The Great Central Road starts in Laverton, Goldfields, WA and stretches for 1126km. It ends in Yulara, NT, although it changes its name to Tjukaruru Road once you pass the NT border. The Great Central Road is also part of the Outback Way. This is the iconic route that connects the west and the east of Australia through the center.
Road conditions
We found the Great Central Road generally in good condition. It is a mix of some badly corrugated road (relatively small sections), graded gravel road and some sealed sections. The sealed sections are at the beginning, end and also around the roadhouses.
It is all going to change in a few years when the road is going to be fully sealed. We took the opportunity to travel it while it is still unsealed to have this unique outback experience.
3 permits are needed to travel on the Great Central Road, as it passes through several Aboriginal lands. The permits are free and can be obtained online a few days before travel.
Camping on Great Central Road
There are a number of camping spots along the Great Central Road. These include roadhouse campgrounds (paid), as well as free camping.
Giles Breakaway
This is the first camping spot on the Great Central Road after Laverton. Beautiful scenery (probably even better during sunset or sunrise). As the timing was wrong for us, we only stopped for a few minutes before continuing our journey. There were a few people camping and some resting, so the place looked pretty busy. There are no facilities but the place has some shade. Giles Breakaway is 55km east of Laverton.
1 night camping (7 July 2025)
For our first night on the Great Central Road we camped at the parking bay between Laverton and Tjukayirla Roadhouse. Despite being close to the road, it was actually a very quiet place. Not a single vehicle passed by during the night. The quietness and stillness of the Great Victoria Desert land was very pleasing and soothing to the soul. It is something that we still miss after returning back home from the trip.
There were no facilities at our rest stop and we were quite happy to be self-sufficient. After cooking our meal, we retired to bed early. It was a cold day and we slept like sardines in a tin just to keep ourselves warm.
The next day greeted us with a temperature of 0 degrees. Hot tea and breakfast together with a few jumps and other warming up exercises helped to beat the cold.
The place where camped for the night looked very serene, lit by the early morning sun. Here is a short video of it on Tiktok or Youtube. But soon it was time for us to move on.
Camp Paradise
Camp Paradise is another camping spot on the Great Central Road. It is an open space and looks like a shallow crater. We didn’t camp there but stopped for lunch. Camp Paradise is 155km west of Warburton in WA.
Yarla Kutjara
Yarla Kutjara campground is one of the few (or perhaps, the only one) free campgrounds on the Great Central Road with a toilet. The place was chosen and set up by Ngaanyatjarra people. They built a toilet and shelter and painted the stories on them. It makes this campground quite special.
We camped there during our second night on the Great Central Road. We enjoyed beautiful sunset, the scenery and the serenity of the place.
Yarla Kutjara is between Warburton and Warakurna in WA.
Attractions and things you can see along the way
Scenery
The best thing about the Great Central Road was the scenery and serenity of the desert outback. The contrast between the sky with some strips of clouds against the red desert covered by spinifex grass and occasional trees is amazing. It is also very quiet in the outback. If you stop, go outside and just listen, you will hear the silence that is so deep and full. It is complete in itself without any sounds. It is calming and disarming. It is healing and soothing. This silence and the unique scenery are what we still miss after travelling on the Great Central Road.
One of the things that surprised us while travelling on the Great Central Road was the number of abandoned wrecked cars. We were taken aback by how many there were. They are mostly in WA and hardly in NT. At first we counted them but lost track counting. We estimated that we saw at least 150-200 wrecked cars.
They look like they have been there for ages. By now, they actually became part of the landscape and an object for photography. It was also a great entertainment for our boys (another short video – Tiktok or Youtube).
Wildlife and wildflowers
Even though the desert is quiet, it is not dull. It is alive. Dusted but there are still wildflowers blooming there.
If you are lucky, you will see some wildlife. We saw camels, which are quite common there.
Lasseter’s Cave
Lasseter’s Cave is a historic site on the Great Central Road. It is just a short detour off the main road and then a short walk from the car park. There is an information board and a small cave depicting a story of Lasseter. History says that Lasseter took shelter in the cave for 25 days after trying to find gold deposit that he claimed he discovered earlier. The story is a tribute to many early explorers who took great risks and many lost their lives in search of a better future.
Lasseter’s Cave is 40km east of Docker River, shortly after you pass the WA-NT border. It is in Northern Territory.
Final thoughts
Did we enjoy the trip? We surely did. So much that we are willing to travel this remote outback road again to enjoy the solitude and outback scenery. But only when and while the road remains unsealed. This is the true outback experience.
