The longest shortcut-The Great Central Road (4)

The Great Central Road (GCR) has its origins in the early 1930s when the desert town of Warburton was established as a missionary settlement, and supplies were delivered from Laverton via a rough bush track (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Central_Road). Today, the GCR is promoted as a part of the Outback Way, a tourist drive, which encompasses a series of iconic roads and towns, a ‘Way’ across the west of Queensland, the NT and the east of WA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outback_Highway). The GCR still consists mostly of red dirt, gravel tracks, dust and corrugations, glued together by a small number of indigenous communities which cater for the fuel and food needs of dusty and hungry travellers. It is an iconic part of the Longest Shortcut although things are changing quickly with road sections being systematically converted to tarmac enabling a more efficient transport route between Perth, Alice Springs, Carins and Darwin. If you want to experience the dust and dirt, the corrugations, and the adventure without the bitumen, the GCR needs to be travelled in the next 10 years when the government estimates that it will be an all-weather road to Darwin. While it is a sad time for those who see this route as an outback, dirt road, sort of adventure, its sealing will be a boon for both the local residents and the long-distance transport operators that regularly ply their trade, putting up with the dust and dirt and the high cost of vehicle maintenance. The GCR commences at Yulara, crosses the NT/WA border near the remote NT community of Kaltukatjara (pop. 350) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaltukatjara) and ends 1126 km away at the small WA town of Laverton (pop. 907) on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laverton,_Western_Australia). Warburton (pop. 511), just south of the Gibson Desert and 556 km from Yulara, is halfway across the GCR. It is the largest population centre on the road and the seat of the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku. Fuel and camping are available adjacent to the service station (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warburton). The road is deemed to be appropriate for the use of high clearance 4WD vehicles although several caravans and camper vans were also seen along its route. However, numerous abandoned and rusting vehicle wrecks lay by the road indicating the toll that the road has taken over the years-it is not to be taken lightly although we did not find the road any more challenging than other iconic outback roads such as the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks. Drive to road and seasonal conditions. It should be noted by those considering travelling the GCR that transit permits are required from the Aboriginal custodians to access their traditional lands. Permits can be sourced on-line and are generally quick to obtain and free (NT travel: https://www.outbackway.org.au/plan-your-trip/permits/; WA travel: https://www.ngaanyatjarraku.wa.gov.au/tourist-information/plan-your-trip/aboriginal-land-permits.aspx).