Which Stuart Highway roadhouses should I stop at in the Northern Territory?
In the Northern Territory, the Stuart Highway roadhouses are crammed with gimmicks. Try the big map at Kulgera, emu enclosure at Erldunda and camel rides at the Stuarts Well roadhouse. Then move on to more Stuart Highway fuel stops for a loin cloth statue at Aileron. Or fibre glass aliens at Wycliffe Well and everything going pink in Larrimah.
Stuart Highway roadhouses are a staple feature of the epic drive from Adelaide to Alice Springs and Darwin through the Australian outback..
The Australian roadhouse is a very distinctive thing. They’re part fuel stop, part accommodation and part what passes for a village in remote areas. And driving along the Stuart Highway in the enormous Northern Territory, you’re going to pass several of them these Stuart Highway fuel stops.
Stuart Highway roadhouses: Kulgera & Erldunda
Driving a hire car north from Coober Pedy in South Australia, the first Stuart Highway roadhouse over the Northern Territory border is the Kulgera Roadhouse. This Stuart Highway fuel stop is close to the geographic centre of Australia, and it has an enormous map outside pointing out the distances to just about everywhere else in Australia.
Next up is the Erldunda Roadhouse, which is found where the Lasseter Highway meets the Stuart Highway. It’s the turn-off for the now-unclimbable giant monolith, Uluru. As well as three star accommodation, the Erldunda Roadhouse has a kangaroo farm and an emu enclosure. It’s hardly Taronga Zoo, but you can’t be too picky in the middle of nowhere.
Sort out your Red Centre transport now
Stuarts Well, Aileron & Wycliffe Well roadhouses
Further north, just before Red Centre hub town Alice Springs, is the Stuarts Well Roadhouse. This is close to Rainbow Valley and the Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve. Camel Tours NT offers camel rides from here.
Alice Springs is the main city of the Red Centre. Its old Telegraph Station is one of Australia’s most important historic sights.
Seven essential Alice Springs activities to add to your trip.
- See imposing red rock cliffs and stunning swimming holes – on a West MacDonnell Ranges day trip.
- Glide across the changing morning colours of the outback – on a hot air balloon ride.
- See how education works across the outback – at the School of the Air.
- Take in the epic outback scenery – on a scenic flight.
- See the outback wildlife come to life – on a Desert Park nocturnal tour.
- Try camel rides through the red dirt landscape – and learn the weird history of Aussie camels.
- See stunning, often unvisited outback sites – on a Palm Valley 4wd tour.
Best Alice Springs accommodation choices
These are the best Alice Springs accommodation picks:
- For a solid, relatively affordable motel: Elkira Court Motel.
- For villas, gardens and a lagoon-style pool: Desert Palms.
- For backpackers: Alice’s Secret Travellers Inn.
- For a kid-friendly holiday park: Discovery Parks Alice Springs.
- For business-friendly serviced apartments: Quest Alice Springs.
The next stop travelling north from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek at the 130km/h speed limit, Aileron Roadhouse, is delightfully weird. On the hilltop above the roadhouse is a 12m high statue of man wearing a loin cloth. Elsewhere, a sculpture of a lizard in a bikini sits outside the petrol station. And a coffin doubles as the spirits cabinet in the pub.
The other two notably strange Stuart Highway roadhouses are Wycliffe Well and Larrimah. Wycliffe Well, near the Devil’s Marbles, claims to be Australia’s UFO capital. Its grounds are heaving with fibre glass aliens. And the Pink Panther roadhouse in Larrimah has painted everything it possibly can in a lurid shade of pink.
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.
More weird places in Australia
Central Tilba, New South Wales.
Tours of the Superpit in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
The Ned Kelly Tree at Stringybark Creek, Victoria.
The Australian Reptile Park in Gosford, New South Wales.
The Willie Creek Pearl Farm near Broome, Western Australia.