The drive to Darwin doesn't have to be a boring one! In fact the drive actually offers a great deal of adventure and intrigue if you're driving from Adelaide or simply passing through from Victoria!
The most direct route from VIC or Adelaide to Darwin is Via the Princess Hwy so I'll make that my starting point
I'm a huge Art fanatic so I'll show you my BIG Things, Roadside Attractions, Street Art & Public Art stops I'd found through through-out my travels. For those wishing to add more natural or cultural stops other than the main touristy drawcards you will have to complete further research.
Click each photo for Location and Artist Information. If it's known to me it'll be within the post
Edit: This page was created 13/04/2021 and is still under construction.
Individual posts haven't been made for all photographs yet. Feel free to leave me a message if you need locations pronto otherwise creating posts for this guide will take me a few weeks.
Lets begin at Lower Light
Lower Light I home to these Protest Statues. They were created and displayed along the Princess Highway to challenge the Governments proposal to build a waste management facility. The original statues one also hosted Lou the BIG Blowfly but he's since disappeared.
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| Lower Light | Cockroach |
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| Lower Light | Rat |
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| Lower Light | Spaceship |
Further North you'll have a few touristy roadside items and if you have time for a short detour to you can photograph the Goanna sculpture in Crystal Brook.
The next stop is Rocket Park in Wommera. It's a 15 min detour off the highway but it's not something you see everyday and is a nice way to break up the drive with something interesting. I have a ton more photos but I'll only post six, haha
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| Rocket Park |
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| Rocket Park |
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| Rocket Park |
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| Rocket Park |
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| Rocket Park |
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| Rocket Park |
Once you're back on the Highway your next stop is Coober Pedy.
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| Coober Pedy | BIG Winch |
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| Coober Pedy | BIG Boomerang |
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| Coober Pedy | Fruit Bowl |
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| Coober Pedy | Tyre Art |
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| Coober Pedy | Icecream Sunday |
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| Coober Pedy | Lizard |
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| Coober Pedy | Opal Beetle |
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| Coober Pedy | BIG Miner |
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| Coober Pedy | Small Miner |
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| Coober Pedy | Spaceship |
From the South Australia border to Darwin!
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| Ghan | BIG XXXX Can |
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| Erldunda | BIG Hedgehog |
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| Erldunda | BIG Lizard |
⏸ Pam Armstrong has a mural at the Erldunda Roadhouse!
From Erldunda Roadhouse you have a choice of going
◾ West to Uluru; OR
◾ North and heading towards Rainbow Valley / Alice Springs
West to Uluru
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| Petermann | BIG Spear |
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| Uluru |
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Valley of the Winds
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If you have time head North and complete the Kings Canyon walk. It can be a strenuous walk but there are short and longs walks to cater to people of differing fitness levels and abilities
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| Kings Canyon Walk |
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| Kings Canyon Walk |
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| Kings Canyon Walk |
North towards Rainbow Valley / Alice Springs
Remember to check the road and weather conditions prior to going to Rainbow Valley. It's a good 15-30kms of thick bull dust when I went. My Jackaroo slid around something shocking doing a mere 40kms an hour.
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| Rainbow Valley |
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| Rainbow Valley |
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| Bear Shaped Rock |
If you've taken your time It'll take you a week to get to Alice Springs
Here's a few Roadside, Public & Street Art items to grab while you're in town!
