The Victoria Highway is the only continuously paved trunk road between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It connects over a length of approx. 540 km Great Northern Highway (WA) via Kununurra and Timber Creek With Katherine at the Stuart Highway (NT). It's a small stretch of National Highway 1 that circles all of Australia. It is also part of the tourist route Savannah Way which run through all of Northern Australia from Broome (WA) via Katherine (NT) Cairns (QLD) leads.
background
The name of the highway is derived from Victoria River (colloquial: “The Vic”) from 1855/56 by Charles Augustus Gregory (a famous pioneer of Northern Australia) and named in honor of Queen Victoria of England. The Victoria River is approximately 780 km long and flows in the northwestern part of the Northern Territory from the edge of the Tanami Desert to the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf near Wyndham. Highway and river only meet twice, however, near the Victoria River Roadhouse a bridge (Vivtoria River Crossing) crosses the river and at Timber Creek river and road run parallel for several kilometers.
As in the early 1960s the Ord River Diversion Dam (Lake Kununurra) and a few years later the Ord River Dam (Lake Argyle) to supply water and electricity to the eastern Kimberley region were planned, a continuous, still unpaved road was created to supply the construction sites from both the west and the east. The road was only paved in the 1990s and has since developed into the most important traffic artery between Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Like long-distance transport, many tourists also travel the entire Katherine - Kununurra route in one day. However, if you take your time, you will find a number of interesting tourist destinations to the right and left of the apparently deserted and lonely highway.
preparation
The Victoria Highway leads through the outback (= very lonely, largely undeveloped hinterland in Australia), but it is relatively well developed and frequented and can usually be comfortably driven through in any vehicle in 1 - 2 days. Please note, however:
- Season: In the rainy season (November to May) it can be partially flooded and impassable. You should go to the tourist information or the police station in Katherine or Kununurra, or online at, before you start your journey NTLIS inform about the current road conditions.
- Vehicle, fuel, repairs: Of course, the car should be in very good condition (tires, oil, cooling water, etc.) and carry all important emergency items such as spare tire (“spare tire”), tools (“tool kit”), jack (“jack”), tow rope ( “Tow”), first aid kit (“First Aid Kit”), warning triangle (“breakdown triangle”), etc. Fuel is only available in Kununurra <225 km> Timber Creek <90 km> Victoria River <180 km> Katherine. Usually, fuel prices drop significantly from west to east. Current prices in Western Australia can be called up by entering the place name Fuel watch. As is generally the case in the outback, 20-40 l of fuel in reserve canisters does no harm. Repair shops are only available in Kununurra (replacement parts can be obtained within 1-14 days) <495 km> Katherine (replacement parts are usually available within 1-3 days).
- Shop: To be on the safe side, you should also have drinking water and other foods with you for 2-3 days. There are only shops in Kununurra (several supermarkets) <225 km> Timber Creek (corner shop) <90 km> Victoria River (gas station shop) <180 km> Katherine (several supermarkets). However, food prices are also falling significantly from west to east. Nevertheless, you cannot buy cheap food when driving west, because almost all vegetable products have to be left behind at the border from the Northern Territory to Western Australia (see below). While you can stock up on supplies for a longer trip every day in Katherine's bottleshops (= sales outlets for beer, wine, spirits), in Kununurra there are only time-limited shopping opportunities and rationed quantities (e.g. 2 bottles of wine per person per day).
- Stay: Hotels / motels and commercial campsites are available in Kununurra <225 km> Timber Creek <90 km> Victoria River <180 km> Katherine. With the exception of the national parks (there are specially designated bush camps here), wild camping is possible at all rest areas and anywhere off the road.
- Telephone / Internet: Large sections of the highway are outside of cellular networks. Security fanatics, constant phone users and internet freaks should therefore take a satellite phone or a satellite surf stick with them.
getting there
Coming from Western Australia (Perth 3,170 km, Broome 1,000 km, Wyndham 105 km) the Victoria Hwy branches off from the Great Northern Hwy. Coming from the Northern Territory (Darwin 290 km, Alice Springs 1,150 km), Victoria Hwy branches off from Stuart Hwy on the northern outskirts of Katherine.
course
For the individual locations, see also Northern Western Australia.
