Great Central Road

The Great Central Road is the main vehicular route linking Central Australia to Western Australia and is well-travelled by tourists throughout most of the year, despite being an unsealed road. For travellers, the route offers a practical shortcut but the trade-off is limited facilities and few attractions for travellers. Total distance 1061km from the start of the Tjukaruru Rd (at Kata Tjuta in the NT) through to Laverton in WA.

The NT side of the Great Central Road is called Tjukaruru Rd and starts just 50km west of Yulara (at Kata Tjuta). From here the road heads west for 243km to the border of NT/WA. From the border to Laverton in WA is a further 868km.

The road passes through large tracts of aboriginal lands featuring a number of aboriginal communities and all travellers must have a permit to use the road, regardless of whether you stop at these communities. Be aware that you will need 2 permits - one for the NT side, and another for the WA side. Before planning your trip, ensure you read the conditions on these permits as there are certain restrictions. For details about where to get your permits, refer to the Preparation section.

Some of these communities have roadhouses where travellers can stop to refuel, purchase takeaway food, and even stay overnight in the adjourning caravan parks. However other communities are not open to the public so you must read the permit and road signage to comply with the regulations. A couple of communities have art galleries at the roadhouse and visitors are welcome to browse or purchase local indigenous artworks.

The Great Central Road traverses extremely remote, desert scrub country and it's a journey that should not be taken too lightly. Whilst there is nothing technical to the drive and can be traversed by most vehicles, and caravans, you should plan your daily travel distance to designated camps and be aware of your fuel requirements. You can expect a lot of dust, some potholes, corrugations, and road ruts.

It is advisable to travel in a 4WD vehicle, although a 2WD vehicle will make the trip. The road is wide and flat although the road surface is stony. For the most part of the journey, it is the stretches of corrugations that are the main consideration for 2WD travellers. Reducing tyre pressures is required to soften the ride, and improve vehicle handling, and your general comfort.

Environment

Driving the Great Central Road section of the Outback Way traversing the middle of the Shire is a great eco-tourism experience passing through the Rawlinson Range, Walter James Ranges, and Gill Pinnacle. Other sites along the way are Beadell's Tree and Giles Meteorological Station. Tjulyuru Cultural & Civic Centre displays some of the finest Aboriginal art in Australia.

History

The Warburton Mission ran from 1933 to 1973, run by William Wade and his wife. In 1961 the Dormitories closed, but the school continued to run. In 1968, due to the large population from the clearing of the Woomera rocket range, Docker River was opened. In 1975, 4 more homeland communities were developed. Tjirrkarli and Tjukurla, although smaller communities opened in the late 1980's.

Len Beadell

Len Beadell worked as a surveyor in the Australian Army (Army Survey Corps). In 1947, Len was asked by the government to build a road across the interior of Australia as part of the search for a suitable site for weapons testing. The main reason was to establish the weapons testing facility at Woomera, and also the place where the British atomic bomb was tested - Maralinga, which is aboriginal for ‘thunder’. These sites were surveyed and selected by Len, and during the 1940s and 1950s, was responsible for opening up the last remaining isolated desert areas of some 2.5 million square kilometers of central Australia. The Great Central Road is part of a network of desert highways built under the leadership of the famous surveyor, to service Woomera and the Giles meteorological station. There are a number of waypoints dedicated to Len Beadell, who is often regarded as the last true Australian explorer. These include: Giles Meterological Station where Len’s original grader stands in a large cage, Len Beadell Plaques - which were setup by the Gunbarrel Crew, and Mount Beadell where a memorial has been raised on top of the hill. In recent times, the newer Great Central Road has superseded some of Len's original tracks, by taking a more direct route. However, all of Len's original roads still exist such as Anne Beadell Highway, Gunbarrel Highway, Connie Sue Hwy and Sandy Blight Junction Road. These roads are increasingly popular with 4WDrivers and adventurers alike. Many sections are difficult going and almost all of them lie in aboriginal lands and require travel permits, as well as a great deal of preparation.

TrekID: 79

Fuel

Whilst diesel fuel is readily available, travellers will find that standard unleaded fuel is not available anywhere on the Great Central Road between Laverton (WA) and Yulara (NT). Instead, you can obtain Opal, which is an alternative fuel developed to discourage petrol sniffing in remote indigenous communities. OPAL unleaded fuel is available at all roadhouses along the Great Central Road, namely Warburton, Warakurna (Giles), and Docker River.

Permits

Transit permits are a legal requirement for any transiting between Central & Western Australia. These can easily be obtained online. Permits give you 3 days (2 nights) to travel from Yulara to the WA/NT border and another 3 days (2 nights) from the border to Laverton (or vice versa). You do not need to print your permit, just have it available on your email/on your phone, so it can be displayed if required.

Who to Contact:-

Fuel Usage

Diesel and Opal Fuel available from Warburton, Warakurna, and Tjukayirla. Be aware that Warakurna operates on Central Time Zone not WA and fuel is only available during trading hours at all roadhouses (bowsers are locked).

Distances between Fuel Availability:
Yulara to Warakurna = 335km
Warakurna to Warburton = 228km
Warburton to Tjukayirla = 245km
Tjukayirla to Laverton = 304km

Diesel	ULP	LPG
4cyl 128 litres *	4cyl 184 litres	4cyl 227 litres
6cyl 148 litres *	6cyl 177 litres *	6cyl 159 litres *
8cyl 174 litres	8cyl 188 litres

Best Time To Visit

Whilst there is very little in the way of specific tourist attractions along this route visitors should try to go to the Giles Weather Station. Whilst they no longer offer tours, visitors are welcome to watch the twice-daily balloon release from outside the boundary fence. This occurs at Warakurna at 8.45am and 8.45pm daily (CST - Central Standard Time).

You should also try to visit one (or both) of the art galleries at Warakurna, and Warburton. Some of the best dot paintings in the nation have been produced by people in these communities so it's well worth dropping in to take a look.

There are many "gnamma" holes (rockholes) along this route - whilst they might just appear to be a hole in the ground, these were of great significance to the aboriginal people and early explorers as they provided a life saving water source. Stop to take a look at some.

Where to Stay

Whilst the 3 roadhouses (Warakurna, Warburton, and Tjukayirla) offer campgrounds with amenities and facilities, there are a number of rest areas, and bush camps where you might like to pull up a camp. Use the ExplorOz Traveller app during your travels so that you can locate these.

Services & Supplies

From east to west, the only services available between Yulara and Laverton are at the 3 roadhouses - Warakurna, Warburton, and Tjukayirla. All 3 offer campgrounds, amenities and a shop. There is no aboriginal community at Tjukayirla and consequently, the store here offers less food/supplies.

In addition, at Warburton and Tjukayirla you can access an air compressor and tyre changing equipment.

The following are links to Members' Blogs that contain the words Great Central Road. Creating Blogs is restricted to Members only. Not a Member? Join here.

Showing 28 blogs.