Your Outback Trip

Best Months

Winter June through August is when southeastern Australia (where most of the population lives) is sniffling through rainy and cloudy winter days, and the outback comes into its own. Rain isn't unheard of in central Australia – in fact there's been a hell of a lot of it over recent years – but clear skies, moderate daytime temperatures, cold nights and good driving conditions are the norm. Winter is also the best time to visit the tropical Top End, with low humidity, dry days and mild temperatures.

Spring September and October is springtime – and prime time to head into the outback, especially if you're into wildflowers. The MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs and the Flinders Ranges in northern South Australia (SA) erupt with colourful blooms, all the more dazzling in contrast with red-orange desert sands.

Avoid

Summer Central Australia heats up over summer (December through February) – temperatures approaching 50°C have been recorded in some desert towns – but that's just part of the picture. With the heat comes dusty roads, overheating cars, driver fatigue, irritating flies and the need to carry extra water everywhere you go. In the Top End the build-up to the Wet season is uncomfortably humid, and the eventual monsoon can see many a road cut and dirt roads made impassable for weeks at a time.

The Red Centre: Alice Springs, Uluru & Watarrka (Kings Canyon)

From Alice Springs it's a six-hour drive to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The Alice is a surprising oasis: big enough to have some great places to eat and stay, as well as some social problems. Uluru is to tourists what half a watermelon is to ants at a picnic: people from all over the globe swarm to and from this monolith at all times of the day. But it's still a remarkable find. The local Anangu people would prefer that you didn't climb it. Watarrka (Kings Canyon), about 300km north of Uluru, is a spectacular chasm carved into the rugged landscape.

The Stuart Highway: Adelaide to Darwin

In either direction, from the north or south, the Stuart Hwy is one of Australia's greatest road trips: 3020km of red desert sand, flat scrubland and galloping roadside emus. Heading north, make sure you stop at spookily pock-marked Coober Pedy − the opal-mining capital of the world − and detour to Uluru on your way to the Alice. Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park is also en route, a photogenic series of sheer rocky gorges and waterholes. Kakadu National Park is next, with World Heritage listed tropical wetlands. When you get to Darwin, reward yourself with a cold beer and some nocturnal high jinks on Mitchell St.

The Tropics: Darwin, Kakadu & Katherine

The outback in the tropical Top End is a different experience to the deserts further south. Here, the wet and dry seasons determine how easy it is to get from A to B. In the Wet, roads become impassable and crocodiles move freely through the wetlands. But before you cancel your plans, this is also a time of abundance and great natural beauty in the national parks – plus Kakadu resorts approach half-price! Darwin isn't technically in the outback, but it still feels like a frontier town, especially in the Dry when backpackers from around the world fill the bars and Mindil Beach market. Katherine, three hours to the south, is much more 'country', and the jumping-off point for the astonishing Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park.

The Victoria Highway: Katherine to the Kimberley

The Victoria Hwy is a significant section of the epic Savannah Way from Cairns to Broome, the classic 'across-the-top' route. Leaving Katherine it winds through cattle country, where farms can be as big as small European countries. There are 4WD and hiking opportunities aplenty, plus outback camp sites, rock art galleries, national parks, red gorges and crocodiles. This region also boasts some of the Top End's best barramundi fishing. The immense Gregory National Park, a former cattle station is best explored with 4WD, although in the Dry a 2WD will get you into most of the historic sites, camp sites and Keep River National Park near the border with Western Australia.

Cape York

Another remote part of Australia's outback that few people visit is Cape York in Queensland – as far north as you can go without bumping into the Torres Strait Islands (the archipelago between Australia and Papua New Guinea). Heading north from Cairns, the landscape changes to tropical savannah: vast grasslands threaded with river systems, flowing into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Like in the Top End, the Wet and the Dry transform the scenery here. Most travellers find their way to Cairns and Port Douglas further south, but venture north along the Mulligan Hwy to explore remote national parks, Indigenous communities and mining towns.

Birdsville Track

Spanning 517km from Marree in SA to Birdsville just across the border of Queensland, this old droving trail is one of Australia's best-known outback routes – although it's not known for spectacular and varying scenery. It's often feasible to travel it in a well-prepared, conventional vehicle but not recommended. Don't miss a beer at the Birdsville Hotel!

Canning Stock Route

This old 2006km cattle-droving trail runs southwest from Halls Creek to Wiluna in WA. The route crosses the Great Sandy Desert and Gibson Desert and, since the track is entirely unmaintained, it's a route to be taken very seriously. You should travel only in a well-equipped 4WD party of at least three vehicles, equipped with high-frequency (HF) radio or emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). Nobody does this trip in summer.

From Wiluna, the 1000km Gunbarrel Hwy runs to Warakurna near the NT border (where it joins the Outback Way). Again, 4WDs only, with water and fuel for the entire journey.

