Stuart Highway

A long-distance outback highway that links Australia’s Top End with the southern states, built for big days behind the wheel.

Time to Drive: Most travellers allow 3-7 days depending on how long you stop in key centres like Katherine and Alice Springs. The full route is 2,720 km between Darwin and Port Augusta.

Best Time to Go: The most comfortable conditions are typically in the cooler, drier months. Heat can be intense in the interior; check local advice and road reports before committing to long daytime runs.

Getting there: Start from Darwin in the north or Port Augusta in the south, both on major highways. Most international visitors fly into Darwin or Adelaide and hire a vehicle there.

Costs: Budget mainly for fuel, food and accommodation in towns and roadhouses. Distances are large and services are spaced at “reasonable intervals” (often around 200 km), so plan fuel stops rather than chasing the cheapest price.

Road conditions: The route is fully sealed (completed February 1987). There are long, remote sections with limited services and little routine police presence outside towns in the Northern Territory, so self-sufficiency and conservative driving matter.

The Stuart Highway is Australia’s principal north-south route through the central interior of the mainland, running from Darwin (in the Northern Territory) via Katherine, Daly Waters, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs to Port Augusta (in South Australia). Many Australians simply call it “The Track”.

It is named after Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart, the first European to cross Australia from south to north. The modern highway broadly approximates the route he took, and later the Australian Overland Telegraph Line was constructed along similar country in 1871-1872.

Today, the drive is defined by huge distances, roadhouses and rest stops, and a sense of travelling through the spine of the continent. The highway also has specially prepared sections signed for emergency aircraft landings used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service when the road has been closed by police.

• Darwin to Katherine (via Howard Springs) (317 km) - Leave the Darwin CBD and head south past Howard Springs; this is one of the busier, more developed parts of the route before the road opens out. Katherine is a practical first overnight with full services.
• Katherine to Daly Waters (distance varies by stops) - The highway pushes deeper into the Northern Territory as traffic thins and road-train country begins. Breaks are easy to manage with roadhouses and rest stops spaced along the way.
• Daly Waters to Tennant Creek (673 km) - At Daly Waters the route number changes from A1 to A87, and the drive becomes a classic long outback haul. You pass junctions such as the Carpentaria Highway and Buchanan Highway before reaching Tennant Creek.
• Tennant Creek to Alice Springs (508 km) - A big, straight run south toward the Red Centre, with the Plenty Highway junction along the way. Alice Springs is the major resupply and rest point for many drivers.
• Alice Springs to the MacDonnell Ranges and Kulgera (distance varies) - South of Alice Springs the highway passes through the MacDonnell Ranges before continuing toward the NT-SA border. Plan this section around daylight driving and regular breaks.
• Northern Territory border to the Woomera Prohibited Area (distance varies) - Enter South Australia and the Far North; conditions can feel even more remote, despite the sealed road. The highway passes through the Woomera Prohibited Area, where travellers may not leave the road.
• Woomera Prohibited Area to Port Augusta (distance varies) - The last major leg continues south to Port Augusta, where the route links neatly into the wider South Australian road network and onward travel toward Adelaide.

Because the route crosses tropical and arid zones, conditions change a lot through the year. Many drivers aim for the cooler months to reduce heat stress in the interior and make roadside stops more comfortable.

Hazards are mainly distance and exposure rather than difficult driving: fatigue, heat, wildlife on the road, and long gaps between towns. Check current road conditions and local warnings, and avoid pushing on at dusk and night when animal strikes are more likely.

Most international travellers begin by flying into Darwin (for a north to south drive) or Adelaide (then driving to Port Augusta to start south to north). Both ends are on major routes, and one-way car hires are common in Australia, though fees and availability vary by season and vehicle type.

North to south is a straightforward way to see the country shift from tropical to arid and then back toward more temperate regions. South to north works just as well if you are tying the drive into a South Australia itinerary and finishing in Darwin.

The Stuart Highway is a public road; note that where it passes through the Woomera Prohibited Area travellers may not leave the road - check local authorities for any other access or permit requirements. The key exception to be aware of is that the highway passes through the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia where travellers may not leave the road.

The road is sealed, but treat it as a remote drive: carry water, keep your fuel above a conservative buffer, and plan stops around the “reasonable intervals” of facilities (often around 200 km). Speed limits are posted: outside built-up areas the Northern Territory section is generally set at 130 km/h, while the South Australia section is signposted as 110 km/h outside built-up regions between Port Augusta and the NT border.

For conventional accommodation and services, most people overnight in established centres on the route such as Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Port Augusta. These towns are also where you will find the most choice for repairs, supplies and medical services.

In between, roadhouses and remote stops can provide basic rooms and facilities, and there are frequent rest stops for short breaks. If you are travelling in peak periods or want specific room types, book ahead for the major towns, as options are more limited once you are away from the cities.