The Great Central Road is more than Australia’s longest shortcut. This mostly unsealed road is 1126km long and connects Yulara, NT, to Laverton, WA.
Permits are required to travel on this road and to view certain sites, but the effort involved is more than worth it.
There are any number of reasons to take this road, but here are my top five.
1. ULURU AND KATA TJUTA
From the west or the east, you get to see the magnificent Uluru and Kata Tjuta. You really don’t need any more reason than that, but here are four more…
2. GILES WEATHER STATION
The Giles Weather Station is on the outskirts of the community of Warakurna. If you arrive in the morning, around 8am, you can watch the weather station’s balloon launch, which occurs ever morning.
The station is also a great place to learn about Len Beadell, the man who constructed most of the roads and tracks in the Gibson and Great Victoria deserts.
3. LASSETER’S CAVE
It is rumoured that Lewis Hubert Lasseter had once seen a reef of gold in the area, a claim first described in 1929. So, during the Great Depression, he returned to find it. The cave which is located just off Tjukaruru Road at an elevation of 662m above seal level (giving it one of the highest entrances in the Northern Territory), is said to be where Lasseter spent his last days before perishing.
4. BUNGULBIDDY
Bungulbiddy is a gorge with a permanent waterhole and rock art. It’s around 20km off the Great Central – head north-west on the Sandy Blight Junction Road. The turn-off to the Sandy Blight Junction Road is a small blue signpost saying Tjukurla. There are no directions after this.
You will see the gorge on your left. Drive slowly and you will see a track to your left that will take you to a small camp area. From here, it’s a short walk to the waterhole.
Bungulbiddy is not a sacred sight and is open to the public. Ask at Docker River for more information
5. EMPRESS SPRINGS
Empress Springs is 60km north along the David Carnegie Road, which intersects the Great Central Road. The springs are in a cave and you enter via a chain ladder. There is not always water in the springs but it’s nonetheless well worth the drive. You can also camp here.
