Perth Travel Forum

Hi,

I'm driving from Perth to Darwin in September, over 25 days (a tourist trip). I need to know whether i should hire a 4wd or whether i will be fine with a 2wd vehicle - can anyone help?

I know i can (physically) do the drive in a 2wd, but will i be missing out on all the "best" sights if i lack an off-road capability?

Many thanks,
Aliki

Hi There is a very good sealed highway all the way. You only need a 4 wheel drive should you wish to use the dirt tracks and off road. The Gibb River is one of the roads a 4 wheel drive is needed, but you can get to many other places in a standard car.

I am thinking of driving Perth Darwin next winter (end of May to September period) as this is the dry season and better climate. I will use my Honda car and most likely take a 4 day tour from Broome to see the Gibb River road. There are plenty of tours coys to take you over this section in their 4 wheel drive buses/ vehicles.

Good Luck,
Mike

As Mike mentioned, you can get by with 2wd for most places, although not for The Gibb River Road. The Bungle Bungles (Purnululu National Park) is another place you can’t get to in 2wd. You can fly in/out from the Bungle Bungles. I’m not sure if there are overnight stays or drive-in tours available. I would recommend staying a night in the Bungle Bungles if possible.

If you rent a 4wd, it is recommended to have a 2nd spare tire if driving the Gibb River Road. I purchased a 2nd spare in Broome. Luckily, I didn’t need to use a spare at all. The Gibb River Road is well worth exploring. These are the only places I went to that I remember required 4wd.

Another place I really enjoyed was Karijini National Park in the Pilbara and Hamersley Range. If you enjoy hiking, there are some fantastic walks in the gorges here with waterfalls and swimming holes. The Hancock Gorge walk is memorable, but is recommended for experienced walkers (level 2).

Enjoy your trip!

Awesome, thanks

Hi Aliki,

Worldtrekka has mentioned some great places off the beaten track. Karijini is really very beautiful and IMHO Hammersley Gorge is perhaps the most beautiful in Australia.

Worth mentioning also is Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek. They can be accessed via the Gibb River Road or the Great Northern Highway.

So, a four wheel drive will get you into some really top, top spots but you would definitely have to check your rental agreement to see if you are actually permitted to take the vehicle off the bitumen.

Worth the hire? Definitely. But if 2WD is all you can do well there is still plenty to see.

Ooh do you know what is also really beautiful? Cape Range National Park in behind Exmouth - that's where the Ningaloo Reef is and just a magic spot.

Oh somebody stop me! I could go on for hours but I hope this helps a little and let us all know if you need more details for your trip.
Regards
MissusT

If you stick the main hwy (the 1) you can do it with a 2wd, i have driven to broome and back twice with a station wagon...i have also been through Karijini many times with it as well....although one time i almost got into a bit of trouble because it was after the wet season and the roads in Karijini hadnt been graded yet so there was a lot of massive flood pools on the roads...but i got through it ok.

Gibb River rd is much nicer than the main hwy but you will need a 4wd to drive it. most of the national parks in the kimberly as mentioned above you will definitely need a 4wd drive to get to!