Top 5 4x4 Tracks in Australia

Australia has more remote 4x4 country than almost anywhere, and a handful of tracks that most people with a four-wheel drive want to tick off at least once. These five are very different from each other. A couple can be driven in a stock 4x4 with decent tyres. One is among the hardest remote trips in the world.

We've ordered them roughly from most approachable to most serious. Distances are approximate, and conditions, closures and permit rules change, so check with the relevant parks or road authority before you commit to dates.

1. Oodnadatta Track, South Australia

The Oodnadatta Track runs about 620km from Marree to Marla through the South Australian outback, following the route of the old Ghan railway and the Overland Telegraph. It's a wide, unsealed road, and in dry conditions a well-prepared 4x4 will handle it without drama.

It makes a good first outback trip. You pass the edge of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, old railway sidings and bridges, mound springs and the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta. The hazards are the ordinary outback ones: corrugations, sharp gibber stones that puncture tyres, and long gaps between fuel. Rain can close the track at short notice.

2. Gibb River Road, Western Australia

The Gibb is about 660km of mostly unsealed road through the Kimberley, between Derby and the Great Northern Highway near Kununurra and Wyndham. People drive it for the gorges. Bell Gorge, Manning Gorge and El Questro are all short detours off it, and most have swimming holes at the end of a walk.

It's a dry season trip, roughly May to October. In the wet the rivers come up and the road closes. The Pentecost River crossing near the eastern end is the famous one, and its depth depends on the time of year. The road is hard on tyres and suspension, so lower your pressures and carry at least one good spare, preferably two.

3. Old Telegraph Track, Cape York, Queensland

If the Gibb is about scenery, the Old Tele Track is about the driving. It follows the original telegraph line up Cape York for around 350km, and it's known for its creek crossings. Palm Creek, Gunshot and Nolans Brook have ended a lot of trips, and a lot of engines.

You can pick how hard you make it. Most of the difficult crossings have easier lines or bypass roads, so a sensible driver in a capable vehicle can do the track without taking the worst entries. It's a dry season track, and water depth changes through the season. Walk each crossing before you drive it, and go with at least one other vehicle.

4. Simpson Desert, South Australia, Queensland and Northern Territory

Crossing the Simpson means driving over about 1,100 parallel sand dunes. The most direct route, the French Line, is a bit over 400km from Dalhousie Springs to Birdsville, and most people take three to five days. The last dune before Birdsville is Big Red, the tallest in the desert.

There's no fuel, water or help between the two ends, so you carry everything. You need a Desert Parks Pass, a sand flag on the front of the vehicle is mandatory, and the desert parks are closed over summer because of the heat. Low tyre pressures are what get you over the dunes and they also protect the track for everyone behind you.

5. Canning Stock Route, Western Australia

The Canning is the big one. It runs roughly 1,850km between Halls Creek and Wiluna across the Great Sandy, Little Sandy and Gibson deserts, past the 51 wells sunk along it in the early 1900s to water cattle. There are no towns and no services on the route, and around 900 sand dunes to cross.

Allow two to three weeks. You'll need to arrange a fuel drop or carry a very long range, hold the permits required for sections of the route, and travel in a convoy with proper communications. It's a trip for experienced crews with well-prepared vehicles, and people spend months planning it.

How the five compare

Getting your 4x4 ready

None of these trips is the place to find out what your vehicle is missing. A few things matter on all five.

Tyres and pressures

Tyres fail on outback trips more than anything else does. Run good all-terrains with plenty of tread, carry a second spare for the remote ones, and adjust your pressures to the surface. Our tyre pressure guide for sand, mud and rocks has starting numbers, and a tyre deflator makes airing down quick enough that you'll actually do it.

Recovery gear

On the Simpson, the Canning and the Old Tele Track, getting stuck is part of the trip. Carry rated recovery points front and rear, including a recovery hitch for the tow bar, and a recovery ring if you run a winch. We compare the options in snatch ring vs snatch block.

Heat

Dune driving and towing a camper both push automatic transmission temperatures up. If you drive an auto, read do you need a transmission cooler? before a desert trip.

Suspension

A touring load on corrugations will find a tired shock or a sagging spring quickly. If you've lifted the vehicle for the trip, check the supporting parts with what you actually need after a 2-inch lift.

Lighting

Plan to be off the road before dusk, when the animals come out. For the times you're not, see driving lights vs light bars.

Common questions

What is the best 4x4 track in Australia for beginners?

Of these five, the Oodnadatta Track. It's remote enough to feel like a real outback trip, and in dry weather it doesn't need technical driving.

What is the hardest 4x4 track in Australia?

The Canning Stock Route is usually named as the hardest long-distance trip, because of its length and isolation. For technical driving over a short distance, the Old Telegraph Track's creek crossings are tougher.

Do I need a permit for these tracks?

The Simpson Desert needs a Desert Parks Pass and sections of the Canning Stock Route need permits. Rules change, so check the current requirements for any track before you go.

Can a stock 4x4 do these tracks?

A stock 4x4 with good tyres can do the Oodnadatta Track and the Gibb River Road in the dry. The other three ask for more preparation, recovery gear and experience.