Camooweal to Tennant Creek road trip: Fuel stops, time & distance

The best stop on the Camooweal to Tennant Creek drive is Barkly Homestead. The road trip covers a 471km distance in around 4h53m.

The drive from Camooweal to Tennant Creek is a long and lonely one. It leaves Queensland and heads through the middle of the Northern Territory, where barely a soul lives.

However, the Camooweal to Tennant Creek drive is a key leg on several road trips. These include Townsville to Darwin and Brisbane to Alice Springs.

Camooweal to Tennant Creek distance and driving time

The distance from Camooweal to Tennant Creek by car is 471km. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 53 minutes.

Things to do in Camooweal include discovering the cattle droving industry at the Drovers Camp, and seeing the cave mouths in Wiliyan-ngurru National Park. Camooweal is also the best gateway to the impressive Lawn Hill Gorge in the Boodjamulla National Park.

Camooweal to Tennant Creek fuel stops

But the most important thing to do in Camooweal is refuel your car, because there isn’t another chance for 260km. The only fuel stops between Camooweal and Tennant Creek are the Barkly Homestead and Three Ways Roadhouse.

Camooweal to Tennant Creek: Barkly Highway

Once inside the Northern Territory, the Barkly Highway ploughs through a seemingly relentless stretch of outback. The key stop before joining the Stuart Highway is Barkly Homestead. This roadhouse is very handy as a snack, fuel and toilet stop, but it does have accommodation if you wish to stay the night.

The Barkly Highway joins the Stuart Highway at the Threeways Roadhouse. This is 25km north of Tennant Creek.

Things to do in Tennant Creek include doing the underground tour at the Battery Hill Mine and learning about Indigenous culture at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Cultural Centre.

If you are heading north, there are better accommodation options in the town then at the roadhouse.

Tennant Creek accommodation

Specialist Australian accommodation booking site Wotif offers Tennant Creek accommodation for from $140 a night. Check the top deals page for the best rates.

However, to narrow down the shortlist, consider these options first.