Mount Augustus to Exmouth road trip

hi paul , Using the internet i would suggest you start off by purchasing wikicamps and then google maps and look at the distances between the two spots . Fuel is available in mt augustus and gascoyne junction and then carnarvon. After that there are probably half a dozen servo's between carnarvon and exmouth .

2wd can do those roads but be aware there can be some very sharp rocks and punctures are common

If you are going south to Gascoyne Junction then west to Carnarvon and then north (as Dusta said) fuel and road conditions should not be an issue.

Cross country, basically north west via Cobra and Lyndon to North West Coastal Highway, a route promoted as the Wool Wagon Pathway, could be a bit more problematic. Certainly no fuel out there.

I have driven some roads around there (though not that route specifically) and some would be fine and some not so. Depends on when they were last graded and recent weather.

And I reckon you could camp where you fancy.

2WD? Which 2WD? People drove these roads in family sedans for years. A European hatch with 19in wheels and 45 profile tyres should stick to the bitumen.

Been some good rains through that country in last few months so should be a nice drive if you can manage it.

Cheers

Certainly manageable with care, and particular attention to tyres and pressures. And if you are in the area, make sure to also visit Kennedy Range NP - some fantastic easy to moderate walks and good camping.

In 2018 we drove from Kumarina (on the Great Northern Hwy to Mt Augustus, via mainly station tracks to Gascoyne Junction, up to Kennedy Ranges NP, & then north to Barradale on the NW Highway.

I know much of that is not the route you want to take, but I mention it because all the Gascoyne dirt roads we drove on were the best we have been on anywhere, (& we've been on a few) perhaps with the exception of a few mild corrugations between Gascoyne Junction & Kennedy Ranges NP. Nevertheless good tyres & a couple of spares are always a good idea once out in woop woop like that. I think the road between Carnavon & Gascoyne Junction is all sealed (perhaps someone else might confirm).

We stayed at a small CP in Gascoyne Junction, only because we were meeting friends there, next to the fuel servo, quite pleasant. Friends ate in the cafe/restaurant & reported the food as being excellent.
We did camp on a station property west of Mt Augustus. We stopped when passing the homestead & sought permission & they gave us directions to a lovely riverside spot we would never have known was there without their info.

In late April 2009 we camped alongside a large waterhole on the Gascoyne River called Rocky Pool for a few days, about 50kms out of Carnarvon. A lovely spot - at that time we were driving our 2 wheel drive bus (Nissan Civilian) & towing a trailer. Oops, just checked wikicamps & it is now listed as a day use area only. Probably became too well known because of Wikicamps & similar & it's somewhere where a portapotti is essential as not possible to dig holes in rock!

stick to the Carnarvon to Mullewa road from Gascoyne Junction, this will take you to the NW coastal highway, and north to Carnarvon. There is only one fuel stop between Carnarvon and Exmouth (Minilya)
The unsealed roads around Kennedy ranges can get very chopped up, particularly over the last 2 years, every man, and woman and their dog are off roading around WA. If you have a 2wd ground clearance is essential

Info from June 2012

Road from Carnarvon to Gascoyne Junction sealed.
Rocky Pool day use only, managed by Dept. Water, NO camping.
Fuel at Gascoyne Junction.
Light showers, Road from Gascoyne Junction to Kennedy Range like wet cement and sticking to vehicle and van several inches thick.
Kennedy Range a must see.
Road from Kennedy Range to Lyndon Minnie Creek Rd turnoff dry and good Rd.
Camping at Kennedy Range, Lyons River Crossing and Mangaroon Creek.
Lyndon Minnie Creek Rd to North West Coastal Hwy undulating with numerous bends. Very tiring and nothing to see until Nyang Woolshed ( worth a look) at Emu Creek Station. Wouldn't recommend going that way.
Would need to check road conditions before travelling, if wet stay away.