The Ultimate Broome to Exmouth Itinerary

The drive from Broome to Exmouth is the coastal leg that ties the Kimberley to the Ningaloo Coast. It is 1,450 km of red dirt meeting turquoise water, station-stay sunsets, iron ore country and the longest stretch of empty highway on the Western Australian coast. Plenty of travellers turn inland from Port Hedland and explore the gorges at Karijini. This itinerary does not. We have written it for travellers who want to stay on the coast. The highlights are beach camps, station stays and the sound of the Indian Ocean from the van window.

The route follows Highway 1, initially the Great Northern Highway, then the North West Coastal Highway from Port Hedland. It is sealed bitumen the whole way, with two short unsealed access roads to beachside camps and nothing a hybrid or full-length van can’t handle. The driving days are long, so we have built in two beach layover days early in the trip to take the edge off the long Pilbara stretches that follow.

For those wishing to travel from Exmouth to Broome we have included a summary (see now).

If you have arrived in Broome after completing the Gibb River Road or Savannah Way, this is your itinerary to head south.

In the What’s Next section towards the end of the page, we provide a link to an itinerary that will take you from Exmouth to Perth.

Should You Visit Karijini?

We need to address this as this itinerary does not visit Karijini National Park.

In our opinion, Karijini is one of Australia’s best national parks. Unless you are short on time or have visited the park before, you would do yourself a disservice by not visiting. We have visited the park four times and will be returning on our next trip.

Incorporating Karijini into a trip down the west coast is easy. We recommend travelling this route as far as Karratha before deviating onto Red Dog Highway. The road is about 70% sealed, with an unsealed section between the turn-off onto Roebourne – Wittenoom Road and Nanutarra–Munjina Road. We recommend this route as you can visit Millstream and Python Pool as you travel south. Once at Nanutarra–Munjina Road, we recommend assessing whether you need to continue into Tom Price for fuel and supplies before heading into the national park.

On departure from Karijini, travel directly to Nanutarra, where you can join day 9 on our Pilbara and Coral Coast Loop. That itinerary will get you back to Perth via Exmouth, Kennedy Ranges and Shark Bay

Broome to Exmouth Quick Facts

• Duration: 8 days
• Distance: Approximately 1,441 km
• Start / Finish: Broome to Exmouth
• Best Months: May to September (mild daytime temperatures, lower humidity; avoid the wet/cyclone season from November to April)
• Road Conditions: Fully sealed, dual-lane highway with wide shoulders; short, well-graded unsealed gravel tracks for station access
• Caravan Suitability: Suitable for all standard on-road caravans, hybrids, and camper trailers
• Camping Cost: $55/night average (mix of pastoral station stays and caravan parks)
• Fuel Availability: Reliable in major towns and highway roadhouses (Sandfire, Port Hedland, Karratha, Nanutarra); longest gap is ~271 km
• Mobile Reception: Telstra 4G/5G in main towns and at key station stays; patchy to non-existent on remote highway stretches (Starlink recommended)
• Pet Suitability: Good; dogs permitted on leash at Barn Hill Station, Bullara Station, and designated town holiday parks (prohibited at Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park and inside Cape Range National Park)
• Daily Driving Cap: Maximum 548 km (Day 8: Karratha to Exmouth)
• Highlights: Red coastal cliffs at Barn Hill Station, shell hunting and endless sand at Eighty Mile Beach, iron ore industry scale in Port Hedland and Karratha, rock art at Murujuga, outback hospitality at Bullara Station, and the gateway to Ningaloo Reef
• Difficulty: Easy to Moderate; straightforward bitumen towing with heavy road train traffic, open range livestock, and remote gaps between services
• Who This Trip Suits: Big Lap tourers, full-time caravanners, 4WD campers, and fishing enthusiasts moving south from the Kimberley
• Last Verified: September 2026

Broome to Exmouth Map

To aid your planning, we have carefully prepared a map of the route, shown below. Towards the end of this article, we provide a free interactive map (see interactive map now). The map has details of the campgrounds and attractions.

The Itinerary at a Glance

• Day 1: Broome to Barn Hill Station.
• Day 2: Barn Hill Station. Rest day.
• Day 3: Barn Hill Station to Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park.
• Day 4: Eighty Mile Beach. Rest day.
• Day 5: Eighty Mile Beach to Port Hedland.
• Day 6: Port Hedland to Karratha.
• Day 7: Karratha. Pilbara industry day.
• Day 8: Karratha to Exmouth (optional stay at Nanutarra or Bullara Station).

