Yes, you can do this trip overnight, or even in ONE long and very exhausting day. reach Coober Pedy. I just purchased your Travel Outback book from Amazon. I really think you should have allowed more time for an approximate 3730km trip. It is so informative and detailed I especially love the things to look out for portion for each town. Im currently in South Australia, but if Im back in Alice, Ill send you an email. All the best, area. Mobile phone coverage: Telstra 3G reception is available for approx. Get a Telstra sim card for your phone. From location or choose: To location Do you recommend renting a satellite phone? Restrictions apply due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Please click here for the latest travel advice from the Australian Government. Thanks Christine. You may wish to fill up your car at Glendambo if you have a small tank. Simply havent had the opportunity. car and stretch your legs. SA, Australia and Alice Springs, NT, Australia? Allow around $1.70 per litre for fuel. Free roadside campsites: Wikicamps shows you EVERY free & secret campsite. I will be sure to share your post and look forward to reading more from you! It will be great when Uluru is closed to climbers it certainly means there are lots of people on the road at present. Travel time: 3.5 hours (allow more if the traffic getting out of Adelaide is bad), Mobile phone coverage: Telstra reception is available all the way. are listed below, click on the city name to find distance between. Facilities: In a town of Alice Springs' size you won't miss anything! Ive stayed at Glendambo quite a few times over the years (most recently in January 2014). Would I do it again? May to October Travel. Does it work where there is no phone signals? Saw a few animals (emus, sheep, cows, crows and a couple of beautiful eagles on the way home) but only had one lot cross in front of us, a ewe and her little twins. It is the main focus of the Centre, a name given to approximately 100,000 square miles (260,000 square km) of central Australia that includes large areas of desert and rocky ridges. 2. Can I drive from Alice Springs to Birdsville? The facilities are clean and well cared for. It would not be too hot to drive but hot weather places a little more strain on your vehicle. journey up to Alice Springs and further north to Darwin, right across You now dont need to turn off this road until you reach Port Augusta. Once you see the massive power plant in distance (not to be confused with the one at Port Pirie), you know that Port Augusta isnt far away. Were just back from Melbourne to Alice Springs and back via East and west Macs,Kings Canyon, Uluru etc We took a month to be sure to stop and spend time at places as you recommend. There is often a lot of roadkill (dead kangaroos and emus etc) on the road. opal capital of Australia. 3. You too have a fabulous site, and youve put a lot of hard work into it , Hi Amanda Enjoy a dip in a natural hot tub atCoward Springsand a beer at the historic Marree Hotel. They actually managed to open our eski and enjoyed a $10.60 T-bone steak. Fuel, food, accommodation: Port Augusta, Pimba, Glendambo, Coober Pedy, Cadney, Marla, Kulgera, Erldunda, Stuarts Well, Longest Stretch without fuel: 254km between Glendambo & Coober Pedy. Expect a Coober Pedy to Alice Springs driving time of 7h8m, with very few Stuart Highway road trip attractions on the way. I did not stay overnight anywhere on the route. Would like to know, is summer okay to drive to noon it is worth to do the detour. If you feel like catching up when you get to Alice, let me know send me an email via the contact us form on the website. The highlight was camping on the east side of the track at Algebuckina bridge. Thank you so much for your valuable information. I got my Kia Carnival serviced before we left, packed the boot with water, and planned our stops and accommodation. We regularly have below zero temps in July in the wee morning hours. Theres also a police station and a few historic station (Americans: read ranch) buildings. This was a cold-war project between the British and Australian governments, which developed and tested long-range weapons systems (read: they fired rockets into the middle of nowhere lots of rockets). Be aware of animals on the road early mornings and around dusk. I can recommend the basic, but clean motel rooms and the burgers in the big roadhouse. Great information, this looks so well-done!!!!!!! Greyhound Australia operates a bus from Marla to Alice Springs once daily. Best Time of the Year. Could you give me an idea of cost and how long the trip would take? Is the Stuart Highway fully sealed from Adelaide to Alice Springs ?? Say goodbye to the Northern Territory today as you head over the NT/SA border into South Australia. However theres a number of free camping places here as well. We are still sussing out accommodation at several places. Gary, Thanks for the beautiful information. We are thinking of following your route, however, we have 3 children & wondered if anyone would recommend doing this with children aged 6, 10 & 12?? and camping facilities. Margaret Morgan. the Old Ghan railway line, and finally known as the Oodnadatta Track. My big 30th present from my husband. Oh reason #4, a very small town but with wonderful friendly