Warburton, WA

Warburton, WA, is a desert settlement on the Great Central Road. Permits from the Ngaanyatjarra Council are required for entry, and accommodation comes courtesy of the Warburton Roadhouse.

Warburton, WA, is an outback Aboriginal community, originally set up as a mission. Very few people pass through this desert region of Western Australia, and those that do need to be well prepared.

Warburton is 560km from Laverton, the nearest town, and a whopping 1,542km from Perth. It is, however, on the Great Central Road, which connects the south-west of WA to the Red Centre of the Northern Territory. This is the quickest route from Perth to Uluru and Alice Springs, but it is recommended for 4WD vehicles only.

Can I do the Great Central Road in a two wheel drive vehicle?

In recent years, the Great Central Road has been graded to the point where conventional vehicles can usually manage the drive.

But even so, careful planning is required – not least because three different permits are required to pass along the road.

Permits for Warburton, WA, and the Great Central Road

A valid permit from the Central Land Council is required in the Northern Territory section. Warburton, however, is on Ngaanyatjarra land and you need a three day permit from the Ngaanyatjarra Council to pass between Laverton and the Northern Territory border.

If you get the paperwork done, then Warburton is a decent place to spend the night.

Warburton, WA, accommodation: Warburton Roadhouse camping & cabins

Accommodation comes courtesy of the Warburton Roadhouse, which has plenty of camping sites, plus a handful of motel-style rooms. The simple single rooms are really pretty basic, and have shared facilities. Expect to pay $100 a night.

More comfortable Warburton accommodation options are the single and double en-suite rooms, costing $170 and $180 respectively. There are also cabins, sleeping four people, for from $260 a night.

Things to do in Warburton, WA, are pretty limited, but you can pay a visit to the Tjulyuru Regional Arts Gallery. This showcases art made by the Ngaanyatjarra communities.