Day 1: Broome to Barn Hill Station

The Drive

Broome to Barn Hill Station by way of Broome Road and Great Northern Highway | 139 km | 1.5 hours (including 10 km of unsealed access road)

On the Road

An easy first day to ease out of Broome and let the rig stretch its legs. Head east on Broome Road then south on the Great Northern Highway through Roebuck Plains. The road is two-lane sealed bitumen with adequate shoulders and very little traffic, aside from road trains hauling cattle and fuel south to the Pilbara. The country is flat pindan scrub with the occasional boab and not much else to look at, which is pleasing after a spell in town.

The Barn Hill Station turn-off is signposted on the western side of the highway. From the turn, it is roughly 10 km of unsealed road to the campground. The track is graded gravel and was in good condition on our visit, suitable for any rig at a sensible speed of 40 to 60 km/h, depending on the condition of the corrugations.

Rob’s Tip: Check road status before you leave Broome. The Barn Hill access track and the Great Northern Highway close periodically for bushfires and wet-season flooding. We packed the van one morning, only to find the highway closed because of a fire. Two minutes on the phone to the station before you hitch up is the simplest insurance you will buy that day.

The Stay

Barn Hill Station: 2 nights.

A working pastoral station with 126 camp sites over a large area behind the red cliffs and beach. The central area holds the powered sites; an unpowered section runs parallel to the beach to the north; and a row of unpowered ocean-view sites is dotted along the cliff edge. Toilets and showers are on site; most cubicles are open to the sky (a feature, not a bug). Laundry is available for $6 a load. Water, rubbish disposal and a dump point are all on site. A kiosk and cafe offer homemade bread and cakes, and swap-and-go gas if you need it.

Pricing in peak season (April to September) is $65 per night for a powered site for two people, $25 per person for an unpowered site and $65 for the unpowered ocean-view sites. Off-season rates apply from 2 October to 31 March. Pets and tents are both welcome; fires are not permitted. Telstra and Optus both have coverage. Bookings are essential in peak season and can be made online or by phone on (08) 9192 4975.

The Highlight

Barn Hill earns its reputation on the beach alone. The red cliffs next to the white sand and turquoise water are the kind of view that the Kimberley does better than anywhere else in the country. A short walk (or a very short 4WD drive) gets you onto the sand from any campsite. Time the tide for sunset: at low tide the rock platforms below the cliffs hold pools you can wade in, and the sun drops directly into the water from the western face of the camp.

The station runs a bowls game most Wednesday nights on the camp’s grass green, a tradition for long-stayers and exactly the kind of thing that makes the Kimberley feel like the Kimberley. Walk down with a drink and introduce yourself.

Day 2: Barn Hill Station

Rest Day on the Cliffs

No driving today. Keep the rig parked.

The Stay

Second night at Barn Hill Station.

The Highlight

Two nights is the minimum we would recommend, and plenty of travellers stretch it to four or five. There is nothing on the schedule until tomorrow morning, which is the entire point. Walk the beach at low tide for fossicking and bird life, fish from the rocks at the change of tide, or do absolutely nothing in the shade of the van awning.

If you have the time and the inclination, the cliff walk south from the main camp gives a half-hour stretch of red rock and ocean that takes you well past the last of the ocean-view sites. Take water and a hat; there is no shade once you leave the camp boundary.

Rob’s Tip: If you are debating whether to add a third night here, add it. The next two days are a beach day at Eighty Mile and then the long pull into Port Hedland, and you are better rested with one more Barn Hill sunset behind you than with a half-day saved on the timeline.

Day 3: Barn Hill Station to Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park

Down the Great Northern Highway

The Drive

Barn Hill Station to Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park via the Great Northern Highway | 256 km | 2.5 hours (including 9 km of unsealed road)

On the Road

Head back out onto the highway and south. The Great Northern Highway between Barn Hill and the Eighty Mile turn-off is the longest stretch of genuinely empty road on this itinerary. The country is low pindan scrub, the road is straight sealed bitumen with intermittent overtaking lanes and the traffic is mostly road trains and fellow caravanners on the same migration south.

Sandfire Roadhouse is the only fuel stop on this section, around 193 km south of the Barn Hill turn-off. The fuel is expensive (remote-pricing applies), and the coffee is what it is, but it is the only option between Broome and Port Hedland for diesel, so top up if you are running below half a tank. We stopped in late September, and it was 43 °C. Thankfully, it was a lot cooler on the coast.

