There may be more. This quirky Outback pub has cold drinks and roadhouse food, and for years, travelers passing through have been leaving behind mementoes from their journeys, filling the establishment with a ramshackle collection of bizarre souvenirs from across the world. Embrace the steamy weather for a Northern Territory Christmas youll never forget. This means it is very important to ensure that you do not run out of food. In Katherine and the surrounding area there is a lot to discover so it is worth planning an additional day. Road Affair is reader-supported and may earn commission from purchases made through links in this article. Katherine to Darwin. In the dry season, many rivers and falls have dried up just like the Leichhardt Falls, for example, hence the reason Savanna Way becomes passable, In the dry season, not everything is dried up. First, pass through Mutton Hole Wetlands north of Normanton for stunning birdlife, including brolgas and black swans. The next stop in the Northern Territory is 400 kilometers north along the highway to Daly Waters. In 2021, they were between $1.49/L and $2.05/L. Make Croydon Your Own Adventure!!! If you drive for 400 km every day, Katherine can be reached within 5-6 days (or vice versa). Along the way, call in at the beautiful Mataranka Hot Springs to relax in natural, thermal waters. Powered by Google, this filter shows congestion across WA roads. You will see no roads, people, houses just pure nature. Wildlife can be a danger this far north too, so avoid driving at night if you dont want a run-in with a kangaroo or a herd of cattle or camel on the road. This is the last place you will finding anything resembling a supermarket or department store for hundreds of kilometres. Rule of thumb: The further out and the more abandoned you drive to, the more expensive is the fuel. Leichhardt Falls are 70 km south of Burketown. SUGGESTED TIME FRAME: 14 days minimum. We recommend a helicopter flight as it is very impressive to get a feel for Australias expanses. Yes. 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. These hot springs can also be visited in Katherine. Take a break at Lake Eacham, and admire Little Millstream Falls near Ravenshoe. In its heyday, it was the third largest town in northern Queensland and Chillagoe is on an Alternate Route of the Savannah Way and well worth a detour. Turn right and aim to stay at The Daly Waters Pub, which has motel, cabins, budget rooms and camping. Nice pool, cold beer and clean rooms or camping facilities. Could you recommend places to spend the night, and if there is something interesting to visit on the route, about nature. Head on to the Undara Volcanic National Park, where you can discover many natural wonders. Lake Mary Ann make sure for a nice spot to cool of fresh just a couple of minutes from town. The road can be slow depending on how Take care of our native animals Dont feed any animals in the wild and dont attempt to touch them either. To get a taste of whats on offer in the outback Savannah, read our Savannah Way review here. Fuel stops; Threeways, Barkly Homestead, Camooweal, Mt Isa. (Image: Tourism NT/Jackson Groves). To help you to plan your Outback experience, heres our guide to road tripping from Cairns to Darwin! Visit the fascinating Barramundi Discovery Centre and enjoy an evening meal at the Sunset Tavern. How to get half price tickets for the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. From: 1 traveler 2 travelers 3 travelers 4 travelers 5 travelers 6 travelers. Hi, I will be driving my Ford XR6 to Cairns from Darwin in late April. The Savannah highway is Australias longest and most interesting route that connects to major roads across the northern Australia. The Aussie Christmas you never thought of, The only Alice to Uluru itinerary youll ever need, Swim with crocodiles at Crocosaurus Cove Darwin, 8 tips for travelling (& surviving) the outback as a family, How to road trip Kakadu and itineraries for visiting, 2 nights in a Ikara Safari tent for two people, Access to all the resort facilities including complementary Welcome to Country each evening. 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. 