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Western Australia | Perth to Darwin Road Trip Itinerary

Overview

Duration
16 Days
Distance
4826
Start / End
/

Route - 4826

DayLocationDistanceDuration
01Perth to Cervantes2132 hours 40 minutes
02Cervantes to Geraldton2232 hours 25 minutes
03Geraldton to Monkey Mia4 hours 25 minutes
04Monkey Mia to Monkey Mia
05Monkey Mia to Carnarvon3523 hours 30 minutes
06Carnarvon to Exmouth3643 hours 45 minutes
07Exmouth to Karratha5495 hours 45 minutes
08Karratha to Port Hedland2302 hours 25 minutes
09Port Hedland to Broome6096 hours
10Broome to Broome
11Broome to Fitzroy Crossing3974 hours
12Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek2892 hours 55 minutes
13Halls Creek to Kununarra3583 hours 40 minutes
14Kununarra to Kununarra
15Kununarra to Katherine5155 hours 15 minutes
16Katherine to Darwin Apollo Branch3173 hours 10 minutes
Itinerary Trip Details Background

Trip Details

Day 1: Perth to Cervantes

Distance: 213km

Travel time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Pick up your

Apollo camper at our Perth branch

and get ready to head north. On the way to

Cervantes

take the slight detour to

The Pinnacles

. Formed approximately 25, 000 years ago when sea levels receded, today The Pinnacles stand as a popular tourist and photography enthusiasts attraction.

Day 2: Cervantes to Geraldton

Distance: 223kms

Travel time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Continue north today in the direction of

Geraldton

, the only city in Western Australia's Coral Coast and famous for great windsurfing conditions. While you're here be sure to visit the iconic red and white

Point Moore Lighthouse.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 3: Geraldton to Monkey Mia

Distance

: 432kms

Travel time: 4 hours 25 minutes

An exciting destination awaits you today -

Monkey Mia

! Enjoy the sunset this evening and get ready for an exciting wildlife experience tomorrow morning.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 4: Monkey Mia

Monkey Mia

is a famous Western Australia destination thanks to more than 40 years of wild dolphin encounters. Everyday at 7:45am, meet a ranger in front of the visitor centre and watch on as dolphins visit the beach until midday.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 5: Monkey Mia to Carnarvon

Distance: 352kms

Travel time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Say goodbye to the Monkey Mia dolphins and continue north to

Carnarvon

. We recommend including a visit to the

Quobba Blowholes

, found 75km north of Carnarvon. Here you can witness the ocean pushing into sea caves and up through narrow holes in the rocks to propell impressive jets of water into the air.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 6: Carnarvon to Exmouth

Distance: 364kms

Travel time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Exmouth

is calling! The gateway to the

Ningaloo Reef

, Exmouth has been a popular tourist destination for decades - and for good reason! Ningaloo Reef is Australia's largest fringing reef (yep, you can step right off the beach to the reef!) and over 50% of Indian Ocean species are found here! If you time your trip between March and July, there are even multiple opportunites to swim with whale sharks.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 7: Exmouth to Karratha

Distance: 549kms

Travel time: 5 hours 45 minutes

Say goodbye to the pearly white sand of Exmouth and hello to

Karratha!

After just under 6 hours on the road today, aquaint yourself with this town of just over 20,000 people with a trip up to

TV Hill Lookout

. Don't worry, there is no walking required to take in this view as you can drive right to the top!

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 8: Karratha to Port Hedland

Distance: 230kms

Travel time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Connecting the

Pilbara

and

Kimberley

regions of Western Australia, you'll find

Port Hedland

. Port Hedland is famous for being salty - in a good way. More than 3 million tonnes of salt is harvested at Port Hedland each year (making a tour to the salt mines a must do while in Port Hedland!). This town is also home to the world's largest bulk export port and boasts some of the world's largest ships.

Day 9: Port Hedland to Broome

Distance: 609kms

Travel time: 6 hours

Wave goodbye to the salt and the ships and say hello to

Broome

. Arrive before dark to experience another spectacular Western Australia sunset.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 10: Broome

Welcome to

Broome

, today is yours to explore! Whether you join a guided pearl farm tour or visit Australia's most remote brewery, make sure you finish your day with a sunset at the world famous

Cable Beach.

Operating 7 days a week, be sure to join a sunset camel ride across Cable Beach for an incredible, bucket-list experience.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 11: Broome to Fitzroy Crossing

Distance: 397kms

Travel time: 4 hours

Say goodbye to the Western Australia coast and head inland. Today's destination is

Fitzroy Crossing

, a true outback town. While you're here make sure to visit the nearby

Danggu Geikie Gorge

. If you are visiting between May and October, join a boat tour to gain a greater understanding of this historical area.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 12: Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek

Distance: 289kms

Travel time: 2 hours 55 minutes

The site of Western Australia's first gold discovery is the destination for today.

Halls Creek

, a small outback town with the population of less than 4,000 people. From here you can enjoy a scenic flight over the world heritage listed

Purnululu National Park

and experience the striking beehive like formations found no where else on Earth.

Day 13: Halls Creek to Kununarra

Distance: 358kms

Travel time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Your final day on the Great Northern Highway, enjoy the 3 hours and 40 minutes travel through remote Australia before arriving at

Kununarra.

Image: Instagram - @melissafindley

Day 14: Kununarra

Your final full day in Western Australia. While you're in Kununurra be sure to visit

Lake Argyle

, Australia's second largest man-made lake, several times larger than the Sydney Harbour.

Image: Tourism Western Australia

Day 15: Kununarra to Katherine

Distance: 515kms

Travel time: 5 hours 15 minutes

Leave Western Australia and cross into the Northern Territory. After the five and a bit hours on the road today, relax and unwind from the drive at the vibrant

Katherine Hot Springs

, just minutes away from the main street of Katherine.

Image: Lachlan Gardiner

Day 16: Katherine to Darwin Apollo Branch

Distance: 317kms

Travel time: 3 hours 10 minutes

The last day of one epic adventure. On your way to Darwin stop in at

Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park

for a relaxing swim before an easy drop off at the

Darwin Apollo Branch.

Image: Lachlan Gardiner