Newman to Broome road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops on a Newman to Broome road trip are Karijini National Park, Port Hedland and 80 Mile Beach. By car, the distance from Newman to Broome is 1,109km and the driving time around 11h41m.
Planning a Newman to Broome road trip itinerary
The Newman to Broome drive in Western Australia connects one of the Pilbara’s main mining towns to the Kimberley’s favourite Indian Ocean resort. For many, this will be the last leg on the inland leg from Perth to Broome, or a key chunk of a Perth to Darwin road trip.
Broome offers tours to natural wonder Horizontal Falls, glorious sunset cruises, camel rides, mud-crabbing experiences and dinosaur adventure tours. For a full range of fascinating Broome experiences and activity options, head this way. For Broome accommodation, book here.
Otherwise, the following guide should help you plan your road trip itinerary.
Newman to Broome distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Newman to Broome is 1,109km. That makes for a driving time of around eleven hours and 41 minutes. This is the fastest route along sealed roads, although there is a quicker route that shaves off 240km if you’re prepared to taken on the unsealed roads and 4WD tracks via Marble Bar.
9 great Broome experiences to book today
- 1. Sunset camel ride – take in the changing colours of Cable Beach on camelback.
- 2. Horizontal Falls flight – see one of nature’s most extraordinary natural phenomena
- 3. Crocodile park visit – watch big crocs being fed up close.
- 4. Half hour helicopter ride – see the extraordinary red rock coastline from above
- 5. Dinosaur footprints adventure – including a wildlife spotting boat ride down Dampier Creek.
- 6. Sunset cruise – enjoy an Indian Ocean sunset with wine in hand
- 7. Windjana Gorge day trip – venture deeper into the rugged Kimberley.
- 8. Town tour – learn Broome’s fascinating history along the way.
- 9. Mud-crabbing experience – catch crabs in the mangroves then eat them after they’re cooked by a pro.
The sealed route is along State Route 95 – aka the Great Northern Highway – which heads north-west of Newman. The first decent attraction is about 75km in, but you’ll need a 4WD vehicle to reach the permanent pool and Aboriginal rock engravings of Wonmunna Gorge.
The Robinson Rest Area is a little further along, but the real highlight of the Newman to Port Hedland drive is the vast and hugely engaging Karijini National Park.
Newman to Broome road trip: Karijini National Park
The Dales Campground and Picnic Area is a relatively small 48km drive away from the Great Northern Highway.
Here, Dales Gorge is home to Fortescue Falls, Karijini’s only permanent waterfall. Perhaps even more temptingly, it’s another couple of hundred metres to Fern Pool, one of the most glorious swimming holes in Western Australia.
There are several walking trails in the Dales Recreation Area, with the 2.4km Gorge Rim Walk from the Fortescue Falls Lookout to the Circular Pool Lookout arguably the highlight.
If you decide to stay overnight at the Dales Campground, then you can conceivably hike to the summit of Mount Bruce the next day, alternatively, you can check out Hancock Gorge (home of Kermits Pool), Weano Gorge and Joffre Gorge, home of Joffre Falls. These Karijini National Park attractions cluster fairly close together.
Click through for the next section: Karijini to Port Hedland.