Tanami Track

Stretching over 1,000 kilometres from Alice Springs to the Kimberley in Western Australia, the Tanami Track is one of Australia’s most remote and challenging outback drives. This legendary 4WD route traverses the Tanami Desert, offering a raw, unfiltered encounter with the red centre’s vastness, ancient landscapes, and rich Indigenous culture. Travellers here trade sealed roads for bulldust, corrugations, and star-filled skies, rewarded with a profound sense of isolation and the thrill of true adventure.

Highlights & What to See

• The Tanami Desert’s stark beauty: Endless red sand dunes, spinifex plains, and desert oaks create a mesmerising, ever-changing panorama. The silence is almost palpable.
• Wolf Creek Crater: A near-perfect meteorite impact crater 880 metres across, accessible via a short walk. Its tilted rim offers a surreal, otherworldly vista.
• Indigenous rock art and cultural sites: The track passes through Warlpiri and Kukatja country. At sites like the Granites and The Olgas (not to be confused with Kata Tjuta), you can find ancient ochre handprints and engravings.
• Wildlife encounters: Keep an eye out for red kangaroos, dingoes, wedge-tailed eagles, and, after rain, carpets of wildflowers and birdlife around ephemeral lakes.
• Remote roadhouses and communities: Stops like Tilmouth Well, Yuendumu, and Rabbit Flat (the most remote pub in Australia) offer fuel, supplies, and a taste of outback hospitality.

Suggested Time to Spend

Allow a minimum of 4–5 days to drive the full Tanami Track in a high-clearance 4WD. Most travellers break the journey into three or four overnight stops, camping at designated roadside sites or basic bush camps. The drive is slow going – expect average speeds of 40–60 km/h – so factor in extra time for punctures, exploring side tracks, and simply soaking up the solitude. If you’re short on time, consider driving just the Alice Springs–Rabbit Flat section as a 2–3 day return trip.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Alice Springs: The gateway to the Tanami, where you can stock up on supplies, check road conditions, and explore the West MacDonnell Ranges
• Kings Canyon & Watarrka National Park: A 3-hour drive from Alice Springs, offering dramatic sandstone cliffs and the iconic Rim Walk
• Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: A detour south from the Tanami’s start gives you the world-famous monolith and domes, best visited at sunrise or sunset
• Lake Mackay: The remote salt lake straddling the NT-WA border, accessible via a challenging 4WD track – for experienced adventurers only
• Bungle Bungle Range (Purnululu National Park): In Western Australia’s Kimberley, reachable after completing the Tanami via Halls Creek or Kununurra

Please check official sources for current details.