Great Central Road - Camping Spots and side trips (4WD or other)

Hello
The Outback Way website may have some information you are chasing.

I found this spot on the Docker River (Livingstone Pass) when through there last. Not sure if you can camp near here - probably a bit close to the community but maybe not?



On the same trip there were a group fo people camped about 50m off the road a few k's west of Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) - didn't look like the best spot in the world but you should be able to track down something for an overnighter.




Cheers
Greg

I trust you have all checked out the required transit permits. Technically your permit precludes departing from the actual GCR roadway. Quite a number don't abide by that condition apparently - just another "test" of the permit system?

Also the transit time allowed by the permit (3 days) doesn't allow for a huge amount of side-tripping.

Hi PradoDriver

If you contact me by member message I can give you the details of the main (authorised) camping areas, as well as a few of the side features. We also found a good spot to stop (which had been used before) away from the road when we had a breakdown.

There's a great trail of rockholes between Warburton and Laverton just off the track, as I believe that is why the track is where it is. They're on most decent maps.

Desert's Gate is worth a look adjacent to Giles Breakaway.

and Empress Spring is one of the best sites that isn't to far away from the main road.



Enjoy the trip
Cheers
Alan

Hi Pradodriver,
We travelled the GCR in May 2015. Although the drive is well worth doing camping spots, apart from the roadhouses, are really few and far between. We chose to stay in the caravan parks associated with the roadhouses at Warakurna and Tjukayirla. Both are excellent with helpful managers. The Giles Met Station is very close to Warakurna and although the balloon launch is basically a non-event the museum which has a considerable amount of information on Len Beadell is worth a visit.
On reaching the WA border and reading the very large sign about the problem of unleaded petrol theft you begin the appreciate why the roadhouses are possible a better option.
Warburton is really only a fuel stop. The caravan park there is surrounded by a high fence and steel gates on the entrance. A rather sad sight to say the least.
There are a number of potential camping spots but we much preferred the security of the roadhouses. Of course if you are travelling in a group camping spots other than the roadhouses could be ok.
As others have said the permit only allows for three days travel.

Camping spot just west of the Docker River Community, and it was free in July 2015 when we went thru from west to east

We travelled the Great Central Road June last year.
No issues in our 2WD Mercedes Sprinter Campervan.
Get hold of the free Brochure (Laverton WA info centre will send it to you- together with other useful info).
Heaps of suitable camp spots on the way
Also- to make it more intersting we did the recommended 'geocache' challenge, I would highly recommend this. You only need a cheap.basic GPS !!!
A great trip. Fantastic scenery. Heaps of healthy dingoes & camels when we went thru.
Oh!! And don't forget your permits !! I think it was for 3 weeks on the NT side, but 3 DAYS on the WA side (we took 5 days Shhhhh)
Cheers
Wombat 100

1. Lasseters Cave 25.0184/129.3976
2. Giles weather station is a must. A balloon is launched each day at 10am I believe,and if you book in for that, they will give you a great tour.
3.Just south of Lake Throssell is Lake Yeo. Point Sunday 28.1234/124.0833 is worth a look and could be bush camped at and "Old Yeo Homestead 28.0789/124.3256 has buildings that can be used, a water tank and a long drop loo.
There are other places right next to the road.
We visited all these places a couple of years ago on a Peugeot club event doing the "longest short cut" from Cairns to Busselton.

Pradodriver's original post asked about camping spots between Yulara and Docker River, which is only about 200 km, and the simple answer is there are none, as camping is prohibited along this section of the Great Central Road.

There is a lovely little camp site just west of the Docker River Community as stated in earlier replies.
However I would strongly urge consideration of the alternative more northerly route utilising the forbiddingly named Sandy Blight Rd, which avoids the truly terrible 180km section between the Olgas (Kuta Tjuka) and the WA border, which will sorely test your TVan, and any other thing that drives it. It is just awful and there seems to be no good speed to travel at that doesn't shake the fillings out of your teeth or every nut undone in your rig. We tried everything from 20 to 120 km/hr!

Once thru the border into WA you would think you are in a different country, the roads are absolutely magnificent in comparison, being maintained by the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku based in Warburton, including much of the Sandy Blight Road.