GCR Camping

Submitted: Monday, May 12, 2025 at 08:43

ThreadID: 150381 Views:1826 Replies:5 FollowUps:12

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Great Central Road

The Great Central Road is the main thoroughfare through Central Australia and links WA to NT. It is mostly unsealed but is widely used by buses, trucks, 4WD and occasionally 2WD vehicles.

Bob C17

Have heard anecdotally that camping is not allowed between Yulara and Docker River.
Maps I have indicate two campsites ( The Oaks and Tjukaruru Rest Stop).
Have also heard that so long as you have a Permit and camp outside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP it is OK.
Does anyone know the real facts of the matter?
Bob.

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Reply By: Member - Bigfish - Monday, May 12, 2025 at 12:11

Monday, May 12, 2025 at 12:11

This of any help???camping grounds

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Follow Up By: Bob C17 - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 09:16

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 09:16

Thanks Bf,
Your 53 Campgrounds is useful.
Bob.

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Reply By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Monday, May 12, 2025 at 12:44

Monday, May 12, 2025 at 12:44

The section Yulara to Docker River is 232km with a fair section of seal too. Your info is correct regarding approved camps. None in between. You are bound by the regulations in your transit permit. However when we drive the GCR we head up the Sandy Blight Junction Rd and camp at the magnificent Bungabiddy Rockhole Camp. Then return back to the GCR. Another option west of Docker River is Gill Pinnacle Lookout - camp option not far off the road (256km from Yulara).

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Follow Up By: Briste - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 09:12

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 09:12

What permit is required for that Diversion up Sandy Blight? Traveller marks it as "permit access".

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Follow Up By: Bob C17 - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 09:13

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 09:13

Thank you D & M for your response.
Had considered Gill Pinnacle but thought it was quite small and I didnt know about the access.
I will be in a 4WD towing a trailer. Do you think the access to both Gill and Bungabiddy would be suitable for that?
Bob.

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Follow Up By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 10:56

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 10:56

Hi Bob, we drove out to both locations with our LandCruiser 200 series towing our ultimate off-road camper trailer last August. Very easy nothing technical or hard. You’ll be fine. Take a look at the places links for these locations and you’ll see our photos too. If I get a chance I’ll dig up some more photos and add to this post for you of the track conditions.

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Follow Up By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 18:16

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 18:16

When applying for your permit for the GCR you are on a screen that lists all the roads in the region requiring permits through the council so in your single application you list all the roads and dates you intend to travel and they process the permits for them all.
See our Treks section for the Sandy Blight Junction Road and go to Preparation for permit links.

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Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 07:36

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 07:36

Hi Bob C17,

When we did the GCR back in 2017, we camped at a bush camp approx. 20 or 30 kms from KataTjuta. It is not a marked camp site, but appeared to be used on a semi regular basis. At the time it was still on the unsealed section of the GCR, not sure how far the bitumen has been extended from Kata Tjuta, but the roadworks were about 10 kms from this camp site. Photos 2 & 3 were taken from the top of a nearby sand dune. From memory, our transit permit stated that you could camp a certain distance from the road, but not in any Indigenous Community or significant site such as Lassiter Cave.

GRC Roadside Camp

GCR Roadside Camp 2

GCR Roadside Camp 3

Macca.

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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 11:40

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 11:40

I recall camping at a microwave tower some years ago that must have been close to that spot?

Camp

Cheers,
Peter
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Reply By: Member - Cuppa - Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 20:24

Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 20:24

Briste - we will be travelling from Uluru to Docker River & then up the Sandy Blight Junction road over the next few days. And then back to Alice via the Gary Junction Rd.

Permits are required for the NT section of the GCR & the NT section of the GJR - these can be obtained online from the Central Land Council

Another Permit is required for the WA section of the Sandy Blight Junction rd - this can be obtained online from the NGAAYATJARRA council.

https://forms.clc.org.au/onlinepermits/transit.aspx
https://www.ngaanyatjarra.org.au/permits/

All are free & received by email almost instantly. We got ours yesterday.

Among the conditions on the GCR out to Docker River permit the following re camping states:

"On the road between Uluru-Kata Juta National Park and the Western Australian border via Docker River community CAMPING IS ONLY PERMITTED AT KALTUKATJARA CAMPGROUND, located about 2km west of Kaltukatara (Docker River) community or 6kms east of the border

See 'My Profile' (below) for link to our Aussie travel blog, now in it's 8th year.

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Follow Up By: Member - rocco2010 - Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 22:45

Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 22:45

Cuppa

Kaltukatara campground is a beautiful spot among the desert oaks.

Cheers

Bush camp

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Follow Up By: Briste - Friday, May 16, 2025 at 08:58

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 08:58

Thank you Cuppa. We are planning our first trip down the GCR in Sept in a small convoy,.
We've seen a lot of reports over the years, but now with our own trip in the planning, we are starting to collect detailed information more seriously. We look forward to reading your well-written blog report.

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Follow Up By: Member - Cuppa - Friday, May 16, 2025 at 09:08

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 09:08

Ta.

We are leaving Curtin Springs for Docker River this morning.

Began formulating a blog post covering the past few weeks from Tibooburra to Alice yesterday. Not sure when time will allow for it to be completed! We are, for the first time, travelling with another couple who we met in Longreach. Quite a pleasant experience, but we are still solo travellers at heart

However we'll be 'slowing down' a lot in Mid June - caretaking a small private bush camp west of Katherine until the end of September, so you should be able to read our Sandy Blight Junction Road blog before you leave! :)

See 'My Profile' (below) for link to our Aussie travel blog, now in it's 8th year.

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Follow Up By: Briste - Friday, May 16, 2025 at 15:00

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 15:00

We're also normally solo travellers. This will be a small convoy of Karavans.

I don't quite understand how your timeline of finishing your caretaking at the end of September will see a helpful blog entry before we do the GCR in early September, unless I have misunderstood your itinerary, but I look forward to it all the same.

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Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Friday, May 16, 2025 at 16:35

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 16:35

.
Briste, it depends on which "end of September" Cuppa is referring to, hey?

Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Member - Cuppa - Friday, May 16, 2025 at 18:53

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 18:53

Briste - apologies for lack of clarity. From mid June (to end of September) we will be in one place & should have plenty of time to catch up with blog 'production & posting, & thus I should have a post covering our Sandy Blight Junction Road experience done & dusted well before you head off in September. :)

Posted from Kaltukatara campground (Docker River).

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