Australia is one of the best travel destinations in th world with so many world famous tourist attractions and also scenic routes to drive.
Most people tend to visit the main cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and do an East Coast adventure, but if you really want to discover more of the country, and a region unspoiled by tourism, you really need to explore Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
One of the world’s last remaining wilderness regions, Western Australia should be high on any adventurer’s bucket list. With beaches to rival the East Coast but no people to get in the way of your sun, swathes of untouched land to explore and tumbling waterfalls to gaze at lovingly in the desert sunset, there is simply no reason not to start planning your trip immediately.
In this blog I’ll take a closer look at the route from Broome to Darwin and pick out some of the highlights of this incredible land. Walking boots at the ready…
How far is Darwin from Broome and the Best Way to Travel?
The route from Broome to Darwin is around 1,870 km and takes around 20 hours to complete. An ideal amount of days to enjoy a relaxing trip in a non-rushed pace with sightseeing is 7-10 days.
There are two routes you can take:
• Highways Direct Route – 1,870 km 20 hours
• Scenic Route – The National Parks Detour 2,200 km 23 hours 30 minutes
You could rent a car (if you don’t own one), hire or buy a camper van, or book a tour. Each has advantages and disadvantages, go by yourself and you’ll get the freedom to go where you want when you want. But driving this long distance can be tiring, and if you are travelling solo, or just not keen to be exhausted on the road, going via organised tour can be fun.
Itinerary
These are some of the essential places to stop along the route:
Broome
Before you leave for your epic road trip, take some time to explore Broome and experience the beautiful coastline. It’s well worth exploring off the beaten track here, but if you’re after the “quintessential” Broome experience Cable beach is the most famous stretch of sand. Do be aware though, the north area up to Willie Creek (snigger) is a nudist beach, so only head over that side if the clothes optional rules don’t worry you.
Day 1: Drive from Broome to Tunnel Creek
Day 2: Windjana Gorge
Named after the Aboriginal term for the powerful creation spirits that are said to reside here, Windjana is a beautiful spot for camping, hiking and generally being awed by the outback. Be sure to time your visit here to coincide with the dry season as “The Wet” (the typically understated Aussie phrase for the rains that cut off huge swathes of WA for weeks at a time) makes the park inaccessible.
Day 3: Bell Gorge / Mt Barnett / Manning Gorge / Mt Barnett
Day 4: Gibb River Road
This drive requires a 4×4, some wilderness know-how and guts! It’s a dirt track journey through 660km of Kimberly National Park past with some great bush walks, wild swimming opportunities and the chance to experience life on a working cattle station.
Day 5: El Questro Station
Day 6: Bungle Bungles
SO much more than an awesome name (but just take a moment to think about how awesome it would be to say you spent the night in the Bungle Bungles), travelling around this geological landmark is a unique wilderness experience. Though there are camp sites, there are no real facilities and you’ll need to carry food and water with you. The other option is to join an organised trip from Broome so you can spend less time planning, more time enjoying the endless stars.
Day 7: Lake Argyle
You may well be surprised to find a massive lake in the middle of the WA desert, but Lake Argyle is actually artificial and was created as part of an irrigation scheme because, as we’ve already mentioned, Western Australia gets pretty dry!
Its “unnatural” origins don’t affect the beauty of the site though (it even has fish and crocs now) and boat cruises, scenic flights, canoeing and watersports are all options to pass the time.
Day 8: Katherine
Katherine is your last big town stop before reaching Darwin.
Day 9: Kakadu National Park
The Kakadu National Park is a bit of a detour, as you could just drive north from Katherine to arrive in Darwin. But if you are in the area you really need to visit this spectacular park.
Day 10: Darwin
Arrive in Darwin, finally, after this epic road trip. View my guide to Darwin and go discover this underrated city for yourself.
Thinking it’s time you explored more of Australia? View my 4 week Aussie road trip to take in more highlights of the country. Or check out my Australia travel tips with info about cheap flights, adventure tours, self drives and even working holiday visas! You know, if you just can’t get enough.