Finke & Old Andado Tracks

The Finke Track (the first part of which is the Old South Rd) follows the route of the old Ghan railway (long since dismantled) between Alice Springs and the Aboriginal settlement of Finke (Aputula). Along the way you can call into Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve to view the colourful sandstone tower. From Finke the road heads east along the Goyder Creek, a tributary of the Finke River, before turning north towards Andado Station and, 18km further, the homestead. At Old Andado the track swings north for the 321km trip to Alice. The Old Andado Track winds its way through the Simpson Desert to link the Old Andado Homestead with Alice Springs. On the way you pass the Mac Clark Conservation Reserve, which protects a stand of rare waddy trees. A high-clearance 4WD is definitely recommended and you should be equipped with high-frequency (HF) radio or emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB).

Gibb River Road

This short cut between Derby and Kununurra runs through the heart of the spectacular Kimberley in northern WA − it's approximately 660km, compared with about 920km via Hwy 1. The going is much slower, but the surroundings are so beautiful you'll probably find yourself lingering anyway. Although badly corrugated in places, it can usually be negotiated by conventional vehicles in the Dry (May to October) without too much difficulty; it's impassable in the Wet.

Nathan River Road

This road, which resembles a farm track in parts, is a scenic section of the Savannah Way, a cobbled-together route which winds all the way from Cairns to Broome. This particular section traverses some remote country along the western edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria between Roper Bar and Borroloola, much of it protected within Limmen National Park. A high-clearance vehicle is a must and carrying two spare tyres is recommended because of the frequent sharp rocks. Excellent camping beside barramundi- and crocodile-filled streams and waterholes is the main attraction here.

Oodnadatta Track

Mostly running parallel to the old Ghan railway line through outback SA, this iconic track is fully bypassed by the sealed Stuart Hwy to the west. Using this track, it's 429km from Marree to Oodnadatta, then another 216km to the Stuart Hwy at Marla. As long as there is no rain, any well-prepared conventional vehicle should be able to manage this fascinating route, but a 4WD will do it in style.

Outback Way

This route runs west from Uluru to Laverton in WA, from where you can drive down to Kalgoorlie and on to Perth. The road is well maintained and is normally OK for conventional vehicles, but it's pretty remote. It passes through Aboriginal land, for which travel permits must be obtained in advance; contact the WA Department of Aborignal Affairs for details (www.daa.wa.gov.au). It's almost 1500km from Yulara (the town nearest Uluru) to Kalgoorlie. For 300km, from near the Giles Meteorological Station, this road and the Gunbarrel Hwy run on the same route. Taking the old Gunbarrel (to the north of Warburton) to Wiluna in WA is a much rougher trip, requiring a 4WD.

Plenty & Sandover Highways

These remote routes run east from the Stuart Hwy, north of Alice Springs, to Boulia or Mt Isa in Queensland. The Plenty Highway skirts the northern fringe of the Simpson Desert and offers the chance of gem fossicking in the Harts Range. The Sandover Hwy offers a memorable if monotonous experience in remote touring. It is a novelty to see another vehicle. Both roads are not to be taken lightly; they are often very rough going with little water and with sections that are very infrequently used. Signs of human habitation are rare and facilities are few and far between.

Red Centre Way & Mereenie Loop Road

Starting in Alice Springs this well-used track is an alternative route to the big attractions of the Red Centre. The route initially follows the sealed Larapinta and Namatjira Drives skirting the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges to Glen Helen Gorge. Beyond Glen Helen the route meets the Mereenie Loop Rd. This is where things get interesting. The Mereenie Loop Rd requires a permit ($5) and is usually so heavily corrugated that it will rattle a conventional 2WD until it finds its weak spot. This is the rugged short cut to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park; from Watarrka the sealed Luritja Rd connects to the Lasseter Highway and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Simpson Desert

The route crossing the Simpson Desert from Mt Dare, near Finke, to Birdsville is a real test of both driver and vehicle. A 4WD is definitely required on the unmaintained tracks and you should be in a party of at least three vehicles equipped with sat phones, HF radio and/or EPIRB.

Strzelecki Track

This track covers much of the same territory through SA as the Birdsville Track. Starting south of Marree at Lyndhurst, it reaches Innamincka 460km northeast and close to the Queensland border. It was at Innamincka that the hapless explorers Burke and Wills died. A 4WD is a safe bet, even though this route has been much improved due to work on the Moomba gas fields.

Tanami Track

Turning off the Stuart Hwy just north of Alice Springs, this 1000km route runs northwest across the Tanami Desert to Halls Creek in WA. The road has received extensive work so conventional vehicles are often OK, although there are sandy stretches on the WA side and it can be very corrugated if it hasn't been graded recently. Get advice on road conditions in Alice Springs.