The Eighty Mile Beach turn-off is signposted on the western side of the highway. The access road is 9 km of unsealed graded gravel and was in good condition on our visit. Suitable for any rig.

Rob’s Tip: Watch for cattle on the highway south of the Sandfire Roadhouse. The country is unfenced in long sections, and station cattle wander onto the road verge to graze the seasonal grass. Slow down at dawn and dusk and give yourself extra space when approaching a road train on a single-lane section.

The Stay

Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park: 2 nights.

A 200-site caravan park (150 powered, 50 unpowered) on the dunes behind one of the longest tidal beaches in the world. The standout feature, after weeks of red dust through the Kimberley, is the lawn. The park rotates its sites so the grass gets watered and rested, and after months of pindan and red dirt under the van it is a genuine relief to step barefoot onto green grass.

Toilets, showers and laundry are all on site. Water, rubbish disposal and a dump point are available. The mini-mart is well-stocked for a remote caravan park and saves a long drive for forgotten supplies. Pets are not permitted; tents are; fires are not. Telstra and Optus both have coverage. Bookings are strongly recommended in peak season through the Summerstar website or on (08) 9176 5941.

Pricing in peak season is $71 per night for a powered site and $64 for unpowered. Off-season rates (12 October to 31 March) drop significantly. You will pay the remote tax here, but for two nights on grass with a hot shower at the end of the day, we considered it money well spent.

The Highlight

The beach. Eighty Mile is exactly that: 220 km of beach in a near-straight line, with a tidal range that exposes hundreds of metres of hard-packed sand at low tide. It is one of the best beach-fishing spots on the WA coast, and the local threadfin salmon, queenfish and bluebone reward an evening cast from the shore.

The sunsets are the other reason people come here. Grab a drink, walk down to the beach (or viewpoint) and join the procession of travellers doing exactly the same thing. The sun drops into the Indian Ocean with no headland in the way for a thousand kilometres, and the colours hold long after the sun is gone.

Day 4: Eighty Mile Beach

Rest Day on the Sand

No driving today. Keep the rig parked.

The Stay

Second night at Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park.

The Highlight

This is the second of two consecutive rest-day stays, and like Barn Hill, it is the kind of place where extending becomes very easy to justify. The park has no real attractions other than the beach, and that is the appeal. Fish the morning tide, swim the afternoon high, walk the evening sand. Do it again tomorrow if the timeline allows.

If you are travelling with kids or a partner who needs a project, the shell collecting along the high-tide line is some of the best on the WA coast. Cowrie shells, conch fragments and the occasional cuttlefish bone wash up in numbers. Take a bucket, fill it before the tide turns and sort the haul back at the van.

Rob’s Tip: Days 5 and 6 are the longest two consecutive driving days on this itinerary. If your schedule has any flex in it at all, add the third night here. You will hit Port Hedland in better shape and Karratha with more left in the tank.

Day 5: Eighty Mile Beach to Port Hedland

Into the Iron Ore Capital

The Drive

Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park to Port Hedland via the Great Northern Highway | 259 km | 2.5 to 3 hours

On the Road

Back out to the highway and south through Pardoo, De Grey and the long flat run into the Pilbara. The country changes character around the De Grey River crossing: the pindan scrub thins, the soil shifts to a deeper red, and the first of the spinifex plains starts to show. By the time you reach the outskirts of Port Hedland, you are firmly into iron ore country.

The first sign you are nearing the port is the rail line. The BHP and Fortescue iron ore trains are the longest in the world (regularly 2.5 to 3 km long, hauling around 240 fully loaded ore cars behind four locomotives).

Approaching town, the highway divides between South Hedland (the residential and shopping centre) and Port Hedland proper (the working port, the heritage area and the closer-in caravan options). Most travellers head for Port Hedland.

Rob’s Tip: Fuel in Port Hedland is cheaper than at Sandfire or any of the remote stops in between. The Coles Express on Wedge Street and the BP on Anderson Street usually have the best prices in town. Use FuelMap or Petrolspy before you commit to a bowser.

The Stay

Two practical options in Port Hedland, depending on whether your rig is fully self-contained and the expected temperatures.

