4WD Campervan Hire Australia - Compare Top 4x4 Rentals

Day 1: Pick up your 4WD in Darwin and head straight to Litchfield National Park. Marvel at the Magnetic Termite Mounds, swim at Buley Rockhole, and hike to the base of Florence Falls. Interstate and overseas visitors need an NT Parks Visitor Pass for Litchfield, so buy one online before you go.

Day 2: Take the 4WD-only unsealed track to see the historic Blyth Homestead and the Lost City sandstone formations. These tracks close in the wet season, so check the NT Road Report and park alerts before you set off.

Day 3: Continue east via the Arnhem Highway into Kakadu National Park. Hike to the Ubirr rock art galleries for a spectacular sunset over the Nadab floodplain.

Day 4: Use your 4x4 clearance to reach the unsealed Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) campground, taking the 2km monsoon forest walk to the plunge pool. Check the Kakadu Access Report first: Maguk was closed after a crocodile sighting in October 2026, and the Jim Jim and Twin Falls area is closed for all of 2026.

Day 5: Drive south to Katherine. Stop at Leliyn (Edith Falls) for a swim, if the plunge pool has opened after the wet-season crocodile surveys.

Day 6: Take a sunrise cruise through the towering sandstone cliffs of Nitmiluk Gorge. Head west along the Victoria Highway, stopping to hike the escarpment at Judbarra / Gregory National Park.

Day 7: Explore the often-overlooked Keep River National Park, just before the WA border, via its unsealed access roads. Then cross into WA, declaring any fruit, vegetables and honey at the quarantine checkpoint.

Day 8: Resupply in Kununurra before heading to Purnululu National Park. The 53km Spring Creek Track into the park is strictly 4WD only. It is notoriously rugged and heavily corrugated, requiring slow speeds to protect the vehicle's suspension, so allow 1.5 to 3 hours.

Day 9: Hike into Echidna Chasm and Cathedral Gorge, camping under the stars at Walardi. Book the campground ahead, as the park is generally open only from about April or May to late November.

Day 10: Embark on the legendary 660km Gibb River Road, which Apollo and Britz 4WDs may use only with permission, so nominate it when you pick up. Explore El Questro Wilderness Park, hiking the rocky trail to Emma Gorge and soaking in Zebedee Springs beneath the Livistona palms.

Day 11: Continue west over the punishing corrugations and stop at Home Valley Station. 4x4 Tip: When navigating the Pentecost River or any shallow creek crossings on the Gibb, always observe conditions carefully and adhere strictly to your rental company's guidelines regarding water depths to avoid voiding your insurance.

Day 12: Hike the trails to Manning Gorge, Galvans Gorge, and the spectacular Bell Gorge within the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges. The Bell Gorge turn-off is about 30 km of corrugated 4WD road, and its Silent Grove campground should be booked ahead.

Day 13: Rejoin the bitumen at Derby and head up the Dampier Peninsula (now sealed) to explore its contrasting red cliffs and white sands. Stay at a camp such as Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, as Kooljaman at Cape Leveque closed in 2021.

Day 14: Finally, cruise into Broome and park at Cable Beach for a sunset picnic on the sand, as most 4WD hire terms ban beach driving. Restock in Broome before the 600km run south to Port Hedland.

Day 15: Take the Great Northern Highway south along the coast, stopping at the vast expanse of Eighty Mile Beach, reached by about 10km of unsealed road.

Day 16: Turn inland at Port Hedland and drive deep into the iron-rich Pilbara to reach Karijini National Park. Karijini offers some of Australia's most dramatic landscapes.

Day 17: Many access roads to the eco-retreats and major trailheads are unsealed red dirt. Hike down into Dales Gorge to swim at Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool.

Day 18: For the adventurous, navigate the spider-walk in Hancock Gorge to reach Kermits Pool, or tackle the steep ascent of Mount Bruce for panoramic views of the Hamersley Range.

Day 19: Head back to the coast to Exmouth, the gateway to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park. Snorkel straight off the beach at Turquoise Bay or book a tour to swim with whale sharks and manta rays.

Day 20: Drive south to Coral Bay, then continue down the North West Coastal Highway. Stop at Shark Bay to see the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, where the boardwalk is being rebuilt, and the dolphins at Monkey Mia.

Day 21: Further south, marvel at the Murchison River Gorge and Nature's Window in Kalbarri National Park. Make the final run down the Indian Ocean Drive, detouring to see the limestone pillars of the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park, before returning your 4x4 camper in Perth.

Day 1: Depart Darwin and head down the Stuart Highway, taking a short detour east along the Arnhem Highway to the Adelaide River for a famous Jumping Crocodile cruise. Continue to the historic gold-mining town of Pine Creek.

