Renowned as one of the world’s most remote off-road tracks, the Canning Stock Routeoffers challenge and reward. Once an old stock route, the track follows a series of wells once used to water livestock, which now provide trekkers with a water source. Don’t expect to encounter towns or emergency support centres along the way as the isolated route crosses through several deserts (the Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert and Great Sandy Desert) and Aboriginal traditional lands.
Photo Credit: Dick and Pip Smith
2. Cape York Track / Old Telegraph Track
Location: Cooktown to Seisia (QLD)
Distance: 848km
Suggested min. travel time: 24 days
Best time to travel: May-October
The Cape York Track, also known as the Old Telegraph Track, guides you through Australia’s tropical northern reaches. One the region’s only line of communication, this track features numerous river crossings, such as the Jardine River and Gunshot Creek, some of which involve near-vertical exits.
Photo Credit: Courtesy 4x4 Earth Australia
3. Gibb River Road
Location: Kununurra to Derby (WA)
Distance: 930km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 3 days
Best time to travel: May-September
The Gibb River Road traces through the Kimberley region, rewarding you with secluded swimming holes, fresh water gorges, quintessential Outback landscapes and sprawling cattle stations.
Photo Credit: AAP Image/Diana Plater
4. Binns Track
Location: Mt Dare (NT/SA border) to Timber Creek (NT)
Distance: 2191km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 10 days
Best time to travel: April-August
Binns Track, named after Bill Binns, a NT park ranger who served for 32 years, is known for its diverse terrain as it courses though mountains, deserts and vast plains – challenging the hardiest tyres with sandy slopes, soft riverbeds, jagged rock, bogs, bitumen and bulldust. This track takes you through the Simpson Desert to Alice Springs, on to the East MacDonnell Ranges and the fossicking haven of Gemtree.
Photo Credit: Australian Geographic
5. Victorian High Country and Billy Goats Bluff
Location: Mansfield to Harrietville (VIC)
Distance: 306 km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 3 days
Best time to travel: December-April
The Victorian High Country is a unique departure from outback driving. While challenging, the region’s soaring peaks feature panoramic views along winding runs across mountainous ridgelines. There are a number of abandoned mining towns to explore along the way, an aspect of off-roading which offers a fresh perspective on the conveniences of modern travel.
Photo Credit: James Eling
6. Birdsville Track
Location: Marree (SA) to Birdsville (QLD)
Distance: 534km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 2 days
Best time to travel: April-October
Established as a cattle route, one version of the Birdsville Track – the Inside Track – follows the original stock path. Instead, you may choose to take the nearby Outside Track which was created by travellers as a safer route that avoids the Diamantina floodplain.
Photo Credit: Colin Beard
7. Gunbarrel Highway
Location: Wiluna (WA) to Yulara (NT)
Distance: 1420km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 4 days
Best time to travel: April-September
The Gunbarrel Highway has a reputation for being one of Australia’s most rugged off-road tracks, perfect for the experienced off-roader who’s prepared to face wash-aways and deep corrugations. The track is notoriously unforgiving – even its numerous bore holes, while tempting to a thirsty traveller, are not good to drink. However, there are a number of bush camps along the way.
Photo Credit: Peter McNeill
8. Hay River
Location: Birdsville (QLD) to Gemtree (NT)
Distance: 928km
Suggestedmin. travel time: 9 days
Best time to travel: May-September
The Hay River track follows the course of an extinct river and is highly remote. It was only recently opened to the public in 2000, after a series of negotiations with the area’s Aboriginal custodian, Lindsay Bookie. Today, the track can only be accessed by permit in order to preserve the environment of this most isolated region. This journey offers stunning contrasts in landscape as it passes by the Big Red and Spinifex dunes, on to the Georgina Gidgee and Gypcrete Interdunes, levelling out to the bed of the Hay River.
Photo Credit: James Eling
9. Simpson Desert French Line
Location: Dalhousie Springs (SA) to Birdsville (QLD)
Distance: 439km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 3 days
Best time to travel: May-September
While this is the quickest way to traverse the Simpson Desert, frequent dune crossings and narrow track makes this a challenging run. The French Line is only wide enough for a single vehicle, so it’s essential to be wary of oncoming traffic.
Photo Credit: James Eling
10. Stockton Beach
Location: Williamtown to Anna Bay (NSW)
Distance: 53km
Suggestedmin.travel time: 1 day
Best time to travel: All year
If you’re keen to off-road seaside, Stockton Beach is a haven for sand enthusiasts. While many of the dunes are steep, so much so that they can only be summited by snaking up more gradual slopes nearby, these obstacles only increase the track’s popularity. If you’re looking for a break from the dunes, watch for low tide and explore the wreck of the MV Sygna, which washed ashore in 1974 or check out the Tank Traps, which were installed as a means of defence during WWII