Port Hedland Turf Club RV Stop is a free 72-hour stop in town for genuinely self-contained vehicles. Unpowered, no facilities on site beyond a bin and a flat patch of ground. The catch (and it is a real one) is that it can get hot, and without power you will be on solar alone for fridges and any 12V cooling. From May to August, it is a viable option; from September onwards, daytime temperatures climb past 35 °C and the lack of power becomes a problem fast. Self-contained only; this is enforced.

Discovery Parks Port Hedland (Cooke Point) is the paid option we used and the one we would recommend. It is on the eastern side of town at Cooke Point, with grassed powered sites, hot showers, laundry, a pool and a camp kitchen. The water frontage is the main draw: the park is on the inlet with sunset views back across the harbour towards the loading wharves. Around $55 to $70 a night for a powered site. Walking distance to the Cooke Point boat ramp and a short drive to the supermarket at South Hedland or the smaller IGA in town. Bookings are essential in peak season through the Discovery Parks website. Be aware that construction is currently underway at this park. It is expected to be complete by March 2027.

The Highlight

Port Hedland is not Broome. It is a working port: the largest bulk export port in the world by tonnage, the muscle of the WA iron ore industry, and it does not pretend to be anything else. That said, the operation’s industrial scale is worth seeing once you accept what you are looking at.

Watching the harbour tug fleet shepherd massive bulk carriers through the narrow channel, along with the sheer line of iron ore ships queued on the horizon offshore, is a remarkable sight. The Redbank Bridge Lookout gives the best public vantage point to watch multi-kilometre iron ore trains pass directly beneath you against the backdrop of the massive white Dampier Salt pans. To see the bulk carriers and ship loaders working the wharves up close, head into town to Marapikurrinya Park right on the harbour edge.

The Port Hedland Seafarers Centre runs a two-hour ferry tour of the harbour that is worth booking ahead (adults are $80). The Don Rhodes Mining Museum at the visitor centre has a restored steam locomotive and a yard full of mining equipment that is free to walk through.

For dinner, the Esplanade Hotel on The Esplanade has a reasonable bistro and is the closest pub to the working harbour. Walk down the foreshore afterwards to watch the loaders work under floodlights at night. It is not a holiday postcard, but it shows how this country pays its bills, and that is worth a few hours of your time.

Day 6: Port Hedland to Karratha

Down the Pilbara Spine

The Drive

Port Hedland to Karratha via the Great Northern Highway and the North West Coastal Highway | 239 km | 2.5 to 3 hours

On the Road

Head south from Port Hedland on the Great Northern Highway, then take the turnoff onto the North West Coastal Highway (note: if coming from the south, there is no turnoff). The country opens up: spinifex plains, low ranges in the distance, the occasional dry creek crossing on a culvert. The road is two-lane sealed bitumen, well-maintained and easy towing.

Whim Creek is worth a stop. The Whim Creek Hotel is a heritage roadhouse pub from the old copper mining days. Don’t expect a cold beer, as it closed in 2019.

The Karratha urban area is large by Pilbara standards (population around 17,000) and the approach from the east takes you past the airport, the industrial fringe and the iron ore loaders at Dampier visible across the inlet.

Rob’s Tip: If you have time and interest, the detour to Cossack on the way through Roebourne is one of the better short stops on this leg. It is the original port for the Pilbara pearling and pastoral industry, the heritage buildings are well preserved and there is rarely another tourist in sight. Allow 60 to 90 minutes.

The Stay

Karratha has two reasonable caravan park options, none cheap.

Discovery Parks Pilbara Karratha on Rosemary Road is the largest and best-equipped, with a pool, camp kitchen and laundry. Around $55 to $70 a night for a powered site.

Karratha Caravan Park on Mooligunn Road is the older, simpler option. Around $45 to $55 a night. It is closer to the town centre and walkable to the shopping centre, which is useful for a resupply day.

There is no reliable free or low-cost camping in Karratha. The nearest free stop is at Miaree Pool, 32 km south-west of town on the highway, which is fine as a transit stop but not practical if you want to explore the area.

During peak season, when the two caravan parks are full, a low-cost overflow option opens at Kevin Richards Memorial Oval on Timbrook Close for $16 a night.

The Highlight

Save exploring Karratha for tomorrow. Tonight is a resupply and reset night: top up groceries at the Coles or Woolworths at the Karratha City Shopping Centre, do a load of washing, have a real hot shower and stock up on cold drinks for the long Day 8 drive.