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| Alice Springs | BIG Books |
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| Alice Springs | BIG Hand |
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| Alice Springs | Dirt Camels |
Public Art
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| Alice Springs | Yellow Bunny |
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| Alice Springs | Caterpillar |
Street Art
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| Alice Springs | Bob & Kay Kessing |
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| Alice Springs | CHNG |
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| Alice Springs | Chris Scott |
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| Alice Springs | Craig Saunders |
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| Alice Springs | CTO |
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| Alice Springs | Dvate |
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| Alice Springs | KaRine TRemblay |
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| Alice Springs | Kim Donald |
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| Alice Springs | Lrocka750 |
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| Alice Springs | Mike Makatron |
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| Alice Springs | Unknown |
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| Alice Springs | Unknown |
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| Alice Springs | Jam Ally |
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| Alice Springs | Unknown |
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| Alice Springs | Unknown |
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| Alice Springs | Unknown |
It's been some time since I've been through Alice Springs. (2018) I'm aware they've had a second Street Art festival and while I hope this page helps it's quite incomplete. Make sure you research prior to leaving Alice Springs if you desire to visit everything
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| Burt Plain | Tropic of Capricorn |
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| Anmatjere | Anmatjere Man |
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| Anmatjere | Woman & Child |
Wycliffe Wells - UFO capital of Australia
We spent Xmas eve here and whether it was the stories of the atmosphere I had trouble sleeping. I've never seen a themed caravan park before so this was a real treat for me. There's nothing stopping you from walking in, taking these photos and leaving without staying the night and all items are found within the Caravan park itself or the attached Service Station.
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| Davenport | Pam Armstrong |
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Davenport | Pam Armstrong
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Davenport | Pam Armstrong
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Davenport | Pam Armstrong
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Davenport | Pam Armstrong
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Davenport | Pam Armstrong
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| Davenport | Elvis |
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| Davenport | Hulk |
A few minutes up the road will see you at The Devils Marbles If you haven't been I strongly recommend you make time. Sometimes we look at something like this after being somewhere similar and see 'just more rocks' but the atmosphere and experience, as well as bragging rights, all make it worthwhile.
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| The Devil's Marbles |
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The Devil's Marbles
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The Devil's Marbles
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It's a bit of a drive to the next roadside item. There are likely things to see and do along the way I simply hadn't found any myself.
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| Daly Waters | Traffic Light |
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| Daly Waters | BIG Bottle |
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| Daly Waters | ROFLCoptor |
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| Larrimah | BIG Stubbie |
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| Mataranka | Banyan Tree |
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| Mataranka | Postman |
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| Katherine | Kangaroo |
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| Katherine | BIG Barramundi |
⏸ Katherine's newspaper boasts 20 murals around town. I've heard of a few
▪ KRA (Katherine Regional Arts) on an external stairwell.
▪ Railway Terrace - 'Jet Planes' by Jesse Bell
▪ Railway Terrace - Portrait of 'Neighbor' by Jesse Bell
▪ Salvation Army - 'Bats' by Chloe Forscutt
▪ Katherine Doorways Hub building 'The Man from Snowy River
When I visited
Hayes Creek to check out the new sculptures I believed were going to be a new BIG Thing I decided to dip my toes in the nearby hot springs. The 'Douglas Daly Hot Springs' is in Hayes Creek and it's a popular tourist stop. I found the spring too hot for me but who needs a thermal spring when the temp seldom drops below 20 degrees
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| Hayes Creek | Hot Springs |
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| Douglas Daly | BIG Nugget |
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| Adelaide River | Charlie |
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| Fly Creek - BIG Whip |
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| Humpty Doo - Boxing Croc |
This pretty much lands you on the doorstep to Darwin!
If this page has helped you remember to leave a comment below!
Wow, what an incredible road trip! Your vivid descriptions and stunning photos really brought the journey from Adelaide to Darwin to life. I especially loved how you highlighted the unique landmarks and natural beauty along the way, like [insert specific place/landmark mentioned]. It’s inspiring to see such detailed planning and passion for exploration. This post has definitely added the route to my travel bucket list. Thank you for sharing your adventure! Global Talent Pathway
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! The Adelaide to Darwin road trip sounds like an amazing adventure. I love the detailed insights and tips for planning such a journey. Definitely bookmarking this for future reference. Keep up the great work! Furnace Filters
ReplyDeleteSuch an inspiring read! The journey from Adelaide to Darwin sounds like an unforgettable adventure and great tips and beautiful insights. Definitely adding this to my bucket list
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