Great Central road in a 2wd?

Did GCR in July from the same direction you are planning (in a 4wd). It is PASSABLE in 2wd provided it has not been raining but be prepared for a bumpy ride and to travel a whole lot slower than 4wd traffic. The NT side was very rough but as soon as you crossed into WA the road was in excellent condition. There were a couple of minor water crossings but niether was more than a few inches deep. The visitor centre in Alice Springs was a good source of track info. You will need to call ahead and check availability of ULP as it is variable and the distances are substantial. One more thing - not sure I would tackle it in Jan/Feb as the consequences of getting caught out could be severe in the summer heat.....we were there in the "busy" season and only saw maybe 4-5 other cars per day.

Hi Cameron,
Like the above. We did it a few years back in the opposite direction. Like all outback roads, you will get good and bad sections. When we travelled it in October, we did not see any other vehicles until we reached the Olgas after Giles. In that time of the year, you will have temperatures in the High 40ºC's, so make sure you take triple the amount of water, and make sure you keep the Police or a reliable person informed of your progress. A vehicle brake down in that time of the year, with limited supplies could cost you your lives.

Cheers

Stephen

sure - why not the locals do- extra spare and a plug kit wouldnt go astray

Hey CameronP
Did the great Central Road in May a few years back, from Warburton to the rock. Got a family in a falcon going who were broken down. They were heading North. A sigma pulled over also..... And if I remember rightly quite a few other cars passed us too. The road in the NT was rougher than WA

Hi
It has been a few years but the main prob for 2 wheel drive would be corrugation
we met some people in a small van and suggest they lower tyre pressure....they made faster time than us have a great trip

Bri

Wow, that was quick :-) Given me something to think about, at least. It sounds like the heat - high forties, ouch! - and the lack of other traffic are what we should be most worried about. The thought of being stuck out there for days with no one around if we break down isn't really pleasant, so we'll probably end up going a less adventurous route instead.

Stephen, how much water is 'triple the usual amount'? We'd probably be able to carry say 40L, but I doubt much more than - space is always the problem in a small car.

davoe, by 'plug kit' you mean a tyre repair kit? Again, it might be tricky carrying an extra spare because of the lack of space...

Howdy Cameronp

March this year i had rellies here from Europe, they did the GCR in a Mazda campervan.......and loved it.
They had no troubles, just took extra water on board and another spare tyre.
They headed East to West, got all permits etc at Alice......

One thing no one has mentioned????

You currently still need transit permits from the relevant Aboriginal Lands Council to drive the GCR.

Cameron

Been on the road twice, as long it is dry and you drive to conditions you should enjoy. There is a grader working the WA side all the time, If you see Scott stop and have a Chat
The Locals are moving around that country in XD Falcons ,Civics without windows, but then i guess that's home for them,

Doug

As above 2wd on these roads is a common ocurence, just don't expect the car to last forever. There is a reason local cars only last a year, vibrations, dust and heat.

Water is your biggest problem not the sort you carry and drink but the stuff that comes from the sky.

You are planning to travel during the two wettest months of the year. We are in the middle of a drought but who knows when a cyclone in Broome is going to fill all the rivers out here? You may well get to be a local if caught out because you won't be getting v. far. and by the time the road is dry it will be pretty cut up and then be in the realms of high clearence 4wd until the grader arrives.

I've done it W-E in Jan (road conditions v.good WA, crap NT side) and we made it to Lasseters Cave as the rain came down, saw rain on Uluru just got to Alice when all roads were closed (and impassable) N-S-E-W for 3 weeks.

Basically, it's very possible with planning and safety issues covered but you are still at the mercy of the rain. I am nearish to Kings Canyon and we have had small showers on and off for the past 3 weeks. not enough to cause road damage.

BTW it takes at least 3 days of steady driving. 2 days for the crazy. The permit from memory only allows 4 days.

Happy travels,

Slammin.

PS It was officialy 42' yesterday..... in the shade.

I have been west east twice in a 2wd toyota ute and east west twice in a 4wd. Last trip two months ago. First Trip I was getting bored so started counting the wrecks on the side of the road and got to ninety or so before Warburton. Not much traffic then either. Now the wrecks get taken away but the traffic has increased a lot.

This last trip was uneventful and the road was good except for the NT corrugations. Man at the caravan park in Leonara said all the caravans coming in from the east would complain about damage to the caravans so it can be done no sweat. Its a long drive but yeah, be equipped and carry water just in case. Not that I would expect to be stuck for too long. There are heaps of Aboriginals living out in that country and they use the roads all the time in 2wd bombs.

Two permits required, one from WA over the internet and one from the lands council in Alice by mail or in person. They last as long as you want to take but they will not permit leaving the main road unless you have legitimate business out there. They are just keeping tabs because they get troublemakers and unwelcome visitors come to gawk at the third world conditions and put crap in the newspapers.

You are supposed to stay at the parks at the roadhouses but I doubt any one would complain if you stopped overnight off the road. One thing for certain, you wont get any night visitors out there.

Owen

The great central road is my favourite road east. I love the vastness and the rolling country side and the sense of aloneness. I would probably take a different view if it were stinking hot or if the road was wet but.