Canning Stock Route
It's time for The epic
Canning Stock Route – Travelled Route – Perth to Darwin
The famous Canning Stock Route is
- the all-wheel-drive dream route for everyone who loves the Australian outback,
- the most prolonged and loneliest, almost 2000 km long off-road vehicle route globally,
- leading through four desert areas in Western Australia and Northern Territory:
– Gibson Desert
– Little Sandy Desert
– Great Sandy Desert
– Tanami Desert
All this can be safely enjoyed as a TAG-ALONG TOUR or as a PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR guided by a very experienced tour guide.
Travel description
The Canning Stock Route is a semi-desert crossing through breathtaking landscapes, unexpectedly colourful flora, and varied fauna. However, the encounter with the indigenous people and their rock paintings is also planned.
It is the longest and loneliest off-road vehicle route in the world. It is located in Western Australia, is almost 2000 km long, extends from Wiluna in the south to Billiluna in the north, and leads through the Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Great Sandy Desert, and the Tanami Desert.
The best time to travel is between May and September.
Travel Style
Tag-Along Tour is a guided group tour in individual off-road vehicles for two people.
You travel, drive and sleep in an off-road vehicle-camper for one or two people, equipped with everything you need. Alternatively, we can organise an off-road vehicle with a roof tent.
Participation in your off-road vehicle is also possible. You can book a ride if you don’t want to drive yourself.
Climbing and descending rocky terrain between Well 3 and Well 4 on the Canning Stock Route
Navigating through the fine red sand in the Great Sandy Desert – Canning Stock Route
Canning Stock Route – Crossing water at Savory Creek – Lake Disappointment
Canning Stock Route – a challenging track not for the faint hearted
Canning Stock Route – Match and Watercrossing at Well 19 – Little Sandy Desert
Exclusive Private Tour
Max. 2 PersonsRequesting prices is not the same as asking for a tour; therefore, we calculate each enquiry carefully and individually.
Mini Group Tour
max. 4 participantsA$ 12,065
Two 4 WD cars withone or two people in one car
- excluding 4 WD hire, Allstar Camper and Bonito – Camper can be organised
Small Group Tour
5 or more Personsexcluding 4 WD hire, Allstar Camper and Bonito – Camper can be organised
Scheduled itinerary | Darwin to Perth | 19 days
(Subject to change)
Participants to arrive in good time before departure to sleep off any jet lag and to adapt to the local climate is recommended
Day 1 8:00 Day 1 8:00 The first three days of your adventure and experience tour are dedicated to the necessary preparations without a tour guide. The hire vehicles are picked up in the morning. Afterwards, only the essentials for the first two days are bought. All fresh produce and honey will be confiscated at the border with Western Australia. We should leave Darwin in the late morning to reach Katherine, but Timber Creek would be better.
Day 2 8.00 We continue to Kununurra. There we will shop at Coles for the next 14 days. Recommended overnight stay: Pambula Town Caravan Park, 40 Bloodwood Drive, Kununurra WA 6743, Phone: 08 9168 1763 – Mobile 0455 184956, mail: managers@townpark.com.au.
Day 3 8.00 The vehicle is loaded and test-driven, we continue to Halls Creek, where, if all goes according to plan, we can arrive between 12 noon and 1 o’clock. The meeting point is the tourist information centre.
Day 4 to Day 16 From Day 4 the real adventure begins, the Canning Stock Route is a track of about 2000 km left to its own devices. We do not know the current condition and technical problems of any kind can happen at any time. Therefore, we can’t predict the place where the group stops for an overnight camp. In Billiluna we refuel again, and in a small general store of the indigenous people, there is the last shopping possibility.
You see the following places of interest:
Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater), Billiluna Aboriginal Community, Stretch Lagoon, Lake Gregory ( Guda Soak ), Well 51, Well 50, Well 49, Well 48, South Esk Tableland, Breaden Hills, Breaden Pool, Godfrey Tank, Well 47, Well 46, Well 45, Gravity Lake, Well 44, Well 43, Guli Lake, Well 42, Well 41, Well 40, Tobin Lake, Well 39, Well 38, Well 37, Well 36, Well 35, Well 33, Kunawarritji Aboriginal Community, Well 32, Well 31, Well 30, Well 29 Thring Rock, Well 28, Well 27, Well 26, Well 25, Well 24, Talawana Track, Well 23, Georgia Bore, Well 22, Well 21, Lake Disappointment, crossing Savory Creek, Well 19, Tropic of Capricorn, Well 18, Durba Springs, climbing Canning’s Cairns, Well 16, Well 15, Well 14, Well 13, Well 12, Well 11, Well 10, Well 9, Well 8, Well 7, Climb Ingebong Hill, Well 6, Well 5, Windich Springs, Well 4a, Lake Nabaru, Well 3, Well 2a The Granites, Well 2, North Pool, Well 1. Wiluna.
You are crossing four desert regions on this route: Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Tanami Desert.
Day 17 and 18 From Wiluna we take the Goldfields Highway towards Meekatharra and turn right towards Cue and Mount Magnet, where we will spend the last night. From here we travel via Paynes Find, Wubin, Dalwallinu to New Norcia, the only Benedictine monastic village in Australia. After this highlight, the tour will finally end in Perth.
Day 19 Final day, vehicle return and preparation for the onward journey.
Scheduled itinerary | Perth to Darwin | 19 days
(Subject to change)
Participants to arrive in time before departure to sleep off any jet lag and to adapt to the local climate is recommended.
