Longreach to Uluru road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
Longreach to Uluru road trip: Queensland border to Tennant Creek
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.
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, 260km from Camooweal 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.
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.
- For (easily) the best quality: Safari Lodge.
- For roadtripper convenience: Outback Caravan Park.
- For a pool: Bluestone Motor Inn.
Best stops on the Longreach to Uluru drive: Devils Marbles to Alice Springs
The best place to stop on the dusty, dry 508km journey from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs is the Devils Marbles, a mysterious collection of stacked red boulders.
The Wycliffe Well roadhouse, covered in alien and UFO-related nonsense, is also quite entertaining.
Other potential fuel stops on the way to Alice Springs are the Barrow Creek Hotel, Ti Tree Roadhouse and Aileron Roadhouse.
Click through for the next section: Alice Springs attractions.