Day 7: Karratha

Pilbara Industry, Murujuga and Dampier

The Drive

Day trip driving only, mostly in the tow vehicle. The Burrup Peninsula, Dampier and Hearson Cove are all within a 20 to 30 km radius of central Karratha.

On the Road

Leave the rig at the caravan park. Take the tow vehicle.

The Stay

Second night at your chosen Karratha caravan park.

The Highlight

Karratha is the service hub for the country’s largest LNG, iron ore, and salt operations. Like Port Hedland, it is industrial first and a tourist destination second. What it has that Port Hedland does not is Murujuga National Park. It’s home to the world’s largest concentration of petroglyphs.

Murujuga contains an estimated one to two million rock engravings across the Burrup, some dating back more than 40,000 years. They depict marine life, human figures, and animals (including the long-extinct Tasmanian tiger) detailing tens of thousands of years of continuous culture. The Ngajarli Trail (at Deep Gorge, off Hearson Cove Road) is the most accessible viewing area, featuring a 700-metre universally accessible boardwalk and interpretive panels. Allow 45 minutes to an hour. The stark contrast between these ancient sacred engravings and the towering industrial processing plants nearby is a unique, thought-provoking part of the Burrup story. If you go later in the day you’ll be surprised how much heat the dark rocks radiate.

Rob’s Tip: If you skipped the far northern end of Murujuga, keep it in mind for next time. A sealed 6 km access road to Conzinc Bay is planned, opening up the peninsula’s northern beaches, lookouts and petroglyph sites to standard two-wheel-drive vehicles rather than the 4WD-only track that currently guards them. The plan includes two day-use precincts with shade, gas barbecues, toilets and walking trails, along with protections for the rock art and coastal habitat the current dirt tracks are wearing down. Cultural heritage surveys and design approvals are taking place in 2026, with construction due to start in 2027 and a targeted opening in 2028.

Dampier is a 20 km drive west of Karratha. The town is built around the port and the Rio Tinto operation, and Dampier Lookout above the harbour gives a clear view of the iron ore ships loading and the salt mountains at Dampier Salt. The Red Dog statue on the way into town is a five-minute photo stop and a piece of trucker folklore worth knowing about. If you have not read the book or seen the film, do one or the other before you visit.

Hearson Cove, on the eastern side of the Burrup, has a swimming beach and is the spot to watch the Staircase to the Moon when the timing works (full moon at low tide, April to October). Check the dates at the Karratha visitor centre when you arrive.

For lunch, the Tambrey Tavern in central Karratha does a respectable counter meal. For something more memorable, the Karratha Bowling Club has a good bistro and the views from the deck are worth the walk.

Day 8: Karratha to Exmouth

The Drive Down the North West Coastal Highway

The Drive

Karratha to Exmouth via the North West Coastal Highway, Burkett and Minilya-Exmouth Roads | 548 km | 6.5 to 7 hours (with options to break up the journey)

On the Road

The longest driving day on the itinerary, and the only one we would call a genuine effort. The North West Coastal Highway south of Karratha is two-lane sealed bitumen with regular overtaking lanes, but it is empty country and the distances between fuel stops are real. Plan the day around fuel, food and a break, and start early.

From Karratha, the highway runs south-west through long flat country towards Onslow. The Onslow turn-off is at the 226 km mark; the town is a 40 km detour off the highway and not worth the time on a single day of travel.

If that is as much driving as you want to do for the day, Quartz Hill Campground is 7.5 km along this road.

Push on to Nanutarra for a well-deserved break. Depart with enough fuel to get to Exmouth. Take the turn-off to Burkett Road and head west. At the Minilya-Exmouth Road travel north to Exmouth.

Rob’s Tip: Make sure you have more than enough fuel when you leave Nanutarra. The distances out here punish optimism, and the next fuel south of Nanutarra is in Exmouth, 277 km away. If you are towing a heavy rig into a headwind (a common wind direction in the afternoon along this stretch), fuel consumption can rise 20 to 30 per cent above what you saw in the Kimberley. Bank the safety margin.

Optional Stays to Break the Journey

Nanutarra Roadhouse appears at the 271 km mark on the Ashburton River. It is a working roadhouse with fuel (expensive, but it is the only diesel between Karratha and Exmouth), a counter meal, public toilets and an unpowered overnight camp area for $25 a vehicle. If you started late from Karratha, are towing a heavy rig, or simply want to break the day, Nanutarra is a perfectly adequate overnight stop. The camp area is dusty and exposed, but the showers are hot, the meal is fair, and the roadhouse staff are some of the more welcoming in the Pilbara. We stayed here on a tenting road trip, and it was fine.

