Skip to main content
Girl looking out from hot air balloon basket at another hot air balloon in the distance

Outback Way

The Outback Way travelling through the Red Centre region is a great four-wheel driving adventure with legendary landscapes, bold colours and impressive night skies.

The Outback Way is Australia’s longest shortcut and is an adventure you’ll never forget. The drive is made up of seven inter-connecting roads that take you from Laverton, Western Australia, through to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and finishes in Winton, Queensland.

The track cuts right through the middle of Australia covering a total of 2,800 kilometres. You will need a four-wheel-drive to complete this track as you mainly travel along unsealed roads. This route almost halves the trip time if you were to travel via sealed roads…who doesn’t love a shortcut?

The Outback Way passes through many different types of climates, landscapes and Australian scenery – so make sure you have your camera ready!

Outback Way top 5

  1. Fossick for gems at Gemtree
  2. Try a bush tucker tour in Alice Springs to sample local Indigenous foods
  3. Take a camel ride at sunset to witness the beauty of Uluru and Kata Tjuta
  4. Enjoy a dinner under the stars with Uluru as the backdrop at the Sounds of Silence dinner
  5. Take a side trip from Alice Springs and explore the outback waterholes and hiking trails of Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park

Remember to plan your trip with these road safety tips before starting your Northern Territory drive adventure.

Suggested itinerary

Day

Destination

Distance

Day 1

Winton to Boulia

370km

Day 2

Boulia to Jervois Station

470km

Day 3

Jervois Station to Alice Springs

350km

Day 4

Alice Springs


Day 5

Alice Springs to Uluru

445km

Day 6

Uluru and Kata Tjuta


Day 7

Uluru to Warburton

560km

Day 8

Warburton to Laverton

565km

Outback Way highlights

Drive routes in the NT

Sunrise_over_Katherine_Gorge.jpg

Subscribe

Sign up to receive the latest news, deals and travel information about the Northern Territory. Data privacy