Top 8 places to see along the Stuart Highway

It’s a long, long, long, long way from Darwin to Adelaide along Australia’s most famous stretch of road, the Stuart Highway, which travels around 3000 kilometres through the country’s hottest and most isolated country. But don’t worry, there’s way more to see out here than just road trains and the sun – here’s our pick of the top eight places to stop at along the Stuart Highway.

Berry Springs Nature Park, Northern Territory

Berry Springs Nature Park is just 50 kilometres out of Darwin and 10 kilometres off the Stuart Highway. Even though you probably won’t need to cool down at this stage of the journey, you won’t be able to resist this lush oasis, which looks like someone’s dream of the Top End. There are three pools here, all fed by crystal-clear spring water with a distinctive hazy light blue colour, surrounded by verdant and overgrown greenery. Always look for croc warning signs before jumping in.

 

Bitter Springs, Elsey National Park, Northern Territory

Ease away the cares of the road at Bitter Springs thermal pools in Elsey National Park, where the water is consistently 32 degrees Celsius. The setting is idyllic, the pools surrounded by ferns and overlooked by trees. If you hire a floatation device, you can drift with the current from the main pool to the secondary pool – it’s a seriously chill way to travel. Just over four hours’ drive south of Darwin, the springs are few kilometres down a side road off the Stuart Highway near the Roper River. Don’t swim here in the wet season – crocodiles have been known to enjoy a thermal dip or two.

Tip: the more famous thermal springs at Mataranka, which are consistently 35 degrees Celsius, are just up the road.

 

Daly Waters Pub, Daly Waters, Northern Territory

Daly Waters Pub would be a welcome sight even if it wasn’t famous. Six hours from Darwin, but only two hours from Mataranka, the pub has been pouring beers since 1893 – although it’s perhaps more for famous for the bras and thongs lining the walls of the pub than for its history. This is a classic outback pub, and a drink here is a relief from the outback heat. You can also stay the night (a good idea if you plan on having a few beers).

 

Wycliffe Well, Northern Territory

The self-described UFO capital of Australia, the town of Wycliffe Wells is pretty much just a caravan park with a service station on the stretch of highway between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, around 13 hours’ drive from Darwin. Its isolated location makes it the perfect location for UFOs sightings, which are alleged to occur every night. Apart from that, the surprisingly green caravan park is a nice place to stay for a night or two.

 

Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, Northern Territory

A few kilometres down the road from Wycliffe Well you’ll hit a remarkable geological formation – massive granite boulders strewn across the ground and delicately balanced on top of each other. These are the Devils Marbles, or Karlu Karlu in the local Aboriginal language. While there are more interesting stories about how these rocks got there, the formations are a result of erosion. Don’t miss sunrise or sunset; the normal beige colour of the rocks can transform into hues of red, orange and pink.

 

Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Welcome to Alice Springs, the halfway point of your drive at a mere 16 hours from Darwin. This is the heart of the Red Centre, an outback town that’s a cultural (and a bit of a hippie) outpost, originally founded as a telegraph station. There’s so much to do here, from a visit to Alice Springs Desert Park to hiking the West MacDonnell Ranges – or even just an opportunity to have some well-deserved good coffee.

 

Coober Pedy, South Australia

We’ve over the border now in South Australia, and it’s been a journey to get here – seven hours from Alice Springs. A popular tourist destination, Coober Pedy has kept its soul as a working opal-mining town, with interesting characters and interesting attractions. The town gets so hot, most people have built their homes underground; don’t miss a night at the unique underground motel. You can visit an opal mine or even try mining yourself (you’ll need a permit).

 

Port Augusta, South Australia

Even if you didn’t strike opal at Coober Pedy, you’ll still be able to afford a few roadside oysters at Port Augusta, five hours further south. Situated between a mountain and a natural harbour, Port Augusta is charmingly positioned for a major transport hub. It’s only three hours’ from here until Adelaide, but if you haven’t had enough time behind the wheel, take a detour into the spectacularly beautiful Flinders Ranges.