Melbourne To Uluru To Townsville

by Justin Mc Loughlin
(Perth)

Hey,

We are two travellers who hope to travel from Melbourne to Uluru via the Stuart Highway on to Alice Springs to Townsville. We have a stop planned in Adelaide after that were still deciding.
We realise its a huge loop in Australia's outback covering a lot of ground and we hope to do it in about 7 to ten days. We've looked into several stops picking the most interesting and still can't make our minds up.

Any tips on towns, rest stops you would recommend that are safe and on the Stuart highway would be a huge help, and any safety tips you have(places to avoid if any etc.) as all is unfamiliar ground.

We plan to be well prepared in a well stocked campervan not 4wd, and will contact the official Stuart website for the road conditions. Our impressions is that the stops are tourist/family orientated.

Any pointers greatly appreciated!
Justin

Hi Justin,

Well, that's a huge drive, about 4800 km. But you'll get to see a good part of the Australian Outback. I would highly recommend you take at least ten days, if not longer. Otherwise, you won't have much time for sightseeing at all.

Check out the Stuart Highway page for places of interest and where to stay.
This page has also a lot of info with tips from readers about the best places to stop between Adelaide and Alice.

I would say you need to visit Coober Pedy, the opal town is a unique place.
The Uluru Tours page has tips what you can do there, even if you don't want to book a tour.
The route from Alice Springs to Townsville has long stretches of driving, especially on the Barkly Highway. If you are interested in the history of the Flying Doctors and the Outback, visit John Flynn's Place and the airport in Cloncurry.

Road conditions won't be much of a problem, all highways are sealed. Monsoons can cause some problems in northern Queensland, but they should be past that by now. Problems arise usually from November to March.

Places to avoid? I can't think of any. Just use common sense, and you'll be fine.

Have a fun and safe trip.

Rita

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