16 Day Darwin to Melbourne Road Trip Itinerary

We are going to start our day nice and early to get to Litchfield National Park (about 1 hour and 15 min) before the crowds, but keep in mind we don’t want to be driving here in the dark. Litchfield National Parl is a must see with amazing waterfalls, crystal clear pools and lots of wildlife. Explore here for a few hours and then set up camp at one of the campsites in the national park. From here you will head to Kakadu National Park, this is a World Heritage-listed national park which boasts natural waterfalls, perfect swimming holes and a variety of wild life. One of Kakadus most famous stops is Gunlom Falls and making a detour at the Magnuk to see the breath-taking blue waters.

From Kakadu we will then head to the Katherine, this is about a 2.5 hour drive to arrive here but we are going to continue a bit past here after a quick restock of supplies in town to some jaw dropping natural springs at Elsey National Park, spend two days here to really explore the depth of each natural pool stopping at Mataranka, the Katherine Hot Springs and exploring Elsey National Park. If you have some time before stopping into Elsey National Park about 45 minutes before you enter Katherine is Nitmiluk National Park which is full or gores and swimming spots.

Leaving Elsey National Park, we will make our way down to the famous Daly Waters Pub for a quick drink and a photo before continuing our adventure making our way down to Alice Springs. So here we will do a few days of big drives staying the night at Devils Marbles, which as some amazing rock formations and make for great photos and just a lovely place to watch the stars.

From Devils Marbles, we will continue our drive to Alice Springs which is a 4 hour drive, once you arrive in the Alice you can restock on all the supplies you need and you can immerse yourself in the Aboriginal culture and get yourself rested and ready to make our way to Uluru.

Before we arrive in Uluru we will stop at Kings Canyon making sure we watch the sunrise at the top of the canyon, you want to be doing this walk before the heat hits you! Take your time in and take it all in as much as you can, as you won’t find anywhere else in Australia that looks like this.

After we arrive at Uluru there are some things to keep in mind, always be respectful of the culture held here, don’t climb the rock and always remove your rubbish. Uluru is one of Australis most iconic sights and its world heritage listed so we need to take care of it. At Uluru you need to watch both the sunset and the sunrise over the rock, it’s a view like no other.

Here we are going to make our way towards South Australia and stopping at Coober Pedy, this is a big drive from Uluru at about an 8-hour drive so if it is getting dark be sure to find somewhere to spend the night! Once you arrive in Coober Pedy you can explore the below ground residences which is what it is famous for. We have allowed two days for this leg of the trip to allow for rest times.

From Coober Pedy we will make our trip to Port Augusta, this is a town where you will restock your supplies and have a bit of a rest before hitting the road again. Port Augusta is full of history, with nice walks and museums to go to. If you are feeling up to it, from here you can go to Port Lincoln which is such a pretty destination, however it is 3 hours in the other direction then what we need to be travelling in, but if you have time it is a must see. From Port Augusta we will head to Adelaide for the night.

After leaving Adelaide we will make our way to Halls Gap, which is a perfect stop for the hikers! Halls Gap is situated in the Grampians National Park, this town is between rocky mountain peaks making for amazing views. This is a small village, but it has a lot of wildlife walking around like emus, wallabies and various birds. You can stay the night at the Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park. Take your time here and explore the last leg of your trip.

Now that it’s the last day of our trip we will have a nice relaxed drive back to Melbourne from Halls Gap, this is about a 3-hour drive. Stop as much as you can on your way back to Melbourne and take in all the little towns, you can stop in Ballarat for a nice lunch at one of the many cafes or pubs it has to offer!

For more information on hiring a campervan in Darwin or Melbourne speak to the Travellers Autobarn Team or get a free online quote today! 

If you want to read more of our Darwin adventures, come and explore the dedicated Darwin Road Trips. Happy Exploring!