Bullara Station is the more memorable option for breaking up the day. Bullara is a working cattle and sheep station 75 km from the North West Coastal Highway turn-off. It is one of the iconic station stays on the WA coast and a much better experience than another roadhouse car park. Unpowered sites are $43 per night, powered sites $58, with hot bucket showers, a camp kitchen, the famous scone afternoon and the station’s working dogs to keep you entertained. Bookings are strongly recommended in peak season; phone (08) 9942 5938. It is open between early April and mid-October.

If you have the flexibility, splitting Day 8 into two days with a night at Bullara is the call we would make. You arrive at Exmouth fresh, you get a proper station experience, and you have not driven 548 km in a single sitting.

The Stay

Exmouth has a handful of caravan parks; the two most travellers consider as a base for Ningaloo are in town, with a third option further out on the western cape.

RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park on Truscott Crescent is the largest park in town and the most fully serviced. Powered and unpowered sites, ensuite sites, hot showers, laundry, a resort-style pool, two camp kitchens and a wash-down bay. It is roughly 1 km from the town centre and a 10-minute walk to Town Beach. Pet-friendly sites available with prior booking. Around $55 to $85 a night for a powered site in peak season, with discounts for RAC members. Bookings essential from May to September.

Ningaloo Caravan & Holiday Resort on Murat Road is the closer-to-town alternative, generally a touch cheaper and with a more compact, traveller-focused feel. Powered sites, hot showers, laundry and a pool. Around $50 to $70 a night for a powered site.

Yardie Homestead Caravan Park, 32 km west of Exmouth on Yardie Creek Road, is the other option worth considering if your priority is the reef rather than the town. It is right at the entry to Cape Range National Park, 4 km from the Tantabiddi boat ramp and within easy reach of Turquoise Bay, Oyster Stacks and the northern snorkelling sites. The park runs on hybrid power generation, so the supply is rated for fridges, lights and fans rather than air-conditioners; in October and beyond, that is a real consideration. Powered and unpowered sites, a pool, a tennis court and a seasonal restaurant in winter. The cost is $60 a night.

Which one you pick depends on what comes next. Most travellers stay at least three or four nights to do Cape Range and the reef justice, and the choice between an in-town base and Yardie Homestead is covered properly in our Perth to Karijini coastal loop itinerary, which picks up Exmouth as a multi-night stop on the return leg down the coast.

For a single-night arrival at the end of Day 8, the convenience of an in-town park (RAC or Ningaloo Resort) is the easier call. If you are planning to spend several days exploring Cape Range, Yardie Homestead is worth considering.

While in Exmouth, you may like to consider a tour. We only recommend tours that will complement people travelling independently.

The Highlight

You have arrived at the Ningaloo Coast. Exmouth is a service town for the reef and the Cape Range National Park, and there is nothing essential to see in town tonight. Get the washing done, have a hot shower, get a proper meal at the Exmouth Game Fishing Club or the Whalers Restaurant, and start planning the next few days at Ningaloo.

Interactive Broome to Exmouth Road Trip Map

Below is your free interactive map. On the map are the campground locations, points of interest, starting points for walks, and fuel locations. Click on the campgrounds for information on them. Zoom in to see more details.

If you jumped here from earlier in the article, you can jump back to the same spot: Take me back to the static map.

Exmouth to Broome: The reverse trip.

Here is the summary of the itinerary in the reverse direction. On a mobile device, scroll across to see the highlights of each day.

