Tanami Track
Encyclopedia
The Tanami Road, also known as the Tanami Track and the McGuire Track, is a road in northern Australia
.
It follows a cattle droving
route northwest from the MacDonnell Ranges
area of central Australia just north of Alice Springs
to Halls Creek
in the Kimberley
.
The Tanami Road is the most direct route from Alice Springs to the Kimberley, passing through the Tanami Desert
. Along its route are Yuendumu and the Granites Mine owned by Newmont Mining
. In the Northern Territory
it passes through land owned by the Aboriginal Warlpiri
Nation, and in Western Australia
it passes through pastoral land.
The track is a graded, dirt road and although navigable by two-wheel drive vehicles, a four-wheel drive
is recommended. Some parts of the road are prone to severe corrugations, making for an uncomfortable and slow drive at times. The mid-way point: Rabbit Flat
, formerly a public roadhouse, was closed indefinitely at the end of 2010, so planning for this journey must take the lack of fuel and supplies into account. Another Roadhouse, located 206 km (128 mi) from Alice Springs between Alice Springs and Rabbit Flat: Tilmouth Well provides fuel service 7 days a week. Carrying adequate fuel and water supplies is essential.
Eugene Shoemaker died along this route in a car accident in 1997.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
It follows a cattle droving
Droving
Droving is the practice of moving livestock over large distances by walking them "on the hoof".Droving stock to market, usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs, has a very long history in the old world...
route northwest from the MacDonnell Ranges
MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, are a long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia , and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs...
area of central Australia just north of Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
to Halls Creek
Halls Creek, Western Australia
Halls Creek is a small town situated in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is located between the towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Turkey Creek on the Great Northern Highway...
in the Kimberley
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
.
The Tanami Road is the most direct route from Alice Springs to the Kimberley, passing through the Tanami Desert
Tanami Desert
The Tanami Desert is a desert in northern Australia situated in the Northern Territory. It has a rocky terrain with small hills. The Tanami was the Northern Territory's final frontier and was not fully explored until well into the twentieth century...
. Along its route are Yuendumu and the Granites Mine owned by Newmont Mining
Newmont Mining
Newmont Mining Corporation , based in Denver, Colorado, USA, is one of the world's largest producers of gold, with active mines in Nevada, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana and Peru. Holdings include Santa Fe Gold, Battle Mountain Gold, Normandy Mining, Franco-Nevada Corp and Fronteer Gold...
. In the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
it passes through land owned by the Aboriginal Warlpiri
Warlpiri
The Warlpiri are a group of Indigenous Australians, many of whom speak the Warlpiri language. There are 5,000–6,000 Warlpiri, living mostly in a few towns and settlements scattered through their traditional land in Australia's Northern Territory, north and west of Alice Springs...
Nation, and in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
it passes through pastoral land.
The track is a graded, dirt road and although navigable by two-wheel drive vehicles, a four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
is recommended. Some parts of the road are prone to severe corrugations, making for an uncomfortable and slow drive at times. The mid-way point: Rabbit Flat
Rabbit Flat, Northern Territory
Rabbit Flat is a location in the Northern Territory of Australia about from the Western Australia border.-Roadhouse:The Rabbit Flat Roadhouse is claimed to be the most isolated roadhouse in Australia, with no other roadhouses within...
, formerly a public roadhouse, was closed indefinitely at the end of 2010, so planning for this journey must take the lack of fuel and supplies into account. Another Roadhouse, located 206 km (128 mi) from Alice Springs between Alice Springs and Rabbit Flat: Tilmouth Well provides fuel service 7 days a week. Carrying adequate fuel and water supplies is essential.
Eugene Shoemaker died along this route in a car accident in 1997.
Further reading
- Deckert, John.(1993) Tanami Track map - Nhill, Vic : Westprint Heritage Maps, 1992. Scale 1:1,000,000 (E 127°20' -- E 134°00/S 17°25' -- S 24°00'). ISBN 1875608117