Camping in the Australian Outback
With an area of over 1.3 million square kilometres, the Northern Territory is a big place. It’s no surprise then, that many people travelling between Alice Springs and Darwin choose to fly. It is, however, possible to drive from Darwin to Alice Springs.
First things first, driving to Alice Springs from Darwin is no light undertaking. The drive is almost 1500km long, taking at least 18 hours of driving time. It also passes through some of the harshest environments on the continent. The roads are long, straight, and at times, mind numbing. It’s incredibly important to ensure that there is always plenty of water in the car and that the tank is filled with petrol.
It’s recommended that drivers allocate a week to cover the distance. This is very easy to do as there are plenty of interesting stops along the way. The route itself is fairly straightforward, following the Stuart Highway (Explorer’s Way) south from Litchfield National Park. The Explorer’s Way follows the route of the famous Australian explorer John McDougall Stuart, linking the Northern Territory from top to bottom.
One of the most popular sequences for those making the drive is to spend a week covering the distance, driving from Darwin to Litchfield National Park, Litchfield National Park to Katherine, Katherine to Mataranka, Mataranka to Tennant Creek, Tennant Creek to Alice Springs with rest days in between. This lets visitors take in the scenery, as well as spend some time exploring the attractions that make the Northern Territory an amazing place to visit.
Other places of note along the way include Palmerston, Howard Springs, the Berry Springs Nature Reserve, the Adelaide River, the Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park, Pine Creek, Daly Waters, Dunmurra, Elliot, Sturt Memorial, John Flynn Memoria, Devils Marbles Reserve, Wauchope, Barrow Creek, and Aileron. It really is possible to take as long as you wish to drive between Alice Springs and Darwin, and it is definitely worth taking the time to visit some of these out-of-the-way locations.
Driving to Alice Springs from Darwin from Australia Things to Do