Great Northern Highway
(Great Northern Hwy - 0 km <*> 540 km - Katherine)
Victoria Hwy branches off from Great Northern Hwy about 35 miles from the northern end. Tourist destinations along Great Northern Hwy to the north / northwest:
- Gibb River Road. Colloquial The Gibb or called GRR, it branches off about 10 km further north and is a 700 km long, mostly unpaved slope with many tourist destinations. It is considered to be one of the last adventures in Australia that the "normal tourist" can cope with by car or camper.
- The grotto. After 38 km, an approx. 2 km long, single-lane paved access road branches off. One arrives at a plateau in which a 120 meter deep hole, The Grotto, gapes. At the bottom, which can be reached via a beaten path with over 140 steps, there is a beautiful, crocodile-proof bathing pond. A very welcome refreshment in the midday heat, but after the bath you have to climb the 140 steps again and come back completely sweaty at the top.
- Wyndham. After approx. 56 km the Great Northern Hwy ends in Wyndham, a lonely, small port town on the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. There are several sights that justify a 2-3 day stay.
Nearby tourist destinations along the Great Northern Hwy to the southwest:
- Purnululu National Park. The national park, about 200 km south on the Great Northern Hwy, old name: Bungle Bungles, is famous for its beehive-like rocks. However, access is only possible via an approx. 50 km long, relatively difficult all-wheel drive piste or via booked tours. Camping is only allowed after 24 hours' advance notice (info centers in Kununurra or Halls Creek).
- Hall's Creek. Hall's Creek is a small town about 310 km south, which is the starting point for various attractions, e.g. Old Halls Creek (ghost town from the gold rush time), Purnululu National Park (see above), Little China Wall (a rock formation reminiscent of the Great Wall of China) . Wolfe Creek National Park (meteorite crater), Tanami Road (four-wheel drive through the Tanami Desert).
Kununurra, WA
(Great Northern Hwy - 45 km <*> 495 km - Katherine)
Kununurra With about 6,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city within a radius of 500 kilometers and the economic and tourist center of the eastern Kimberley region. There is almost everything a tourist's heart desires on the go (visitor centers, shopping centers, restaurants, pubs, hotels & campgrounds, petrol stations, workshops, medical care, etc.).
Turn off to Lake Argyle, WA
(Great Northern Hwy - 80 km <*> 460 km - Katherine)
Western Australia - Northern Territory border
(Great Northern Hwy - 83 km <*> 457 km - Katherine)
Western Australia has the strictest protection against agricultural pests Import restrictions for plants and vegetable products. Here on the border. in the middle of nowhere, is therefore (only on the side of the road to enter WA) a control station of the Ministry of Agriculture. In front of the control point there are a number of rubbish bins into which you can dispose of any plants etc. At the checkpoint, EVERY car is relentlessly groomed by friendly officers. Violations of the import regulations result in fines of up to several thousand dollars. If you drive from east to west, it is completely pointless in Katherine to stock up on potatoes, vegetables, salads and fruit that are relatively inexpensive compared to Western Australia, everything goes to the trash here. If the outside of the car is noticeably dirty, you may have to go back a few meters and wash the outside of the car completely (including roof and underbody) on a tap in order to unknowingly remove any plant seeds or pests that have been dragged along with you.
Branch to Keep River NP, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 86 km <*> 454 km - Katherine)
The small one, but impressive because of its weathered sandstone cliffs Keep River National Park is only open in the dry season, usually from May to October. Attention - because of the saltwater crocodiles, swimming is prohibited in the entire national park About 35 km of unpaved roads (mostly easily accessible by car and campers) lead to a few sights:
- Ranger Station, Park Info, Cockatoo Lagoon. The ranger station (approx. 3 km from Victoria Hwy) houses a small information center on the geology, flora and fauna of the national park. Various guided, mostly free tours are offered, changing daily. A few hundred meters further is the Cockatoo Lagoon, a beautiful pond with lots of birds, water lilies and crocodiles.
