Great central road

We only did part of it, there are places you could free camp but we needed to refuel so we stayed at one of the roadhouses.

Road itself was very good by like all gravel roads conditions can change fast. Lots of rocks at times so good under body and stone protection is required.

Search for Australia's longest shortcut. You will find excellent maps, track notes, camp sites, permits and everything else you need. Allow four days at a relaxed pace and drop your tyre pressures

Rob

We did the GCR from Laverton last August towing. Tvan ,
it was in excellent condition
We got our permits in Laverton, it says on the permit you can only camp in designated camp sites but the girl at the Laverton visitor centre said we could camp anyway we liked just don't go to far off the road
Camping in the NT section is restricted because it's in the National Park
It took us a easy 3 days 2 nights from Laverton to Curtain Springs .

I would suggest first-timers get the Hema "The Outback Way" Atlas and Guide. It provides a blow-by-blow description which includes camping possibilities. You need to read that in conjunction with the conditions on the permits, as the Hema suggestions are sometimes a little "creative" vs the strict transit permit terms.

Make sure you obtain the two permits required.

Accommodation, we have always (last three years, three trips):

. used Tjukayirla Roadhouse and Warakurna Roadhouse; and

. avoided staying at Warburton (don't like having to be in a locked compound for security) or Docker River.

I would only contemplate dropping tyre pressures if road conditions showed it was warranted. It hasn't so far.

There are plenty of opportunities for bush camping Steve, but by the conditions of your permit, you are only permitted to overnight in authorised places while transiting Aboriginal land. I have made a list of a dozen suitable places to stop overnight (including three roadhouses), fuel stops and distances. EO do not permit me to link my own work, so you need to contact me privately if you would like to read this information. I have a blog on our trip through the Great Central Road on My Blogs

Steve B, The Great Central Road should be very much thought of as two things: the NT section, which is awful, and the WA section which is excellent.

The NT section from Kata Tjuka (The Olgas) to the WA border near Docker River is usually rough, corrugated and somewhat rock strewn. You should certainly lower your tyre pressures and slow down (probably 80 or 90 max) to avoid shaking your rig to bits. Also camping is officially somewhat more restricted to either end, ie Uluru and the public campsite just west of Docker River, although we did see people camping amid desert oaks in the eastern half. The desert oak groves are a real highlight, like funny little enchanted forests in the vast outback. It is possible this section of the road is being upgraded right now as considerable funding has been allocated to the NT govt for this purpose. The Docker River office will be able to tell you.

An alternative to this 180 km teeth rattler is the Sandy Blight Junction Road which is maintained by the (WA) Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku to a similar standard as the WA roads, but requires a bit of a rejig of your itinerary as its a bit hard to leave from Uluru. You would normally leave from Alice Springs and head west through the spectacular West McDonnell Ranges toward Kintore and then take the SBJ Rd south toward Warakurna.

The WA section, conversely, is like a billiard table in comparison! As you will generally be able to thunder along at full noise you'll need your tyre pressures right up, to avoid blow outs. I would recommend you get a permit to visit Surveyor-General's Corner, near Wingellina at the tri-state border, not that the corner itself is that interesting, but the drive from Wingellina to Blackstone to Jameson and Warburton skirts the spectacular Blackstone Ranges, which I think is one of the great pleasures of the outback.

If you want to visit the Giles weather Station near Warakurna, which I'd also recommend, it will necessitate a 35-odd km back-track to the Wingellina turn off, which is on the Docker River side of Warakurna. You should be able to get from Docker River to Warakurna back to Wingellina and then through Warburton in a day to be able to free camp west of Warburton, if that's what you prefer. This distances aren't massive. Otherwise, I've always been happy to camp at the campsite enclosure behind the Warburton Roadhouse.

You get your WA permits online from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs websitehere or the Ngaanyatjarra Council here. The NT permits are similarly available online from the Central Land Council here.

But you SHOULD DO IT! It's wonderful country and a great experience.

All the best