Thrifty NT Agents

General Road Conditions

Driving through Australia’s vast Northern Territory is a fascinating and rewarding experience. The Northern Territory boasts some of the best road conditions in Australia, with most roads sealed with bitumen.

The following is a guide to the road conditions and the vehicle type suitable to the major tourist attractions in the Top End.

Territory Thrifty Car Rental reserves the right to deny access to some areas due to road conditions.

  • FROM DARWIN TO:ROAD CONDITIONCONVENTIONAL VEHICLE2WD/TWIN CAB4WDACCESS
    Adelaide RiverBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Adelaide Rvr Jumping CrocsBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Alice SpringsBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Around DarwinBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Barramundi Gorge (Kakadu)12km unsealedNoYesYesClosed some months
    Batchelor (Litchfield)BitumenYesYesYesCan be closed by local flooding
    BorroloolaBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Broome (via Fitzroy Crossing)BitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Broome (via Gibb River Rd)BitumenNoNoYes**Closed some months*
    Cooinda/Yellow Waters (Kakadu)BitumenYesYesYesAll year*
    Crocodile FarmBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Cutta Cutta CavesBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Devils MarblesBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Florence Falls (Litchfield)BitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Fogg DamBitumenYesYesYesCan be closed by local flooding
    Jabiru (Kakadu)BitumenYesYesYesAll year*
    KatherineBitumenYesYesYesAll year*
    Katherine GorgeBitumenYesYesYesCan be closed by local flooding
    Kununurra (West Aust)BitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Lost City (Litchfield)30km unsealedNoNoYesClosed some months
    Manyallaluk35km unsealedNoYesYesAll year
    Mataranka Thermal SpringsBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Nourlangie Rock (Kakadu)BitumenYesYesYesAll year*
    Pine CreekBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Tennant CreekBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Territory Wildlife ParkBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Tolmer Falls (Litchfield)BitumenYesYesYesCan be closed by local flooding
    Ubirr Rock (Kakadu)BitumenYesYesYesClosed some months
    Wangi Falls (Litchfield)BitumenYesYesYesCan be closed by local flooding
    Waterfall Creek (Kakadu)78km unsealedNoYesYesClosed some months
    (*) Heavy local rains can close road for short periods
    (**) Large 4WD vehicles only


    We do not allow any of our vehicles into Jim Jim or Twin Falls in Kakadu National Park.
    We do not allow our vehicles to go to Kalumburu, Mitchell Plateau or down the Tanami Track including Wolfe Creek Crater.
  • From Alice Springs to:Road ConditionConventional Vehicle2WD Twin Cab4WDAccess
    Arltunga Goldfields80km sealed, 30km unsealedNoYesYesAll year (*)
    Around Alice Springs townshipBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Ayers Rock (Uluru)BitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Ayers Rock ResortBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Coober PedyBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Devils MarblesBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    East MacDonnell RangesBitumen/unsealedYesYesYesAll year (*)
    Glen HelenBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Kings Canyon – E/Giles Rd100km unsealedNoYesYesAll year (*)
    Kings Canyon-via Luritja RdBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Kings Canyon-via Mereenie Loop Rd230km unsealedNoYesYesAll year (*)
    Mt Olgas (Katatjuta)BitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Ormiston GorgeBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Palm Valley50km unsealedNoNoYesAll year (*)
    Rainbow Valley18km unsealedNoYesYesAll year (*)
    Ross RiverBitumenYesYesYesAll year (*)
    Standley ChasmBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Tennant CreekBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    West MacDonnell RangesBitumen/unsealedYesYesYesAll year (*)
    (*) Heavy local rains can close road for short periods.
    (**) Road conditions may prevent the use of Twin Cab vehicles.
  • From Kununurra to:Road ConditionConventional Vehicle2WD Twin Cab4WDAccess
    Around Kununurra townshipBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Broome (via Fitzroy Crossing)BitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Broome (via Gibb River Rd)603km unsealedNoNoYes**Closed some months
    Bungle Bungles70km unsealedNoNoYes**Closed some months
    El Questro26km unsealedNoYesYesClosed some months
    Geikie GorgeBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Lake ArgyleBitumenYesYesYesAll year
    Heavy local rains can close road for short periods.
    (**) Large 4WD vehicles only.
    We do not allow our vehicles to go to Kalumburu, Mitchell Plateau or down the Tanami Track including Wolfe Creek Crater