- Ginger’s Hill Walk. About 5 km from Victoria Hwy, a walk (about 0.4 km) leads up a hill with a reconstructed Aboriginal shelter and a beautiful view of the surrounding sandstone cliffs.
- Gurrandalng. About 22 km from Victoria Hwy is a bush camp, from which a 2 km circular walk leads through the sandstone cliffs.
- Jinumum Walk. About 27 km from Victoria Hwy you can hike along the Keep River (about 3 km there / back).
- Jarnem. About 35 km from Victoria Hwy is a bush camp, from which you can explore a total of 7 km of hiking trails, several viewpoints (spectacular sunrises / sunsets) and Aboriginal art sites.
Duncan Road junction, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 95 km <*> 445 km - Katherine)
The 450 km long, completely unpaved Duncan Road leads to the south, east past the Purnululu National Park (although there is no access to the national park from this side) to Nicholson on Buntine Hwy. Allegedly it is used by Australians as a smuggling route to bring vegetable products past the permanent border control at Victoria Hwy (see above) to Western Australia. The road can only be used in the dry season and there are no refueling or shopping opportunities on the way. In terms of tourism, it offers a few scenic, very lonely destinations that are mostly only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles.
Turn off to Newry Station, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 115 km <*> 425 km - Katherine)
Newry Station is a larger, touristically undeveloped farm away from Victoria Hwy and only accessible via a dirt road. There is also a zebra stone mine with guided visitor tours nearby.
Gregory Monument, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 245 km <*> 295 km - Katherine)
Little impressive monument to Charles Augustus Gregory right on the roadside.
Junction to Gregory’s Tree, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 250 km <*> 290 km - Katherine)
An approximately 3 km long, unpaved road (in the dry season also accessible without all-wheel drive) leads to the parking lot and via an approx. 300 m long beaten path to the Historic Monument Gregory’s Tree. Charles Augustus Gregory's expedition in 1855/56 had its base camp here on the banks of the Victoria River for several months. On several information boards you can find out details about this expedition and on one of the old boabs (bottle trees) is still halfway recognizable July 2nd, 1856 scratched.
Timber Creek, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 270 km <*> 270 km - Katherine)
Timber Creek is a village (approx. 550 inhabitants) on the creek of the same name halfway along Victoria Hwy. Swimming is prohibited in all rivers, streams and ponds in the entire region because of the large number of crocodiles (Freshies & Salties).
- Town center. In only 6 houses directly on Victoria Hwy are a hotel, motel, campground, restaurant, pub, a small supermarket, 2 gas stations and a provider of boat trips and fishing trips. Timber Creek runs about 100 meters behind the houses. In the dry season it is just a stream with a few freshwater crocodiles, which are fed every evening with leftover meat from the restaurant (punctually at 5 p.m., always a very nice show, even if the mostly full Crocs don't try too hard to catch a chunk) .
- Timber Creek Museum, Parks & Wildlife Information Center, Heritage Trail. About 1.5 km west of the town center: Here you can find out more about the history of the region and the surrounding national parks. The Heritage Trail is a 3 km hiking trail along Timber Creek.
- Policeman's Point. Approx. 3 km west of the town center: access to the Victoria River (approx. 2.5 km, paved) at the mouth of Timber Creek with a beautiful view over the river, a small picnic area and several fishing spots.
- Airstrip. Approx. 7 km west of the town center: At the small airfield you can charter sightseeing flights over the Victoria River.
- Nackaroo Monument & Lookout. About 9 km west of the town center: A dented traffic sign indicates "Cemetery, Lookouts, Rubbish Dump" (cemetery, viewpoints, dump, what a combination). A steep, paved road, approx. 2 km long, leads to a hill with a beautiful view over the Victoria River. Several information boards tell of the Nackaroos, an elite unit of the Australian Army, who had several remote outposts here as an early warning system for Japanese attacks during World War II.
- Big Horse Creek. Approx. 11 km west of the town center: Here is a driveway to the Victoria River with a boat ramp (popular starting point for fishing trips and short river cruises) and a small campground.
Durack Memorial, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 280 km <*> 260 km - Katherine)
At the edge of the Hwy is a farm gate with information boards to commemorate the Durack family, the first settlers in this area.