Day 2: Arrive in Katherine and relax in the Katherine Hot Springs in the late afternoon. Stock up here, as Katherine is the last large town before Kununurra, about 510km west.

Day 3: Spend a full day exploring Nitmiluk National Park; take a boat tour or hire a canoe, once canoeing opens after the crocodile surveys, to paddle through the ancient gorge system.

Day 4: Turn west onto the Victoria Highway, passing through massive cattle station country. Stop at the Victoria River Roadhouse and take the steep escarpment walk for panoramic views of the valley.

Day 5: Cross the WA quarantine checkpoint, declaring any fruit, vegetables and honey, and detour to Lake Argyle, Australia's largest artificial lake, for a sunset infinity pool swim or boat cruise.

Day 6: Head into Kununurra to restock all major supplies, and fill your fuel and water tanks before the long, remote stretches of the Gibb River Road.

Day 7: Spend an afternoon exploring Mirima National Park, often called the "Mini Bungle Bungles," which offers fantastic short hikes and sunset viewpoints just outside of town. Check the Main Roads WA Gibb River Road report before you set off tomorrow.

Day 8: Begin your assault on the Gibb River Road, which Apollo and Britz 4WDs may use only with permission, so nominate it at pick-up. Enter El Questro Wilderness Park to hike the shaded gorge trails and soak in thermal springs.

Day 9: Continue onto the central section of the Gibb, where corrugations are relentless. Drop your tyre pressures according to your rental guide to save your suspension and cabin cabinetry. 4x4 Tip: Corrugations on the Gibb River Road require patience. Drive to the conditions, often between 60km/h and 80km/h, to allow the suspension to "skip" over the bumps, but always slow down significantly for dips, grids, and oncoming road trains to avoid stone damage.

Day 10: Camp at Mt Barnett Roadhouse and utilise the hand-pulled boat to cross the river and access the Manning Gorge hike. Camp fees are paid at the roadhouse, where you can also refuel.

Day 11: Cool off in the plunge pool at Galvans Gorge and explore the waterlily-filled Adcock Gorge, whose access track crosses station land and can close after rain.

Day 12: Take the unsealed detour off the Gibb to explore the Devonian Reef conservation parks. Walk through the soaring 90-metre walls of Windjana Gorge, where you can safely spot dozens of freshwater crocodiles sunning themselves on the sandy banks.

Day 13: Grab a headtorch and water shoes to wade through the subterranean river system of Tunnel Creek, a 750m tunnel through the Napier Range.

Day 14: Hit the bitumen near Derby, grab a photo at the 1,500-year-old Boab Prison Tree, and drive the final stretch into Broome. Finish your trip observing the dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point at a very low tide, and relaxing on Cable Beach.

Days 1-2: Leave Darwin and explore Litchfield National Park's spectacular cascading waterfalls. Head south on the Stuart Highway and stop at Leliyn (Edith Falls) for a swim in the large, paperbark-fringed plunge pool, if it has opened after the wet-season crocodile surveys.

Day 3: Bypass Katherine and make your way to Mataranka. Spend the evening soaking in the crystal-clear, palm-fringed waters of the Bitter Springs and Mataranka Thermal Pools within Elsey National Park.

Day 4: Drive south to the iconic Daly Waters Pub, a classic outback watering hole covered in decades of travellers' memorabilia. Briefly explore the abandoned ghost town of Newcastle Waters.

Day 5: Settle in for the long, straight stretches of the Stuart Highway through the true desert. Pass through Tennant Creek, visiting the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art & Culture Centre, which reopened in April 2026 and opens Tuesday to Saturday.

Day 6: Arrive at Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles). Camping overnight here is highly recommended, as the massive granite boulders glow bright red at sunset, offering world-class outback photography under the Milky Way.

Days 7-8: Arrive in Alice Springs, restock supplies, and visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service museum or the Desert Park. Head west into the "West Macs" (West MacDonnell Ranges). Having a 4WD allows you to confidently access unsealed sections and secluded camping spots down dirt trails. Hike parts of the Larapinta Trail, marvel at the sheer cliffs of Standley Chasm, view the vibrant colours of the Ochre Pits, and swim in the freezing, deep waters of Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge.

Days 9-10: Purchase your Mereenie Loop permit (about $5, valid for three days) in person from the Alice Springs visitor centre before departing, and nominate the loop with your rental company, as Apollo and Britz 4WDs need permission. Engage 4WD and drive this famous 140km unsealed dirt track that forms the "Red Centre Way," connecting the West MacDonnell Ranges directly to Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). Navigate the severe corrugations and bulldust holes carefully. Wake up early to tackle the spectacular 6km Kings Canyon Rim Walk, descending into the lush Garden of Eden and walking through the weathered domes of the Lost City. Drive the sealed Lasseter Highway back to Alice Springs (or continue on to Uluru if your schedule permits) to return your campervan.