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. Now youre starting to get really remote, and the next real stop is almost 700 kilometers away across the border in The Northern Territory, at the small town of Tennant Creek. The best thing about Bundaberg is how much you can do on a budget. While it is sometimes impossible to avoid driving in the dark, it is important to drive slowly (70 km / h) in order to spot the animals on the road ahead.Tip: When youre renting a car, check whether the insurance policy covers damages caused by hitting animals during night trips. It appears the car will be written off. (Please note that cost of fuel per litre can change and is an estimate only). It becomes quite hilly with a lot of very long trucks (road trains), so patience is a must for the last hour or so. For our road trip Cairns to Darwin, in total we travelled just under 3000km in our fully loaded little blue car. Stop off at Alice Springs and Uluru, two of Australia's most famous landmarks. Pick up camper van from Mighty Campers Darwin - Left at 10:45 am. If you love flowers the 'Garden City' should be one of your first stops, as it features a number of stunning parks, botanic gardens and other floral displays. Once you reach Cloncurry and join onto the Barkly Highway you will start to notice a lot more traffic, this is the main traffic route between Townsville and Mount Isa. Any advice you have would be most appreciated Regards,PS. Not a pleasant experience for you, and certainly not for the whales. Shell can also help you stay in touch with your local area. You need a 4WD, as sections of road on this route are unsealed. Enjoy your next road trip Cairns to Darwin. Flannel as the next shower may be a few hundred kilometres away, Savannah Way Borroloola to Burketown = 492km, Borroloola - Katherine = 655km (Limmen National Park), Katherine - Jabiru = 297km (Kakadu National Park), Savannah Way Normanton to Burketown = 230km. Pick up your campervan or car in Cairns today. At 860km/534mi, this was a big day; although Cooktown to Mareeba was a 300km stretch of backtracking. Go birdwatching in the early mornings, tour the breathtaking lava tubes or see a spectacular bat emergence from the tubes at sunset. You can camp where you want as no one cares or forbids it. The eccentric outback pub features bras hanging from the ceiling, and great beef-and-barramundi barbecues during the dry season. Note: This itinerary is part of a much longer Melbourne to Darwin road trip. Amal, Threeways Roadhouse is the roadhouse at the intersection of the Barkly and Stuart highways. Required fields are marked *. Driving 384 km in 4 hrs 25 mins, stay over in Daly Waters. Home. Darwin to Perth Fuel Cost - Motorhome Hire - Gallivanting Oz Quick Tips for Road Trip Darwin to Cairns. Isa from there, but it's a bit more off the beaten track and parts may flood in March. With three peaceful pools and a sprawling picnic area, Berry Springs is a wonderful morning excursion about 50 minutes from Darwin's CBD. Darwin is Australia's smallest state capital, but compared to the stops on the way from Cairns, Darwin will seem like a veritable metropolis. After just spending a day in the outback, your 4WD will get a new image luckily we managed to find a "car wash facility" :). The train journey starts from the town of Cairns and goes through the village of Kuranda and further on through the Savannah country. Example: during our trip, in the Roper Bar Store Roadhouse, diesel cost about AUD2 per gallon, which at the time was 40% more expensive than in Cairns. I'm not sure whether I'd be best going via Townsville, Mount Isa as opposed to the Savannah Way. Good luck to anyone that's going to do it and you'll be knackered at the end of it, take plenty of water and beer and food, and a few spare wheels. You can stop for fuel in Jabiru, Mataranka, Borroloola, Cape Crawford, Burketown, Dumadgee, Normanton, Katherine, Cairns, Mareeba, Chillagoe, and Darwin. The loneliest stretch is between Camooweal and the Threeways. If hiring a campervan allow a good hour to collect and become familiarised with your vehicle before you leave the depot. Explore Maguk Find a great campsite in Jim Jim before setting out for a tour of Maguk Gorge. About Us. Filter by 'AmpolCash Digital Accepted' for a location near you. Read more. There are also some walking tours and water activity options, such as canoe rides. There is never any wood on campgrounds so its best that you collect it on the way before you get there. The locals are always on the lookout for them and try to find new crocs via red buoys. But please check with the Alice Springs Vistors Information Centre or the Darwin Visitors Information Centre before leaving town on this route. By keeping our speed between 100-116km/h we kept our fuel costs down to less than $300AUD for the entire journey. In northern Australia, there are more crocodiles than humans, so you should not be their next meal. 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. The weather in the Top End can be extreme, with the year divided into wet and dry seasons. Stock up in the frontier outpost of Borroloola, and head to another fishing hot spot, King Ash Bay. There are camping sites along Savannah Way, such as Borroloola Caravan Park and Burketown Caravan Park located at the Gulf of Carpentaria. Only take a caravan if it is suitable for off-road. I want emails from Road Affair with travel updates and marketing. Be sure to fuel up with . Keep watch on the fuel gauge, as petrol stations are infrequent. 