The Australian wilderness is notorious for strange creatures and difficult terrains. When it comes to challenging your technical driving skills and putting your 4×4 knowledge to the test, tackling one of the many available tracks should be on your bucket list. However, if you truly want to push yourself, we have compiled a list of some of the toughest tracks to truly test your skill.
5 Of Australia’s Toughest Tracks
Old Coach Road
Location: Queensland
Distance 76 kilometres
This track starts in north Queensland and tacks you through the tropical rainforest, deep creek crossings and flooded plains. The track also takes you through the Great Dividing Range and even offers you a quick look at history’s famous gold rush country.
Carson River Track
Location: Western Australia
Distance: 420 kilometres
Time to complete: 7 – 12 days
The Carson River Track will take drivers along Gibb River Road to Kalumburu Road. While the distance of 420 kilometres seems pretty short and easy to do, the fact that it can take almost two weeks to complete should give you an idea of how difficult the track is to complete. Although the track is tough, you can expect to take in views of the Kimberley plains and the Pentecost Range like never before.
Madigan Line
Location: Northern Territory, South Australia, and Queensland
Distance: Approximately 1000 kilometres
This track spans over the world’s biggest parallel dune desert and is a crowd favourite when it comes to 4×4-ing in Australia. The track features 1136 dunes made of soft red sand, making it easy to get stuck. Over the years, the difficulty level has decreased, however, it’s still one of the toughest tracks out there.
Gunbarrel Highway
Location: Western Australia
Distance: 1420 kilometres
This track requires a lot of preparation from your side as there are no supply points in the route. It’s also in the middle of nowhere and the odds of you bumping into other people while on your journey is slim. The beautiful desert landscape is something to behold.
Canning Stock Route
Location: Western Australia
Distance: 1850 kilometres
This track takes on three deserts, namely the Gibson, the Little Sandy, and the Great Sandy. It should come as no surprise that this track offers challenging landscapes to challenge any driver. The area has many well sites along the route, a result of the areas dark past that could be an entire article on its own. If you’re feeling ambitious and ready to take on this long and difficult track, you’ll e rewarded with some of the most beautiful landscapes that the country has to offer.
Be Prepared
As with any 4×4 adventure, it’s important to do your research beforehand to prepare yourself for what awaits you. The tracks listed in this piece are incredibly difficult and it’s always advisable that you travel in a group wherever possible to prevent yourself from being stranded in the middle of nowhere.