Day	Route / Leg	Distance / Drive Time	Highlights & Focus
Day 1	Exmouth to Karratha	548 km | ~6.5 to 7 hours	Long highway haul north via Minilya-Exmouth Road and North West Coastal Highway; essential fuel stop at Nanutarra Roadhouse (optional overnight break at Bullara Station or Nanutarra).
Day 2	Karratha (Murujuga & Dampier Day Trip)	~50 to 80 km (tow vehicle loop)	Nganjarli boardwalk rock art at Murujuga National Park, Red Dog statue and Dampier port lookouts, Hearson Cove, and grocery resupply in town.
Day 3	Karratha to Port Hedland	240 km | ~2.5 to 3 hours	Historic detour through Cossack and Roebourne, passing the old Whim Creek Hotel landmark, and setting up at Cooke Point or Turf Club RV stop.
Day 4	Port Hedland to Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park	252 km | ~2.5 to 3 hours	Watching BHP iron ore train operations and harbor bulk carriers in Port Hedland before driving north past De Grey River to grassed beachside sites.
Day 5	Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park	0 km (van parked)	Rest day on the dunes: shell hunting along the high-tide drift line, surf fishing for threadfin salmon, and panoramic Indian Ocean sunset.
Day 6	Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park to Barn Hill Station	256 km | ~2.5 hours	Remote highway run north along Great Northern Highway, top-up fuel at Sandfire Roadhouse, and unsealed station track into cliff-top camping.
Day 7	Barn Hill Station	0 km (van parked)	Rest day exploring low-tide rock platforms, swimming, fresh bread from the station bakery, and cliff-top sunset over turquoise water.
Day 8	Barn Hill Station to Broome	143 km | ~1.5 hours	Short morning drive across Roebuck Plains to finish the coastal run in Broome; gateway to Cable Beach and the Kimberley.

Final Tips for the Broome to Exmouth Run

Fuel: Top up at every major town and at Nanutarra. The longest stretch without reliable fuel is Karratha to Nanutarra (271 km). Diesel pricing is high throughout the Pilbara; Karratha and Port Hedland are generally cheaper than the remote roadhouses. Use Petrolspy or FuelMap to compare prices.

Water: All five paid camps on this itinerary have potable water available. Top up at every opportunity. If you are using the Port Hedland Turf Club free stop, fill in town before you arrive. You should leave Broome with enough water to cover the beach camps.

Wildlife: Cattle on unfenced sections south of Broome and through the De Grey country. Kangaroos and emus throughout. Camels occasionally between Karratha and Nanutarra. Avoid driving in the first or last hour of daylight where possible.

Road trains: Constant on this route. Set your UHF to channel 40 and listen. When you meet a road train on a narrow section, slow down early and give them their half of the road; don’t try to share a single lane with 60 metres of steel.

Heat and seasonality: The Pilbara coast is brutal from October to April. Daytime temperatures regularly climb past 40 °C and the humidity from December onwards makes it worse. May to September is the practical travel window. June and July are peak season, so book ahead at Barn Hill, Eighty Mile and Bullara.

Self-contained requirements: Only the Port Hedland Turf Club stop strictly requires full self-containment. Every other camp on this itinerary has toilets and showers on site.

Cash and cards: All caravan parks and station stays take card. Carry $50 to $100 in cash for the occasional honesty box at smaller stops and for the Bullara scone afternoon if cards are not working.

Mobile coverage: Telstra is the better network throughout, with reliable coverage at all paid camps and in all towns. Optus has coverage in the towns and at Barn Hill and Eighty Mile, but drops out between them. Download offline maps before you leave Broome.

Where to Next?

This itinerary puts you in Exmouth with a full tank, clean clothes and the entire Ningaloo Coast in front of you. The natural progression is south down the Coral Coast: Cape Range National Park, Coral Bay, the Carnarvon banana belt and Shark Bay before turning inland to the Murchison or continuing south to Geraldton and Perth.

Our Pilbara and Coral Coast Loop picks up from here. That itinerary covers Exmouth into Cape Range National Park, where the camping is genuinely off-grid, the snorkelling from the beach is among the best in the country, and the booking system requires its own strategy. That itinerary is the next one to read.

Wrapping Up

The Broome to Exmouth route is one of those drives that rewards planning more than it rewards speed. The country is enormous, the distances between fuel and water are real and the heat is a daily factor for half the year. But the trade-off is one of the best stretches of coast in the country: two genuine station stays, a beach so long it has its own time zone, two working ports that pay for the rest of the country, and the splendour of the Ningaloo at the end of it.

It is also a route that any sealed-road rig can do without thinking twice. Two short unsealed access tracks and nothing else off the bitumen. The preparation that matters is fuel range, water capacity and a realistic look at the calendar: do not try it in October, do not skimp on the rest days, and do not try to do the 548 km from Karratha to Exmouth in one hit unless you have a co-driver and a clear head start.

Book Barn Hill, book Eighty Mile, book Bullara if you are using it, and do not forget to walk down to the water at Eighty Mile with a drink in your hand on Day 3. The Ningaloo Coast starts at Exmouth, and you will want a full battery and a clean rig before you turn south.

While this itinerary does not cover Karijini, you don’t want to miss it.

Safe travels, and we will see you out there.

Search

Search