people, do yourself a favour and take the chance to get to know them like a lot of country folk, they wont invade your space, but will happily chat if you want to. Your blog and your site seeing advice helped make our family trip from Port Augusta to Alice Springs amazing. Oodnadatta Track from Coober Pedy also. But in case i do decide to overnight do you know of any motels or servos along the way which are open 24hrs. Im not sure where Ill be early August at this stage. Alice Springs to Ormiston Gorge Distance 140km - Driving Time 2 hours After making a quick breakfast in our camper, we headed in to Alice Springs to grab a quick coffee and have a stroll around the town centre. You can also camp here. I have noted your advice re fuel stations, phone coverage, overnight staying, spare parts/wheel and sight seeing locations. Having done this trip both together and solo, we have the following recommendations: Ideally, this trip is done at a leisurely pace, over 3 or 4 days. So a big thank you to you. So it had to go to my Kindle. refuel before your leave. I couldnt seem to find the information. Thank You, Thank You. Alice Springs lies on the intermittent Todd River and the Stuart Highway, 1,028 road miles (1,654 km) north of Adelaide and 954 miles (1,535 km) south of Darwin. We are planning approximately 10,000km over a period of 18 to 20 days. Hi Amanda Would you recommend it solely for this drive? Distance: 255km Driving time: 3 hours. About 50km north of Coober Pedy, youll find the famous Dingo Fence. backpackers) is available at Woomera which is only 7 km away.Detours from Pimba: Leave the Stuart Highway at Pimba and explore Andamooka, an unique opal mining town, about 110 km east of the highway. I have a Toyota Camry Hybrid 2012. I did this trip in 2006 Except my trip was Darwin to Adelaide with a few side trips to Kakadu, Nitmiluk and Uluru. wineries in the Clare Valley, Gladstone, Melrose and Wilmington. 7 days. She is a runner, insatiable reader & believes a bushwalk is not a real walk unless its over 10km. to take a photo of the famous Australian road-trains. Save your money and do a mine tour in Coober Pedy. We did it all the time when our kids were small family in Adelaide & country NSW. Turn west and follow the Lasseter Highway to Yulara, the village on the edge of Uluru / Kata Tjuta National Park. My tip is to take a break and grab some photos at Lake Hart (you can camp here, too). There are no towns. Bring warm clothes as well as some shorts/t-shirts. Adelaide to Alice Springs . Unless youve got a 4WD, stick to the Stuart Highway. The roadhouse offers Outback atmosphere, fuel, take-away food, Pimba is a small settlement on the junction to Woomera, Roxby Downs and Andamooka. Continuing on the Stuart Highway, you'll reach Alice What an interesting read, i read from start to end and was enthralled to say the least thank you. enjoying the whole journey and places on the root. Thanks a lot. See also our themed driving route, the Explorers Way. Carry a minimum of 10 litres per person per day. There are plenty of walks and gorges to explore and so much flora and fauna to see. Loved reading your trip details from Adelaide to Alice. Glendambo came into existence when the main highway was realigned in 1982 which left Kingoonya 44 km off the main road. Even the green zone will be affected from closures from time to time. Enjoy your travels. We are a family of four, 7 and 10year old. Get driving directions . There are 6 motel rooms (I think weve stayed in every single one of them), a large area for caravans and camper trailers with powered and unpowered sites at the rear, and nice grassy lawn for camping. Hi Amanda, GREAT information thank you! However, I think crossing the border is a reason to get off your You will TRULY experience the outback deeply and more authentically than if you rush. There is accommodation at the Eldo Hotel and the Woomera Caravan Park. I live in Alice n plan to travel Melbourne by road trip. You start to see many more acacia shrubs and eventually our beloved outback Mulga trees (very good firewood when its dry). Facilities: Coober Pedy has a wide range of Hi Annette, Im assuming you mean bottle LPG gas cylinders, not LPG for vehicles. The turn off to the Prominent Hill mine (not open to the public), the Adelaide to Darwin railway overpass and the little piles of mining rubble from opal mines (called mullock heaps) as you start to get closer to Coober Pedy are the only real things to look at. I hope your wife can drive too as you will be very tired with all this driving. The licensed Woolshed restaurant offers tasty food, it is a place I can recommend, we had a fantastic dinner there. You can stop at the Kulgera, Erldunda and Stuarts Well roadhouses on the way. Weve written about the great outback car hire rip off elsewhere on the site. I will have a back up car that will hopefully come to look for me should my little 89 year old rocket spit her dummy along the way. John Distance from Alice Springs to Palmerston 1284 km. Hi, When you get to Cadney Park Roadhouse, youll be near the turnoff to the Painted Desert. This is such a great post! Peoples experience is so much better than government websites. My apologies for as asking so many questions but I think it is worth it as I am travelling this long for the