No worries!! Enjoy your trip 😀

Great! thanks so much.

Hi Steve! So glad you’re taking more time than 7 days! It CAN be done in that short time, but I recommend taking a LOT longer to see everything! I have a post about things to do in Darwin (Go HERE: https://www.redzaustralia.com/2015/05/top-10-things-to-do-in-darwin/) – we stayed about 2 weeks at Howard Springs on the outskirts of Darwin with day trips to out of town attractions and generally exploring the area. On the way up we spent a few days staying at Litchfield township and explored the National Park and around that area. After Darwin we returned via Mary River (2 or 3 nights) and Kakadu (4 or 5 nights). Of course it depends what you like doing – we are into the natural and outdoor attractions. If you have the time, I’d also recommend a side trip from Katherine out to the Victoria River Roadhouse (Go HERE: https://www.redzaustralia.com/2012/11/the-5-experiences-in-24-hours-victoria-river-roadhouse-action-plan/) and the Timber Creek Crocodile Cruise (Go HERE: https://www.redzaustralia.com/2015/02/cruising-with-crocodiles-on-australias-wildest-river/). Enjoy – I’m so jealous 😀

How exciting, Kay! I hope your trip goes well!! There are quite a few caravan parks and campgrounds on this route and as I’m not sure how far you want to travel in one day, and what you’re hoping to see, I’m including a couple of links you might find useful. This one has a list of Caravan/Camping Grounds in different regions in the NT (https://northernterritory.com/plan/accommodation). This one is the official NT Caravan Park Guide by region (http://www.ntcaravanpark.com.au/regions). And this one is free/low cost campsites around Australia (http://www.freecampingaustralia.com.au/). There are also a number of camping apps that might be useful like this one from Explore Australia (http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/Bookshop/Guides/Apps/Camping-around-Australia-app) or this one from Camps Australia (http://www.campsaustraliawide.com/shop/camps-app/). There’s also the most popular app – Wikicamps (https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/wikicamps-australia/id505365608?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4).

You’ll find that most roadhouses and small settlements have a campground. Many of these have drive through sites but if that is essential, it is best to check and perhaps book one beforehand. For the record, I’m listing the places we’ve stayed at that had drive-through sites when we have travelled this route at different times: Woomera Caravan Park (SA); Oasis Tourist Park Coober Pedy (SA); Cadney Park Roadhouse (SA); Marla Roadhouse (SA – not all sites are drive through); Stuarts Well Roadhouse (NT); Wycliffe Well (NT); Renner Springs (NT – haven’t stayed here yet, but pretty sure it’s got drive-thru); Dunmarra Roadhouse (NT); Bitter Springs Cabins & Camping (NT). But there are a LOT more we haven’t stayed at – so check what you want to see; then check out what’s in the area and take it from there! Good luck!!

Hi Samantha! This is one of Australia’s great road trips – but make sure you leave enough time. It CAN be done in the times I suggest, but you’ll spend an awful lot of time on the road with very few breaks. I would suggest taking a couple of weeks if you can because you might want to spend more time at some places, like Uluru and Alice Springs, for example. And the pace of driving a few hundred km every day can be exhausting. The roads are sealed all the way so unless you’re planning a detour onto the dirt or somewhere you’ll need high clearance (like off road river crossings), you shouldn’t need a 4WD – perhaps check road conditions online or with the RAA/vehicle hire company before you hire the car just in case something’s changed. We did the trip in Subaru Forester AWD but we didn’t engage the 4WD at all during the trip. Yes, it CAN be expensive staying in motels/cabins – one alternative is to take a tent or even swags (borrow from friends?) and spend some of the nights camping. There are free camps at various places along the way. Some roadhouses also have budget on site accommodation – usually a smaller room with more basic facilities (sometimes bunk beds) and shared bathroom, but you won’t be spending much time in the room, right?! For example, Cadney Homestead (northern SA) has motel rooms from $110 minimum, but budget cabins starting from $52 according to the website I looked at – not all budget accommodation is this inexpensive, but take it where you can. Another eg is Stuarts Well near Alice Springs – a cabin is from $105 pn; a budget twin or bunk room is from $30 pp pn. You’ll also see a BIG difference in site fees and cabin costs at caravan parks – if you can swag or tent, you’ll save a LOT. You don’t have to stay in the places I suggest – sometimes it’ll be cheaper to stay outside the major towns so familiarise yourself with the route, and shop around before you go to get the best prices. I hope this helps! Good luck, and ENJOY!

Hi Shirl! I hope you have an awesome trip!! You shouldn’t have trouble finding cabin/motel accommodation in most of the places I’ve stayed at, but I would recommend booking, or at least checking ahead first because it’ll still be the tourist season and pretty busy. You might find tour groups have booked out a whole motel, for example, so it’s wise to at least check in advance – I recommend googling the place you want to stay for the most up to date information. There IS above ground accommodation in Coober Pedy – I’ve stayed in a cabin at one of the caravan parks. Enjoy your trip!