Day 1 On the first day of your adventure tour, we prepare. In the morning, we pick up the rental vehicles. Afterwards, you will shop for 14 days, load your off-road vehicle, and test drive it.
Day 2 + Day 3 We meet at a car park near the city centre on Heirisson Island. 8.30 is departure towards Mt Magnet, passing New Norcia, Australia’s only Benedictine monastic village. Then it’s on to Wiluna, the obvious starting point of the Canning Stock Route. We stop in Cue, a small town with well-preserved buildings from its heyday. Then comes Meekatharra, where we refuel again. We arrive in Wiluna early enough to visit Well 1 and North Pool. In Wiluna, we refuel again. There is the last chance to buy groceries in a small general store.
Day 4 to Day 16 From Day 4, the real adventure begins, the Canning Stock Route. The CSR is a track of about 2000 km left to its devices. We do not know the current condition, and technical problems of any kind can happen at any time. Therefore, we can’t predict where the group will stop for an overnight camp.
The following are the places of interest that will be visited:
Well 2, Well 2a The Granites, Well 3, Lake Nabaru, Well 4a, Windich Springs, Well 5, Well 6, Climbing Ingeborg Hill, Well 7, Well 8, Well 9, Well 10, Well 11, Well 12, Well 13, Well 14, Well 15, Well 16, Climbing Canning’s Cairns, Durba Springs, Well 18, Tropic of Capricorn, Well 19, Crossing Savory Creek, Lake Disappointment, Well 21, Well 22, Georgia Bore, Talawana Track, Well 23, Well 24, Well 25, Well 26, Well 27, Well 28, Well 29, Thring Rock, Well 30, Well 31, Well 32, Kunawarritji Aboriginal Community, Well 33, Well 35, Well 36, Well 37, Well 38, Well 39, Tobin Lake, Well 40, Well 41, Well 42, Guli Lake, Well 43, Well 44, Gravity Lake, Well 45, Well 46, Well 47, Well 48, South Esk Tableland, Breaden Hills, Breaden Pool, Godfrey Tank, Well 49, Well 50, Well 51, Lake Gregory ( Guda Soak ) Stretch Lagoon, Billiluna Aboriginal Community, Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater,
You are crossing four desert regions on this route: Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Great Sandy Desert, and Tanami Desert.
Day 17 + 18 From Halls Creek, we part ways. The guests continue on the bitumen road to Darwin. Shortly after Kununurra, they leave Western Australia and enter the Northern Territory. To reach Darwin in the early afternoon of the following day, it is necessary to reach Timber Creek
Day 19: Final camp, vehicle cleaning and return, and preparation for the onward journey.
Services Included
- Guided self-drive tag along Tour Australian style
- Qualified tour-guiding from Perth to Darwin, or vice versa.
- Parts of Otto Tours Recovery Kit if needed, including loan a second spare tyre, a compressor, spare tubes
- All transit permits
- Tyre pressure gauge
- Funnel for refilling the water tank
- Necessary fuel on the Canning Stock Route
- Camping fee at Mt Magnet, Timber Creek, Kununurra, Halls Creek
- Everything is provided for a refreshing bush shower
- Canning Stock Route information material
- Qualified recovery assistance
- 2. Spare tyre if needed
- Communication equipment to contact the Royal Flying Doctor Service via satellite telephone
- CB –Radio for each vehicle for in-car communication
Services NOT included
- Drinks and meals.
- Personal optional activities
- Personal expenses and medication
- Tips
- Fuel outside of the Canning Stock Route
Special Instructions
- A release and disclaimer must be signed before starting the tour.
- For all participants, it is recommended to take out suitable travel insurance that also covers cancellation and termination of the trip.
- For German participants, the conclusion of an ARAG protection letter is also recommended, but it is unfortunately not offered in other countries.
Travel Price excludes Vehicle Rental.
On request, we can arrange a 4WD camper for you
- 4WD camper with complete equipment, unlimited km per day, liability insurance for the off-road vehicle with a deductible of AUD 7000.00. We recommend Comprehensive coverage.
- Insurance coverage is available on Tag-Along Tours with Otto Tours Australia on all routes.
- We can organise the following vehicle types. (subject to availability)
- Allstar Camper, Bonito Camper
Other vehicles on request
Surcharges (strongly recommended)
Fully comprehensive insurance without a deductible, valid on the CSR, per day, per vehicle, including prepaid gas bottle refilling, 1 x table, and two camping chairs. (Just with a current rental request, we can determine the costs)
Payment and cancellation conditions
- 20% of the travel price is due when booking
- 80% of the travel price is due 60 days before the start of the trip.
In the event of a cancellation, the following cancellation conditions apply:
- 20% of the travel price is due up to 60 days before the start of the trip
- 40% of the travel price is due up to 40 days before the start of the trip
- 60% of the travel price is due up to 30 days before the start of the trip
- 80% of the travel price is due up to 14 days before the start of the trip
- After that, 100% of the travel price is due
Travel Dates for the Canning Stock Route Trip
(The Private Tour Guiding travel dates can be arranged to suit your timeframe)
Canning Stock Route | Perth to Darwin | 19 Days
Canning Stock Route | Darwin to Perth | 19 Days
Canning Stock Route | Perth to Darwin | 19 Days
Canning Stock Route | Darwin to Perth | 19 Days
Canning Stock Route | Perth to Darwin | 19 Days