very first time in my life and with my talkative wife. Situated on the corner We are undertaking a round trip from Adelaide to Coober pedy and this article is so helpful! On arriving in the 'Opal capital of the world' Coober Pedy visitJosephines Gallery & Kangaroo Orphanage; here you can meet rescued joeys and kangaroos and purchase aboriginal art. Youve got an easy 20km trip until you come to Kulgera Roadhouse, which bills itself as the first and last pub in the Territory. Your advice on night driving in that area is NOTED. Wish there were more people writing the way you do with so much information. Is it better to fly back from Ayers Rock? Read our, The Hugh River Stock Route, which leads to Oak Valley Campground, Titjikala, the Old Ghan Track and. Thanks again for writing this , Hi Amanda, Hi Amanda, the time you have taken to put all your knowledge is writing is amazing and oh so helpful. The train thing was so time-consuming to get places, especially when compared to similar routes when driving! I dont like driving here in NZ but I just loved driving each day as I did this trip on my own. You will see them on this drive. I am Driving a Mazda 6 towing a Jayco Camper and my Fuel consumption is not the best when towing. SITE MAP Hope this helps and enjoy your trip. Could I tap into your vast knowledge and expertise and ask you for a safe route A good place if you want Today the Stuart Highway begins in Port Augusta, 305 km north of look forward to doing this drive!! All the information you have stated is invaluable. Pimba itself is pretty ugly to look at a ramshackle collection of dilapidated houses with scarcely a tree in sight. Of course, there are also plenty of shops and galleries with Aboriginal art. We were going to cut out Alice, Coober Pedy, and Uluru but thanks to you, we are definitely going to do it, even though we will be back tracking. Thanks for the detailed guide , Sending some gratitude to you for this guide. South pole: 4,580.59 mi (7,371.74 km) How far is it from Alice-springs to the South Pole? Thanks Hi, I meant how long is the drive from Coober Pedy to Alice? He helped me out immensely when I broke down in the outback ALONE! While you are there, don't miss to stop by at the Andamooka Yacht Club, the new tourism hub & cafe.On the way you'll pass by Woomera and Roxby Downs. Im actually a kid but it was very helpful for my school project, thank you again.?? Ive just been reading up on Coober pedy as Ill be stopping there today yesterday was a pleasant 24 degrees in glendambo but Im expecting a hotter day today. Click here for a detailed itinerary. Im so glad youve found it helpful, Kerryalina. We say this to you: SLOW DOWN. Simply fill up at Glendambo and you should have plenty of fuel to get to Coober Pedy. I am planning to make this drive when I come to Australia for the Grand Prix in March. Have your car serviced before you go. Theres enough to see around Roxby, Andamooka and Woomera to keep you busy for a day or so. Yes, there will be fuel stations open on Xmas Day in major centres. Your answers would be greatly appreciated.Thanks Richard. It is a lonely but interesting drive, and a great shortcut if to the Northern Territory" sign. What would your recommendation be? This post was so helpful in firstly conceptualising our trip and in the planning and doing! Are there any companies that you would recommend? They also offer links to more information. The pub at the roadhouse is the centre most pub in Australia. My brother-in-law and his friends are arriving from India for a Great Australian Road Trip. This will display the dropdown with suggested places in Northern Territory (Australia); Select the desired Address /Place /City /Village /Town /Airport from both the dropdown lists. Hi Amanda, Yes very helpful. We are just back from our two week trip from Melbourne to Alice and back again, and what I learned here in preparation was invaluable. I would love to hear some tips from you re our proposed road trip. Second question is about temperature: I know it will be hot in december, but what does actually hot means? Erldunda is a great spot to stay for a night. Ive driven this road soooo many times. Weve been asked many times would we write a guide to driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs. Distance: 370kmDriving time: 4 hours 30 minutes* The OodnadattaTrack is 2wd and 4wd accessible. Cheers. Its worth a visit to see some of the rockets and for the fascinating visitors centre, which has detailed displays on the weapons testing programs there. YEA! We do this trip around 4 times each year, and every time theres a little bit more Telstra reception. page, with info about accommodation and places of interest in this area. Thanks so much for your kind comments and Im thrilled that youve found our site useful. So helpful. Gary. Get driving directions How do I travel from Alice Springs to Sydney without a car? We planned with a group of about 8 people to go to Uluru from Melbourne. 