24/7 operation. The Outback has many shops closed on Sundays, as opposed to coastal resorts. Once you follow this route, it'll take 31 . You can hike to natural swimming pools, camp out under the stars, and see the unusual, giant termite mounds. Real outback feeling: stay secluded in the bush, the nearest house is 500km away, Experience wildlife up close, from kangaroos to crocodiles, dingoes, camels, cattle and more, Cook with a camp-oven on an open fire somewhere in the bush (Link: here you will find our most popular camp-oven recipes), Experience real 4WD driving on unpaved roads and cross the 1-metre deep streams and rivers, Endless and secluded expanses that you will seldom experience, Crystal-clear waters with impressive plants, birdlife and lurking crocodiles, North Australia's most spectacular Lost-City rock formations, Splash in hot, natural hot springs with crystal clear water, surrounded by palm trees and in the middle of the outback, Impressive waterfalls with splash pools, gorges and caves. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, to get a first-hand experience of the Outback, you can park your caravan in a remote area and enjoy the starry skies of Savannah Way at night. Day 13 Katherine (276 kms, about 3 hours). You can get a quick quote below. Explore the historic town of Croydon, a living museum where gold was discovered in the late 1800s. (Image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland). Some interesting little stops every 50-100kms. 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. The round trip cost would be $461.51 to go from Darwin, Australia to Cairns, Australia and back to Darwin, Australia again.. Road rest stops in NT . Yes there are car and motorbike tours on offer, especially between Darwin and Cairns. Crocodiles are everywhere and just because you cannot see them does not mean they are not there. Youll want a whole day to explore the gorge, and you can take out kayaks, join boat tours, or hike through the national park. Fuel Map is a crowd-sourced database of petrol stations and fuel prices from all across Australia. In Cooktown you can get both ocean sunrises and sunsets; not too many places where thats possible. During the wet season, torrential streams can be seen here, and during the dry season these falls are almost completely dried up. The Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen works just as well as a regular sunscreen but without all the harmful chemicals. Learn how your comment data is processed. Just beware of the saltwater crocodiles and do not get too close to the water. Continue along State Route 14 and drive to Denham Street/ State Route 16 in Townsville City. A 10-day 4WD safari tour will take you and your friends (maximum 4 people) through East Darwin, Litchfield National Park, Mataranka, the Lost City, and all the way to Cairns with meals included as well as overnight stays in Savannah Way motel accommodations. Buy a second hand minivan there, bit fixed and get bed and all necessary gear and drive slowly to Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane, Byron Bay and continue up to Melbourne and there sell the minibus. The longest distance without a petrol station is 700 km on the Burke Development Road. It's essentially a big country town with some really beautiful places and fun attractions. In the NT, you'll drive through the major centres of Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine before arriving in Darwin. See amazing Aboriginal artwork at Nourlangie Rock and Ubirr. Oct. Stopping places include parking, toilets and even picnic areas. The roads from Hells Gate and beyond are really tough so take it easy and have an extra spare tyre. Distance: 113km's from Adelaide River, about 1hr, 15 mins. Adventure by: Doug Hi, I drove from Port Douglas to Darwin in 1991 and it'll be a trip I'll never forget, it was an absolutely brilliant time and I would love to do it again. USB charger for the cigarette lighter to charge smartphone, camera, etc. 311km's, approx 4hrs + stops. This is another long stretch of around 638km/396mi. From Georgetown, carry along Highway 1 for another 300 kilometers until you reach Normanton, the last stop on the sealed northern road before it turns to gravel. Also, the travelling time depends heavily on how many miles you want to drive every day.If you want to start your Savannah Way drive from Cairns and go to Katherine before heading over to Broome or pass the Kakadu National Park to Darwin, then you should allow at least 7-9 days.The distance from Cairns to Katherine is 2,100 kilometres. Though do watch out for those Kangaroos between dusk and dawn. From Cloncurry, carry on up the road for another 100 kilometers to Mount Isa. Make sure you give yourself at least two weeks or more to fully enjoy this itinerary on Australias Adventure Drive. The cheapest fuel in Cape York is generally Palmer River Roadhouse, Cooktown or . Required fields are marked *. 