After spending several unforgettable days based at Curtin Springs, using it as our base to explore both Uluru and Kata Tjuta, it was finally time to pack up camp and continue our journey west along the Outback Way. We had been looking forward to this stretch for months. The Great Central Road is one of Australia's most iconic outback drives, crossing some of the country's most remote landscapes, and today our adventure on this legendary road would officially begin.
As the morning sun rose over the desert, we hit the road full of excitement, knowing that once we left the familiar sights of Uluru behind, we'd be entering some of the most isolated country in Australia.
Travelling through this part of Australia isn't as simple as pointing the car west and driving.
Shortly after leaving Curtin Springs, we reached the checkpoint where we were required to present our Central Land Council transit permit, which allows travellers to pass through Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory. We had organised this permit well before leaving home, and it's an important reminder that much of the Great Central Road passes through Indigenous-owned land where permission is required to travel.
In addition to the transit permit, we also needed a Northern Territory Parks Pass for this section of the journey, and once we crossed into Western Australia we'd be travelling through more Aboriginal lands where another two permits would be required before we could continue our trip west.
It sounds like a lot of paperwork, but it's actually a very straightforward process, and one we were more than happy to complete to have the privilege of travelling through these remarkable landscapes.
Before saying goodbye to Yulara, there was one more thing we simply had to do.
A few days earlier we'd heard countless people talking about the famous pies from the Kulata Academy Café, located in the Yulara Town Square. The café is much more than just somewhere to grab lunch—it provides employment and training opportunities for young Aboriginal people who are building careers in hospitality.
Everyone had told us the pies were incredible.
Unfortunately, when we visited a few days earlier, they'd already sold out.
This morning we were determined not to miss out.
Mr. Unshackled patiently waited around twenty-five minutes while fresh pies came out of the oven, and when they were finally ready, he made sure we wouldn't miss out again by buying the last three.
Personally, I thought four might have been a safer option!
They were absolutely enormous, packed full of filling, with perfectly flaky pastry, and without doubt some of the best pies we've eaten anywhere in Australia. One even made it into the fridge for later, although I have no idea how it survived that long.
If you're travelling through Yulara, do yourself a favour and stop at Kulata Academy Café. Trust us—you won't regret it.
Not long after leaving Yulara we arrived at a sign we'd been eagerly waiting to see.
The Great Central Road.
Standing beside that sign felt like a milestone. We'd heard so many stories about this road over the years, and now we were finally here.
The Great Central Road forms a significant section of the Outback Way, often referred to as Australia's longest shortcut, stretching across the heart of the country from Queensland to Western Australia.
Although road upgrades continue, it's still a mixture of sealed highway and long stretches of gravel, corrugations and creek crossings. That's exactly what makes it such an adventure.
Our plan for the day was fairly relaxed. We hoped to cover around 182 kilometres to Docker River, where we expected to spend the night before continuing another 190 kilometres to the Western Australian border the following day.
Looking at the GPS, we still had well over 1,100 kilometres of the Great Central Road ahead of us.
The adventure was only just beginning.
It didn't take long before the first minor mechanical interruption arrived.
Our tyre pressure monitoring system suddenly decided that one of the front tyre sensors wasn't happy, filling the cabin with an annoying beeping noise every few seconds.
Mr. Unshackled quickly pulled over, grabbed the tiny sensor from the valve stem and replaced its battery, hoping that would solve the problem.
Fortunately, it did.
We knew we'd soon be airing the tyres down anyway as the gravel became rougher, but it's amazing how something as simple as a small battery can have you questioning whether you've got a much bigger problem.
Thankfully, this wasn't one of those days.
Our first major stop for the day was Lasseter's Cave, one of the most fascinating historical sites along the Great Central Road.
The drive in gave us our first real taste of the road conditions, with plenty of corrugations, muddy patches and sections that reminded us to take things nice and steady.
The cave itself is tied to one of Australia's greatest outback mysteries.
In 1929, prospector Harold Bell Lasseter claimed he had discovered an enormous gold reef, supposedly stretching for around fifteen kilometres somewhere in the deserts of Central Australia. Despite widespread scepticism from experienced geologists, Lasseter convinced investors to finance a major expedition to relocate his discovery.
There was just one problem.
When the expedition reached the area, Lasseter couldn't find it again.
As weeks passed, tensions within the expedition grew. Many members became convinced the entire story had been fabricated, accusing Lasseter of misleading them into an expensive and ultimately fruitless search.
Eventually the expedition dissolved, but Lasseter refused to give up.
He continued searching with only a camel driver before eventually becoming stranded when his camels bolted, leaving him completely alone in one of Australia's harshest environments.
It's believed he sheltered inside this very cave for around twenty-five days, surviving on almost nothing before eventually dying from starvation and exposure.
Standing inside the cave, looking at the remains of where his campfire once burned, it's difficult not to imagine the desperation he must have felt during those final weeks.
Mr. Unshackled has his own opinion about Lasseter.
"I reckon he was a bit of a charlatan."
It's hard to argue.
Many historians believe the entire story was an elaborate hoax that consumed enormous amounts of money and resources, while others still believe that somewhere out in this vast landscape, Lasseter's legendary gold reef may still be waiting to be discovered.
Who knows?
Maybe one day someone really will find it.
As we were leaving the cave, we noticed another caravan pulled over nearby with what appeared to be mechanical trouble.
We'd earlier passed what looked suspiciously like a water tank lying beside the road, and now we wondered whether it belonged to them.
Without hesitation, we pulled over to see if they needed a hand.
Fortunately, between a few willing travellers and a handful of tools, some temporary repairs soon had them back on the road.
It's one of the things we love most about travelling through remote Australia.
Out here, people genuinely look after each other.
There are no strangers when someone is broken down hundreds of kilometres from the nearest town. Everyone understands that next time it could just as easily be us sitting beside the road needing assistance.
That's the unwritten rule of the outback—you stop, you check, and if you can help, you do.
With another memorable stop behind us, we climbed back into the Cruiser, watched the red dust rise in the mirrors once again, and continued west.
The Great Central Road had barely begun, yet it was already reminding us why Australia's remote outback is unlike anywhere else in the world.
** Tip: For the best viewing experience, click the YouTube link in the bottom left corner of the video to watch in higher clarity.
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