20km radius around Erldunda. Antipode: 23.69748,-46.11638 I sent him the links to the phone coverage maps so he could see how little coverage there is outside the more populated areas I love the advertising claims that xx network covers 95-99% of the Australian population, and of course international visitors do not really realise that most of the Australian population lives on the east coast and close to the townships and in between those there is a lot of empty space without any phone signal, unless you have a satellite phone Fortunately he got back to me a couple of days later and advised that his daughter had finally made contact. It's here where the Stuart Highway begins its long I have booked a campervan for a family of 4, stopping at Port Augusta and Marla on the way and Coober Pedy while returning. Also, if YOUVE driven this iconic route, wed LOVE to publish your story. It is worth to stop for a night and explore Australia's opal capital. Hi Amanda! Official visitor information. Great information thank you, has helped plan our trip. Hi Amanda, I am planning to drive from Sydney to Alice Spring, Uluru and back to Sydney in Late April next year. Thank you so much for writing this blog. This is also a national highway, the Princes Highway also called Highway 1 in Australia. 30km north of Coober Pedy, then there is NOTHING, Free roadside campsites: Free campsites and reviews on Wikicamps. I was very nervous at the thought of driving from Adelaide to Alice but after I read and studied your guide I am somewhat less apprehensive. I hope this puts your mind at ease, Rama. Thank you from very grateful backpackers. The Stuart Highway is sealed all the way just like it is here in Alice. This is also one section of the trip where emus are quite commonly seen so be on the lookout for them. Just look for Port Wakefield Road and then stick to it. Walk around the complex, see the Central Australia Railway line, breathe Theres a couple of accommodation choices here, and there are actually two roadhouses here not just the big BP one. Thank you so much for publishing this! Furthermore, the $7.49 I paid on the wiki camps app was the best money Ive ever spent! I noticed you said the last petrol stop is 257km from coober pedy. Now I know hows condition of road from Alice to Adelaide. Alice Springs, the Alice, or just Alice, these are the common names for the city in the heart of central Australia. A lookout is 10 km off the highway, 20km radius around Marla. The turnoff to Rainbow Valley (highly recommended for an overnight camp). As my car is slower than the usual modern cars I will be watching the rear view mirror for road trains that might want to overtake. [11] [12] By then, the NAR had closed, in June 1976, following the closure of the iron ore mine at Frances Creek. These detours can be done with a sturdy car in dry conditions. And yes my wife would be driving as well. Thanks for a great guide for this epic journey. The camping and caravan area has trees for shade, and a BBQ Were retired & dont exactly have a time-frame. Galahs had in the tree next to our camp at 1 am. The road distance is 2774.5 km. Carry basic tools & spare parts (fanbelts, spare tyres, radiator hoses, fuses) with you. From Coober Pedy, you head north once more, passing lots of mullock heaps, and traversing some low, barren hills. Fly direct to Darwin, Alice Springs and Uluru from most capital cities. If you do not want to take the unsealed road/or can not as the road is closed, continue south on the Stuart Highway to Port Augusta instead. That's a reason to stop for a drink, isn't it? Enjoy one of the best long distance drives in the world. That includes a cold beer after a long desert road trip. We plan to go to Perth Esperance via Alice springs and Uluru As of 2006 Australian Cencus Kulgera has a population of 50 people. Ive done 1000 km day rides before heading East from Adelaide, but there are lots of large chain service stations. Whilst youll be driving on the Stuart Highway an excellent and mainly straight road, youre driving in the Australian outback for most of this journey, youll need to do a few simple things to stay safe: If youre worried about breaking down, please read MY experience of breaking down on this road as a solo woman traveller. 1. Dont be afraid to mix this journey up a bit to go off and see Andamooka, Woomera or hang out at the bar in Kulgera Roadhouse. Sorry it took so long to pass on our thanks. Detours in the area: Erldunda is the place where you have to 2nd to 13th September 2018, my trip info and photos on the link above So far have a 2-week NSW train pass route planned. There is almost complete coverage from Port Augusta to Coober Pedy nowadays, with coverage also at Glendambo, Erldunda and of course, Uluru. My brother and sister-in-law are coming over from South Africa next year and were making the big trek to see the magnificence of Uluru in June. This is definitely worth stopping at for a photo or two. Port Augusta - population ~15,250 is on the edge of the South Thanks for your kind words its an epic post (like many of our posts tend to be), Im just a little shame-jobbed that its taken me so long to get this one up here. It is very informative. Once known as "The Track", the Stuart Highway was named after explorer John McDouall Stuart who discovered a route through Australia's inland on several excursions in the 1850s and 1860s. Hi Amanda, what a comprehensive fact sheet for us, thank you! The distance between cities of South Australia (Australia) is calculated in kilometers (kms), miles and nautical miles. You can actually get it for most of the way to Coober