1. (Image: Tourism NT/Kate Flowers). Forming part of the Savannah Way, this dry and desolate part of the country won't have you bumping into lots of people. However, the Burke Development road is unsealed so you will need a 4x4 car. Your destination is in sight, but you might also consider stopping at Berry Springs Nature Park for a swim and Territory Wildlife Park to see the full range of outback animals, including nocturnal creatures seldom seen in the wild. Our truck stops offer facilities such as: B-double access and parking. The is where the sealed road heading west ends, and instead our itinerary has you traveling south along the paved road for 400 kilometers to Cloncurry. Its super lightweight, compact, and the image quality is amazing. Towing a small jayco :), Two friends and I are planning to go in two weeks, any advice appreciated. According to Motorhome Republic, a 2-berth campervan rental in Cairns booked for summer costs around $223 per night and winter sits at roughly $177. Save. A free shower is also available at the boat ramp.From Normanton, the distances between places are shorter so you can stock up with food supplies daily. Darwin to Cairns - The Grey Nomads Forum Perth To Darwin Road Trip (10-Day Itinerary!) Travelling from Rockhampton to Darwin in the next couple of days (August 2016) and also wondering where are the best places to stay the night and space out driving times. The city of Rockhampton in Central Queensland is one of the oldest cities in Queensland and in Northern Australia, formed during the gold rush, making it an interesting place to stop on the road trip. Daily Waters to Katherine. After that, you can pop into the Purple Pub, a classic Outback tavern, before checking out the giant Salmon statue which is also in the town. and leave at 1:59 pm. Whether you're planning a trip on a shoestring budget or splashing out, the open road welcomes anyone with a sense of adventure and desire for discovery. Estimated Fuel Cost: $250-$300 depending on vehicle and whether you're towing. From Cairns to Darwin, our suggested route covers a minimum of 2800 kilometers. Distance: 68km's from Pine Creek, about 50 mins. There are plenty of waterfalls and waterholes in Litchfield National Park that are accessible via sealed roads: Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole are popular among both locals and visitors. I have travelled on at least three routes from Cairns to Darwin. Especially around September when the 'Carnival of Flowers' takes place. Find your nearest Puma Energy Fuel station or 24-hour diesel site in Australia with our service station finder now! If you have extra time while in the Cairns region, why not give Cooktown a go? All Rights Reserved. Although you will still see petrol stations along the way, during good weather the owners may go fishing. 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 . PO Box 5244, Cairns, QLD 4870 / 24 Hour FREECALL 1800 645 832 / Ph (07) 4035 5888 / Fax (07) 4035 6777. Some of the top Savannah Way highlights include the amazing rock formations of the Lost City, the ancient Australian aborigines rock art where you can learn more about the Australian aboriginal culture, the impressive waterfalls, and much more. Book 3 nights and enjoy a complimentary cheese board, bottle of wine, decadent bath soak, relaxed late checkout & more! You might discover waterfalls, thermal springs, rock art and fossils. Katherine is known for its spectacular canyon, the Nitmiluk Gorge, which is found in the nearby national park. It's a campers paradise with free parking, free camping, a free infinity pool looking out over the river and even free hot . Answer 1 of 12: We will be driving from Cairns to Darwin this November and were wondering why Google maps says that the trip on highway 1, Cairns > Normanton > Borroloola > Darwin, is about 48 hours where as it is only 32 hours going the southern route. 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. The Adventurous Cairns to Darwin Trip Via Savannah Way. Discover this amazing sandstone gorge on an ecocruise on a family cattle station. The adventure doesnt end here. Be sure to have good tires and drive below the speed limit during the wet conditions. 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