Port Hedland to Perth inland road trip: Best stops, distance & time
The best stops on a Port Hedland to Perth inland road trip along sealed roads are Karijini National Park, Meekatharra and New Norcia. By car, the Port Hedland to Perth drive covers a 1,629km distance in a driving time of around 17h21m.
The inland drive from Port Hedland to Perth isn’t nearly as interesting as the coastal trip. However, if you’ve already driven from Perth to Port Hedland along the Western Australian coast, then you might be more interested in taking the quicker route back.
Things to do in Port Hedland once you arrive include watching the Staircase to the Moon phenomenon at the Cooke Point Lookout and taking a harbour tour. To dig out the best value Port Hedland accommodation, search here.
Perth offers gold pouring experiences at the Perth Mint, Rottnest Island day trips, and scenic Swan River cruises. To book Perth tours and experiences, head here. For Perth accommodation deals, book here.
The inland drive from Port Hedland to Perth isn’t exactly crammed with highlights, but add the right stops to your itinerary and it still makes for a good road trip. This guide should help you plan the quickest trip along sealed road. If you have a 4WD, be aware that there is a possible short cut through Marble Bar.
Port Hedland to Perth distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Port Hedland to Perth along the inland route is 1,629km. That makes for a driving time of around 17 hours and 21 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Port Hedland to Perth inland road trip itinerary include Karijini National Park, Meekatharra and New Norcia.
Port Hedland accommodation recommendations
The best places to stay in Port Hedland are:
- For a cheapish but decent motel: South Hedland Motel.
- For beachfront location and overall quality: Hospitality Port Hedland.
- For more space, a kitchen and laundry: Mia Mia Executive Apartments.
- For a pool and family-friendly facilities: Discovery Parks Port Hedland.
Port Hedland to Perth inland road trip: Port Hedland to Karijini National Park
It’s not far out of Port Hedland before the Great Northern Highway departs from the NW Coastal Highway. You need to turn inland, staying on the Great Northern Highway, which becomes National Route 95 from this point.
The highway passes the Wodgina mine site with very little of interest until you get to the In The Rocks free camping site. This extremely basic rest stop is surrounded by photogenic red boulders.
It’s 254km from Port Hedland before you reach the first fuel stop on the drive to Newman.
Auski Tourist Village is also known as the Munjina Roadhouse, and is at the junction with Munjina Road.
From here, it’s another 34km until you reach the turn off for Karijini Drive, which will bring you towards Karijini National Park.
Bear in mind that Karijini National Park is enormous, and some sections – notably Hamersley Gorge in the north-west, require probably too much of a detour.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Port Hedland to Perth drive: Karijini National Park highlights
The Dales Campground and Picnic Area, however, 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 to the next section: Karijini to Newman.