Junction to Judbarra National Park, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 284 km <*> 256 km - Katherine)
Here the Bullita Stock Route and a few other tracks branches off to the western part of the Judbarra National Park (old name: Gregory National Park), all of them all-wheel drive slopes of varying degrees of difficulty. If you are traveling by car or camper and still want to visit the Judbarra NP, you can book guided four-wheel drive tours in Kununurra or Katherine.
Turn off the Buchanan Highway, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 310 km <*> 230 km - Katherine)
The approx. 425 km long, except for a few km unpaved Buchanan Hwy leads over Victoria River Downs (one of the largest farms in Australia) and Top Springs to the southeast to Stuart Hwy, approx. 8 km north of Dunmarra.
Joe's Creek & Nawulbinbin Walk, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 350 km <*> 190 km - Katherine)
About 2 km of unpaved road leads to a parking lot with picnic areas at Joes Creek (mostly dry in the dry season). The approx. 2 km long Nawulbinbin circular hiking trail leads steeply up through an impressive landscape to the sandstone cliffs (good footwear and surefootedness required, in the midday heat the ascent becomes agonizing, you must take 1-2 liters of drinking water with you) and past a few rock paintings again back to the valley.
Escarpment Walk, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 355 km <*> 185 km - Katherine)
Directly on the highway is a parking lot, from which a steep climb leads to the edge of the sandstone cliffs (approx. 3.5 km there and back), from where you have a wide view of the Victoria River.
Victoria River Roadhouse, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 360 km <*> 180 km - Katherine)
Friendly rest house with motel, campground, gas station, bistro and mini shop, always worth a break.
- Old Victoria River Crossing. A few hundred meters away from the roadhouse, a short four-wheel drive ("Victoria River Access", also easily accessible on foot) leads to the old ford and a few picnic and fishing spots on the Victoria River. Very nice and worth a few photos, but again because of the saltwater crocodiles you should definitely keep your distance from the water.
Turn off to Willeroo Station and Buntine Highway, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 425 km <*> 115 km - Katherine)
Near the Willeroo Station (touristically undeveloped) the approximately 740 km long, mostly unpaved Buntine Hwy branches off to the southwest to Halls Creek (WA).
Katherine, NT
(Great Northern Hwy - 540 km <*> 0 km - Katherine)
With about 6,000 inhabitants it is Katherine the fourth largest city in the Northern Territory and offers all tourist-relevant services (hotels, motels, campgrounds, supermarkets, shops, restaurants & pubs, petrol stations & workshops, banks & eftpos, internet cafes, medical care, ...). Sights in Katherine and the surrounding area:
- Katherine Low Level. Approx. 6 km west of the city on Victoria Hwy: A small weir with several rapids on the Katherine River invite you to swim. Several colonies of flying foxes (a type of bat) live in the trees on the bank and perform impressive feats of flight in the morning and evening hours. In the immediate vicinity is a beautiful campground.
- Katherine Hot Springs. Approx .: 4 km west of the city on Victoria Hwy: A warm spring feeds several pools that invite you to swim. A popular meeting place for Katherine residents after work and for teenagers for weekend parties.
- Katherine Museum. Approx. 8 km east of the city, via Giles-Road and Gorge Road: Nice museum with exciting exhibits on local history and a large outdoor area with old aircraft and vehicles as well as machines from mines and agriculture.
- Nitmiluk National Park. (Old name: Katherine Gorge National Park, approx. 25 km east of the city, via Giles-Road and Gorge Road): The Katherine Gorge is a system of 13 impressive canyons, the first 9 of which are open to tourists. An information center is right at the car park at the end of Gorge Road. From here you can explore the area on several hiking trails of varying difficulty, rent a canoe and paddle through the first 3 gorges, or book guided boat tours and sightseeing flights.
- Leliyn. (old name: Edith Falls, approx. 30 km to the north on the Stuart Hwy and approx. 12 km further to the east via an asphalt access road): At the end of the road there is a kiosk and a small campground. From here you can explore the 3 ponds lying one behind the other and connected by small waterfalls via circular hiking trails or just take a refreshing bath in beautiful nature.
- Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park. Approx. 30 km on the Stuart Hwy to the south and then on an approx. 1 km long, paved access road to the west: Two circular hiking trails (Woodland Walk, approx. 0.7 km and Karst Walk, approx. 1 km) invite you to take walks the weathered, black limestone landscape. The impressive ones Cutta Cutta caves can be explored on guided tours (every hour from the parking lot).
- Elsey National Park. About 105 km to the south on the Stuart Hwy, about 1 km north of Mataranka branches off an approx. 3 km long, paved access road to Korran (old name: Bitter Springs). The still relatively lonely, warm springs, surrounded by overgrown tropical nature, are an impressive place for walks and a refreshing swim. About 3 km south of Mataranka branches off the approx. 6 km long, paved access road to the thermal pool. Another nice place to swim surrounded by palm trees and myrtle trees (paperbark trees), but it is very popular with tourists. To enjoy this place in peace, you should go swimming before 8 or after 5 p.m. A campground with a restaurant & pub offer a good overnight stay with evening entertainment. Several hiking trails lead through the green oasis to Rainbow Spring or along the Roper River. in the Elsey National Park there are still several places that are reminiscent of the eponymous Elsey Station. Lived here in 1902/03 Jeannie Gunn (Aka Mrs. Aeneas Gunn) who wrote the novel a few years later "We of the never never" wrote about this time, which still has national cult status in Australia and should not be missing on any bookshelf.
trips
Further north the Stuart Hwy leads past the famous Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks to Darwin (290 km) and to the south it goes via Alice Springs (1150 km) to Adelaide (2,720 km) in South Australia.
security
The general safety rules of the Australian outback apply:
- Drive: Always drive carefully and only in daylight, always pay attention to roadtrains, livestock and wild animals and bush fires, take regular breaks for relaxation. In the rainy season or after heavy rain showers, inquire about the condition of the road in good time and pay attention to the water levels in the many floodways (up to 30 cm water height on asphalt roads can be just a few meters through with a car or camper, four-wheel drive vehicles with "snorkels") If necessary, can also manage up to 80 cm water height). Off the Victoria Highway there are almost only unpaved roads (mostly about 4 m wide sand or gravel roads). As long as they are not explicitly marked as "4WD only", they can normally also be used by cars and campers. With rental cars, however, unpaved roads are often not allowed to be used at all or only to a limited extent (in the event of damage the insurance cover expires). Therefore, when you pick up the vehicle, you should definitely get an ok for the planned routes from the landlord. With all-wheel drive you can get almost anywhere, but there are also many extremely impassable slopes (e.g. in the Judbarra National Park) that can only be mastered with good off-road experience (be sure to inquire on site).
- Hike: When hiking, apply lotion beforehand (at least sun protection factor 30, better 50), wear appropriate clothing (sturdy shoes, headgear, etc.), enough drinking water (at least 1 liter per hour and person), emergency provisions and be sure to take a first aid kit with you. As a "normal tourist" one should only move on marked hiking trails. Cross-country you quickly lose your orientation and get lost, which can be fatal in this loneliness.
- Sign out: When driving or hiking in remote areas, to be on the safe side, you should log off and back again at the last ranger station, the police or the roadhouse.
- Wildlife are not cuddly animals. In general, you should keep your distance from all wild animals and never annoy them. With a little caution, however, you will usually not run into problems. Nevertheless: dingoes are wild dogs and often very snappy. Emus are unpredictable and can cause serious injuries to their beak and claws. Even the cute kangaroos are equal boxing opponents from a certain size onwards. Bats can transmit rabies and other viral diseases through bites. Saltwater crocodiles (salties) are cannibals, while freshwater crocodiles (freshies) are usually not dangerous (just keep your distance when swimming and don't annoy them). If you are not crawling through the thicket, there is no real danger from the many poisonous snakes and spiders.
- swim you should only visit explicitly designated places or ask locals, as there are crocodiles along the entire highway.
- Medical help is only available in Kununurra (one clinic and several doctors) <225 km> Timber Creek (a small emergency clinic) <270 km> Katherine (several clinics and doctors), or, if things get really tight, via the Flying Doctors (Emergency Call : 000).
