By Road
About the Roads
The Central Arnhem Road leaves the Stuart Highway
52 km south of Katherine. The first 30 km is sealed but from
then on the road is corrugated, slippery with loose gravel
and in some places heavy with bull dust.
There are two major river crossings; the Wilton
River near Bulman Aboriginal community and the Goyder River,
about 400 km from Nhulunbuy. It is advisable to check road
conditions with the Department of Planning
and Infrastructure before traveling for a Road Report.
The last fuel stop on the track is The Outback
Store (about 250km from Katherine) at the Mainoru River where
you can camp or get cold drinks and supplies. There is no
more fuel after this until you reach Nhulunbuy, so it will
be necessary to carry jerry cans of fuel.
Permits are required
Traveling in Arnhem Land also requires a Permit
which you can apply for through the Northern
Land Council. You may also require a recreational
or special permit from the Dhimurru Land Management Council
for areas outside the Nhulunbuy Town when sightseeing in East
Arnhem Land.
Caravans Please note that there is NO CARAVAN PARK or
CAMPGROUND in Nhulunbuy and the Central Arnhem Road is not
recommended for caravans.
The Northern Land Council will not approve a
permit to tow a van into East Arnhem Land and Dhimurru Land
Management Aboriginal Corporation will not issue a Visitor
Recreation Permit to anyone with a caravan.
This is to minimize the environmental
impact of long term camping at recreational camping areas.
Penalties apply for moving throughout the region without a
permit and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of the
Traditional Owners in this regard.
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Driving Safely
What will you do if you breakdown? and other
tips for driving on Arnhem Land Roads are available at the
Travel Tips page.
Permits are required
To travel the Central Arnhem Road requires
travel over many Yolngu Clan lands and so a permit from the
Northern Land Council is required. There is no cost for this
permit but a permit is necessary to preserve the area and
monitor the numbers of people on the track. Allow up to two
to four weeks for the permit to be processed by mail. Click
here to read more about permits required for East Arnhem
Land
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