Home > Driving Tips > Distances in the Outback

Driving distances Outback

How far is my planned Outback tour?

Driving Distances Outback is the section to plan your Outback Australia travel experience. Hopefully, you'll find your answer here. If not, don't hesitate to ask me!

The Australian Outback is such a huge place, it is hard to make a decision where to go at all, right? But that is your homework, you have to decide where to go. However, I am here to help you with your planning.

road sign at the start of an Outback track

Road sign at the start of Borefield Road, Roxby Downs

Please note: driving distances given in the tables below are only approximately. Every time when I plan a trip to Australia I go crazy because diverse maps and sources always come up with different numbers.
Also, there are often several routes to choose from, hence the different numbers for distances betwees towns.

Most of the routes described on this page follow gravel roads. Conditions wary on these roads and tracks. So please get last minute information before you go and be well-prepared. Please check the Driving tips and individual track pages here in the Outback guide.

Capital Cities

Adelaide

Accommodation

Special Interests

Rent A Campervan

Campervan Info

Adelaide to Marla via Oodnadatta Track (OT)

My favourite route! The distances in the chart are calculated without the detour to Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Ranges. When you go to Wilpena, you can continue to Blinman and through Parachilna Gorge to return to the Hawker - Leigh Creek main road.

Total distance: 1290 km
Driving time: 20 hours
Time required: 3 - 4 days minimum

KM From / To	Adelaide	Hawker	Wilpena	Leigh Creek	Marree	Oodnadatta	Marla
Adelaide	---	396	451	551	669	1078	1290
Hawker	396	---	55	155	273	681	893
Wilpena	451	55	---	160	278	687	898
Leigh Creek	551	155	160	---	118	527	738
Marree	669	273	278	118	---	409	621
Oodnadatta	1078	681	687	527	409	---	212
Marla	1290	893	898	738	621	212	---

Highways used:

Princes Hwy out of Adelaide to Crystal Brook
Join the Main North Road at Laura, continue northbound via Melrose, Wilmington and Quorn to Hawker
Barndioota Road to Marree
Oodnadatta Track to Marla

When you finally arrive in Marla, you can go to Alice Springs (454km), Uluru / Ayers Rock resort (500km) or return to Adelaide via the Stuart Hwy (1077km)

Attractions along the way

Flinders Ranges
Historic Railway sites, Mound Springs along the Oodnadatta Track, unique Outback towns
Lake Eyre

Flinders Ranges

Oodnadatta Track

Lake Eyre

Birdsville Track & the far west of Queensland

The second chart covers South Australia's north-east, and Queensland's far west. Now you are going along the Birdsville Track into Outback Queensland.
Once you arrive in Birdsville coming from the south, the question is "where to go next?" This table and the third one below give you many suggestions.

KM From / To	Marree	Mungerannie	Birdsville	Bedourie	Boulia	Mount Isa	Windorah
Marree	---	202	517	701	895	1205	888
Mungerannie	202	---	315	502	696	996	689
Birdsville	517	315	---	193	387	687	380
Bedourie	701	502	193	---	194	499	411
Boulia	895	696	387	194	---	304	605
Mount Isa	1205	996	687	499	304	---	890
Windorah	888	689	380	411	605	890	---

Highways used:

Birdsville Track starting in Marree
Birdsville & Diamantina Developmental Roads to Windorah
Eyre & Diamantina Developmental Roads north of Birdsville up to Mount Isa

Attractions & more info

Birdsville Track

North of Birdsville

Windorah

Matilda Highway & its Byways

This third chart of driving distances in the Outback covers the Matilda highway and its byways in Outback Queensland. Cloncurry, Winton and Longreach are the major towns along this route. Yes, it is a long way from Brisbane and the coast!

KM From / To	Brisbane	Birdsville	Cloncurry	Longreach	Mount Isa	Windorah	Winton
Brisbane	---	1577	1691	1172	1808	1197	1348
Birdsville	1577	---	803	691	686	380	745
Cloncurry	1691	803	---	519	117	830	343
Longreach	1172	691	519	---	636	311	176
Mt. Isa	1808	686	117	636	---	904	460
Windorah	1197	380	830	311	904	---	487
Winton	1348	745	343	176	460	487	---