Adelaide to Darwin road trip tips: Distance, time & best stops

Start of the Stuart Highway

The Stuart Highway runs from Port Augusta to Darwin. It is the main arterial route through central Australia. And it passes through some phenomenally stark scenery.

On the drive to Coober Pedy, the main highlights are strange military town Woomera and the vast, dazzling white salty expanses of Lake Hart.

Lake Hart salt lake in South Australia, just off the Stuart Highway — From the Lake Hart rest area on the Stuart Highway near Woomera, it’s a short walk to one of South Australia’s most impressive salt lakes. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Coober Pedy is a delightfully weird outback opal mining town where most people live in underground houses to beat the heat. Mine tours, visits to underground show homes and fossicking for opals are highlights here.

Best Coober Pedy accommodation choices

The most interesting places to stay in Coober Pedy are:

For gloriously weird underground rooms in a former opal mine: Comfort Inn Coober Pedy Experience.
For (usually) the cheapest rates: The Underground Motel.
For pool, playground and apartments: Big4 Stuart Range Outback Resort.
For above ground rooms made from rammed earth, with merciful air-conditioning: Mud Hut Motel.

Click through for the next section: The Red Centre.

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