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Driving distances Outback

How far is my planned Outback tour?


Driving Distances Outback is the section to plan your Outback Australia travel experience. Hopefully, you'll find your answer here. If not, don't hesitate to ask me!

The Australian Outback is such a huge place, it is hard to make a decision where to go at all, right? But that is your homework, you have to decide where to go. However, I am here to help you with your planning.

road sign at the start of an Outback track
Road sign at the start of Borefield Road, Roxby Downs

Please note: driving distances given in the tables below are only approximately. Every time when I plan a trip to Australia I go crazy because diverse maps and sources always come up with different numbers.
Also, there are often several routes to choose from, hence the different numbers for distances betwees towns.



Most of the routes described on this page follow gravel roads. Conditions wary on these roads and tracks. So please get last minute information before you go and be well-prepared. Please check the Driving tips and individual track pages here in the Outback guide.

Adelaide to Marla via Oodnadatta Track (OT)

My favourite route! The distances in the chart are calculated without the detour to Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Ranges. When you go to Wilpena, you can continue to Blinman and through Parachilna Gorge to return to the Hawker - Leigh Creek main road.

Total distance: 1290 km
Driving time: 20 hours
Time required: 3 - 4 days minimum

KM From / To Adelaide Hawker Wilpena Leigh Creek Marree Oodnadatta Marla
Adelaide --- 396 451 551 669 1078 1290
Hawker 396 --- 55 155 273 681 893
Wilpena 451 55 --- 160 278 687 898
Leigh Creek 551 155 160 --- 118 527 738
Marree 669 273 278 118 --- 409 621
Oodnadatta 1078 681 687 527 409 --- 212
Marla 1290 893 898 738 621 212 ---


Highways used:

  • Princes Hwy out of Adelaide to Crystal Brook
  • Join the Main North Road at Laura, continue northbound via Melrose, Wilmington and Quorn to Hawker
  • Barndioota Road to Marree
  • Oodnadatta Track to Marla

When you finally arrive in Marla, you can go to Alice Springs (454km), Uluru / Ayers Rock resort (500km) or return to Adelaide via the Stuart Hwy (1077km)

Attractions along the way

  • Flinders Ranges
  • Historic Railway sites, Mound Springs along the Oodnadatta Track, unique Outback towns
  • Lake Eyre

Birdsville Track & the far west of Queensland

The second chart covers South Australia's north-east, and Queensland's far west. Now you are going along the Birdsville Track into Outback Queensland.
Once you arrive in Birdsville coming from the south, the question is "where to go next?" This table and the third one below give you many suggestions.

KM From / To Marree Mungerannie Birdsville Bedourie Boulia Mount Isa Windorah
Marree --- 202 517 701 895 1205 888
Mungerannie 202 --- 315 502 696 996 689
Birdsville 517 315 --- 193 387 687 380
Bedourie 701 502 193 --- 194 499 411
Boulia 895 696 387 194 --- 304 605
Mount Isa 1205 996 687 499 304 --- 890
Windorah 888 689 380 411 605 890 ---


Highways used:

  • Birdsville Track starting in Marree
  • Birdsville & Diamantina Developmental Roads to Windorah
  • Eyre & Diamantina Developmental Roads north of Birdsville up to Mount Isa

Attractions & more info

Matilda Highway & its Byways

This third chart of driving distances in the Outback covers the Matilda highway and its byways in Outback Queensland. Cloncurry, Winton and Longreach are the major towns along this route. Yes, it is a long way from Brisbane and the coast!

KM From / To Brisbane Birdsville Cloncurry Longreach Mount Isa Windorah Winton
Brisbane --- 1577 1691 1172 1808 1197 1348
Birdsville 1577 --- 803 691 686 380 745
Cloncurry 1691 803 --- 519 117 830 343
Longreach 1172 691 519 --- 636 311 176
Mt. Isa 1808 686 117 636 --- 904 460
Windorah 1197 380 830 311 904 --- 487
Winton 1348 745 343 176 460 487 ---


Highways used:

  • Matilda Highway from Cunnamulla to Cloncurry
  • Thomson Developmental Roads Longreach to Windorah
  • Kennedy Developmental Roads Winton to Boulia

Attractions & more info

aroona dam surrounded by rugged hills
Aroona Dam near Leigh Creek

lonely road in south australia
Lyndhurst to Marree Road

old hotel in the outback
Marree Hotel

oodnadatta track
OT near Borefield Rd junction

lake Harry ruins
Lake Harry ruins, Birdsville Track

outback hotel
The famous pub in Birdsville

sand dunes
Sand dunes near Bedourie

airport entrance in longreach
Airport in Longreach

For more information on driving in the Australian Outback check the following pages.

Copyright © 2007- Rita Amend.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED