Beadell Highway is one of the outback unsealed tracks that you need to use to get from one remote place to another. It runs between Coober Pedy, South Australia and Laverton, Western Australia. Along the way, you will see desert, scrub territory, Emu Field, rabbit and dog fences, restricted nature conservation areas including Mamungari Conservation Park and Tallaringa Conservation Park as well as Aboriginal lands.
Owen Springs Reserve
Owen Springs Reserve is 150,000 hectares of land just waiting for you to come and do some bird watching, bushwalking, hiking, four-wheel driving, camping, ranger guided activities, and enjoying the remote, great outdoors. Yet, it is only about a 30 minute drive from Alice Springs.
Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park
Finke Gorge National Park Amphitheatre Photo Credit: (Wikipedia) By Cgoodwin – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3430746
Palm Valley is located in Finke Gorge National Park less than a 2 hour drive west of Owen Springs Reserve. Palm Valley is one of the most popular areas of the park because a wide range of plant species grow here but are unique to this specific area.
The Old Andado Track
The Old Andado Track takes you around the Simpson Desert from the Northern Territory to Oodnadatta just outside of the Simpson Desert. The track runs from Alice Springs, NT to Oodnadatta, South Australia.