Check your tyres and get the GPS ready. Hit top gear on the ultimate DIY driving adventure in Tennant Creek, the Territory’s ‘Heart of Gold’.
Head out across vast tablelands, past scenic gum trees and red sandstone, and up onto rocky ridges for the self drive experience of a lifetime.
Hit the highway
The Explorers way (Stuart Highway) is the transport lifeline of the Territory. North leads you past Kunjarra (the Pebbles) and through grasslands and Savannah woodland. The scenic Elliott and Newcastle Waters Discovery Trail branches off the highway in a network of roads, some accessible only by 4WD.
Pay a visit to Banka Banka cattle station or continue to Daly Waters for the quintessential outback pub experience. South leads to the extraordinary Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles), enormous granite boulders arranged precariously through the valley.
Self-drive touring around Tennant Creek
Off the beaten track
Test your 4WDing skills in rugged Davenport Range National Park. You’ll find plenty of tracks to challenge and excite. Wind your way through to the Old Police Station Waterhole along the 17km loop track. The rocky ridgeline trail affords incredible views across the changing colours of the land below.
Bed down for the night at a picturesque camping spot and keep touring the next day. Sharpen up your off-roading skills on the Binns Track, the Territory’s newest 4WD route. Taking in reserves and national parks, and linking the Davenport Ranges to Karlu Karlu, this track can be demanding and is ideal for experienced 4WDers.
Drive safely
Remember, this is vast country. It can be hundreds of kilometres between water and petrol stops. Plan your stops, take rest breaks. Take care when passing road trains, which can be up to 50m in length. Avoid driving after dark when cattle and wildlife are active.
