A Broome to Geelong campervan route with no fairy floss

The sealed inland run from Broome to Geelong via Kununurra, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy and Port Augusta is roughly 4,970 km. You can technically drive it in 8 big days if you enjoy arriving cranky, sunburnt and unable to remember what state you are in. A better campervan pace is 14 to 21 days.

The distances look harmless on a map until you meet 53.5 metre road trains, 38°C afternoons and roos that treat dusk like peak hour. Plan to be parked by 4 pm in the north and centre, earlier if you’re new to long-haul van driving.

• Fast but tiring: 10–12 days, mostly transit, limited sightseeing.
• Sensible: 16–18 days, with rest days at Kununurra, Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy.
• Big Lap style: 21+ days, adding Lake Argyle, Nitmiluk, West MacDonnell Ranges and a slower run through South Australia.
• Don’t: plan 700 km days back-to-back in summer; the van and your passengers will vote you out.

This Broome to Geelong motorhome road trip stays on sealed highways: Great Northern Highway, Victoria Highway, Stuart Highway, Augusta Highway, then the run through Adelaide, western Victoria and Geelong. That makes it suitable for most standard hired campervans and motorhomes, subject to your rental conditions.

The temptation is to detour onto the Gibb River Road or random station tracks because someone at the servo said it was “not too bad last week”. In a conventional hire motorhome, don’t. Many rental agreements ban unsealed roads except short, signed access roads to campgrounds, and remote recovery can cost more than the holiday.

• Broome to Fitzroy Crossing: 396 km, with Derby as a worthwhile side loop if time allows.
• Fitzroy to Kununurra: 648 km; break it at Halls Creek or Warmun if the heat is up.
• Kununurra to Katherine: 514 km and a quarantine border to think about.
• Stuart Highway south: long, sealed, exposed, and shared with road trains that need plenty of room.
• Do: check road conditions after heavy rain, especially in the Kimberley and Victoria River region during the Wet.

Remote Australia rewards boring planning. Fill in Broome, then again whenever you pass a proper town. On this route the longest practical day in the plan is Alice Springs to Coober Pedy at about 688 km, though fuel is available at Erldunda, Kulgera, Marla and other roadhouses if open. Still, don’t roll past a remote pump on a quarter tank just because your app looks optimistic.

Roadhouses can have limited hours, card machines can sulk, and remote fuel often costs noticeably more than capital-city prices. A diesel motorhome with a 70–90 litre tank still needs conservative planning, especially into headwinds where fuel use can jump from around 12 L/100 km to 15 L/100 km or more.

• Broome–Fitzroy Crossing: 396 km; fuel at Broome, Derby side route, Fitzroy Crossing.
• Kununurra–Katherine: 514 km; useful stops include Timber Creek and Victoria River Roadhouse.
• Katherine–Tennant Creek: 675 km; fuel options include Mataranka, Daly Waters, Elliott and Renner Springs.
• Alice Springs–Coober Pedy: 688 km; fill before leaving Alice and again where sensible.
• Do: slow down, indicate early and let road trains overtake on straight sections.
• Don’t: pull half off the bitumen at speed; soft shoulders can grab a tyre and ruin your afternoon.

Sleeping in your camper is the point, but the rules change by council, park and state. In towns like Broome, Katherine, Alice Springs and Geelong, don’t assume you can overnight on the foreshore or behind the bottle-o. Use signed caravan parks, showgrounds where permitted, national park campgrounds or marked rest areas.

Expect powered holiday park sites to commonly sit around the $40–$70 per night range in popular places, more in peak season. National park and conservation campgrounds are usually cheaper but may need online booking, and some are not suitable for large motorhomes. Free camps and 24-hour rest areas are handy between towns, but they are not an excuse to empty grey water into the dirt.

• First practical stop: Fitzroy Crossing or Derby, depending on your pace out of Broome.
• Good rest-day towns: Kununurra, Katherine, Alice Springs and Coober Pedy.
• National park caution: Nitmiluk, Karlu Karlu and West MacDonnell sites can book out in the dry season.
• Dump points: plan around Broome, Kununurra, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, Port Augusta and Geelong.
• Do: carry drinking water separately from your tank water in hot country.
• Don’t: camp in signed day-use areas; councils do issue fines.

The best window for this route is generally May to September. The Kimberley and Top End are warm but more manageable, the Red Centre nights can be cold, and the roads are less likely to be cut. From November to March, daytime temperatures of 38–42°C are normal in places, and the Wet can flood creeks across northern highways with very little sympathy for your itinerary.

You will cross quarantine zones between Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria. Fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and plant material can be restricted, and inspectors do not care that you only bought the mangoes yesterday. Eat it, bin it or declare it before the checkpoint.

• Carry water: at least 4–5 litres per person per day in remote sections, plus extra for delays.
• Tyres: check pressures cold every few days; heat and long bitumen runs are hard on rubber.
• Air-con: a powered site is worth paying for when overnight temperatures stay above 28°C.
• Quarantine: check current rules before leaving Kununurra and again before entering South Australia and Victoria.
• Do: book your campervan early for the dry season and check availability online before locking in flights.