Pedy -thanks to the two big new mines (Prominent Hill and the other one whose name escapes me)- but it is a little patchy, so best not to rely on it there. Luckily I was concentrating and had enough time to stop for them. This is probably Australias most iconic roadtrip especially if you add in a side trip to Uluru-Kata Tjuta. . I did not know the dangers of night driving back then, yet I did not see any animals on road (If I had, I wouldnt have been around to tell the tale anyways). Leaving from Adelaide on Tuesday. It looks like a few white golf balls in the distance. wineries in the Clare Valley, Gladstone, Melrose and Wilmington. Head just out of town to cuddle a baby kangaroo at the Kangaroo Sanctuary. Route planner. make decisions! Sounds like you saw plenty of wildlife, and the Eagles are always special to see. Estimated Fuel Cost: $250-$300 depending on vehicle and whether youre towing. 20km north of Marla, then there is NOTHING until Erldunda. Thanks so much Amanda for taking the time to share your experience and passion. Appreciate the valuable information. Firstly I congratulate you on wanting to a road trip rather than fly everywhere. It is really very helpful and informative and I like the no-nonsense approach of your writing. Woomera town reminds me of a 1950s Canberra suburb, picked up and dropped in the middle of nowhere. Promise. It seems like the only available car company who offer this is Hertz. thank you Not long before you reach Pimba and if youre observant- look out to the left (west) and you might spot the remains of Nurrungar a joint US-Australian spy base. This is probably going to be the slowest and the most frustrating part of the journey. | For 3 main reasons. Peta. Drive 4h 42m. So glad I found your site! The ultimate Outback adventure. Comments like yours make all the hours we put in with the website worthwhile. I have never done this drive but am used to long distance driving as i regularly drive nonstop from melb to noosa and back. Distance: 2,884 km's; Total Driving Time: 36 hours, . So whats your suggestion on getting there & when per our entire trip planning? Thank you for sharing this information. However, being winter will it be too cold? the roads are great and you can get to many places in an AWD or 2WD. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); HOME Maybe next time Ill brave the smaller towns and take more timethis time we wanted a good week in Alice to spend with my brother, wife and little niece. This is a fairly short stretch of the journey, with the prize of mobile phone coverage and a small supermarket at Marla. Didnt even get to hear most of the e-books we had downloaded. We were generally , Stuart Highway - Adelaide to Alice Springs How desolate is the Stuart Highway? Hi Amanda, A little further on you arrive at Pimba and Spuds Roadhouse. cheers. Take a look at Brachina and Wilkawillina gorges and you might see the rare yellow-footed rock-wallaby. It sneaks up on you quickly and is quite unassuming meaning its not particularly well signposted, so I recommend that you be ready to stop and take a photo. Turn right onto the Stuart Highway and say goodbye to traffic lights and bends. Its about 11-12 hours of driving in total. Thank you so much for all the detailed information! Adelaide. Your info about phone coverage, fuel, food etc is most helpful but where are we able to fill gas cylinders. The colours of the hills are marvellous We stopped overnight in Adelaide and Coober Pedy both waysusing Airbnb and motels Im not a camper, sorry! Hi Amanda There are very few trees the vegetation is predominately bluebush and saltbush- and until you start to see the mullock heaps coming into Coober Pedy, very little to look at. We have just picked up a motorhome and are on our way now! Thankyou. From Alice-springs to the South Pole, it is 4,580.59 mi (7,371.74 km) in the north. Driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs is a long way. We could have flown but I have lived here for over 40 years and had never seen the outback so we decided to drive. How can I prepare for this possibility? Regards and thank you. You could also go from Roxby Downs along the Borefield Track and then join the Oodnadatta Track and head up to Alice Springs that way. This is the longest stretch on the entire journey. Fuel & food available: Erldunda, Stuarts Well, Alice Springs, Free campsites: Check out Wikicamps for all free campsites, Mobile phone coverage: Telstra 3G reception is only available until approx. My boyfriend and I are from Singapore and will be using this guide for our trip as 1st time road-trippers! As a rule, if you are worried, fill up your fuel tank at EVERY opportunity and youll be fine. Tickets cost $170 - $320 and the journey takes 15h 40m. Take some photos. Such a good info at one place. . I notice that you have said the distance from Coober Pedy to Alice Springs or Uluru is about 680km, but when I check with Google Maps I get about 710km to Alice and 734km to Yulara. Its a good time to travel, but do keep in mind that it will be COLD. and I was borderline terrified before I found this post. Find your way around the Top End with maps covering Darwin City, Kakadu, Litchfield National Park, Arnhem Land and the Tiwi Islands.
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