The Explorer’s Highway, also known as the Stuart Highway, is named after John McDouall Stuart, an Australian explorer. It follows the route the explorer took when crossing the continent from south to north in 1862. It certainly lives up to its name as the Explorer’s Highway.

The driving route stretches 3,245 km from Adelaide to Darwin, a trip right through the heartland of Australia. Some people take a 7-day trip, others take longer, it's up to yourself.

Just pick up your car rental and off you go. If you're start point is Adelaide you can book car hire Adelaide or if your kicking off the journey in Darwin you can pick up car hire there.

The Explorer's Highway is known as one of the main highways in Australia. It's a section of Australia’s Highway 1, and the National Highway of Australia that runs form south to north, from Adelaide to Darwin through Alice Springs.

You can follow in the footsteps of the first European to cross the continent – and navigate through the Red Desert and experience the feel of the Australian outback on your way to the green and lush terrain of the Northern Territory.

You'll pass some fabulous milestones on your total route: The Nitmiluk National Park, Cutta Cutta Caves, Bitter Springs, Devils Marbles, and the Litchfield National Park. In the south, the imposing East and West MacDonnell Ranges surround you on your journey.

Driving the Explorers Highway…

Starting from the vibrant and growing city of Adelaide the capital of South Australia, take the National A 87 route, heading in the direction of Port Augusta. You'll pass through Port Wakefield, and the jetty at nearby Port Germein is well worth visiting.

When you reach Port Augusta, a top place to visit is the Wadlata Outback Centre and the Arid Lands Botanic Garden where you'll get an insight into plant life, and the fauna of the area. This journey is almost 400km.

Still on the National A 87 highway, head north from Port Augusta in the direction of Coober Pedy, a total trip of 600km. You'll see remarkable changes in the terrain, the soil becomes red, and foliage is limited.

You can take a detour to see the NASA base at Woomera, and the rocket base. This is an area where many land speed records have been broken. At Coober Pedy you'll be astounded to find out that the area produces nearly 90% of the world's opals.

Coober Pedy is located just south of the Northern Territory border, where the route is now known as the National 87 highway.

The next step of the Explorers Highway gives you breathtaking views. In a total journey of over 670 km you will pass through desert country, and you will pass through Marla, the final town on the border with South Australia and the Northern Territory.

You can head onto Alice Springs, with its red desert, and known as the Australian Red Centre. Alice Springs is the heart of the Red Centre of Australia. You could take a detour here, and travel to the stunning Ayers Rock National Park, (also known as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Park in the Aborigine language) with its stunning rock landscapes and the Canyon of Kings along the Red Centre Way, which will take you off the Explorers Way at the town of Erldunda.

Coming back to Erldunda, you will return to the Highway and travel to Alice Springs, a journey of almost 400km from Ayers Rock. Alice Springs, right in the centre of Australia, is a town that is well worth exploring and you can revel in the majestic landscapes and the gorges of the McDonnell Mountain Ranges.

The next stage takes you from Alice Springs to Wycliffe Well a total driving distance of almost 400km. The Wycliffe Well is probably best known for its wine production and is legendary as being a place of strange UFO sightings!

Still on the National 87 highway, travel from Wycliffe Well to Tennant Creek, a journey of 130km, and you'll see the majestic and strange Devils Marbles, huge boulders and rock formations that have a place in Aboriginal folklore (they're said to be eggs from a large snake!). Tennant Creek is an area that played a major part in the Australian Gold Rush in the early 20th Century.

The next stage is from Tennant Creek to Daly Waters, a road trip of 400km. You're right in the heart of the outback here, and will see plenty of cattle farms, charming pubs and hot desert. Daly Waters to Mataranka is the next stage of the highway and a distance of 165km.

You can stop off and visit the Larrimah WWII Museum, which covers the history of the area. Mataranka is home to many therapeutic thermal springs, and is worth a visit to rejuvenate the body after all the driving!

From Daly Waters, the road is known as the National 1, and the next leg of the journey takes you from Mataranka to Katherine, a total distance of 105km. In the Katherine region, you can visit the Nitmiluk National Park, and enjoy some watersports.

From Katherine take the trip of 260km to Lake Bennett. You can take the Nature’s Way Drive for a period off the Explorer’s Highway, and head to the wonderful Kakadu National Park. The last leg of the Explorers highway route will take you from the Lake Bennett area to Litchfield Park and then to Darwin, a journey of just under 140km.

Litchfield National Park has wonderful waterfalls and is well worth a visit. As you travel into the direction of Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, and located on the Timor Sea, you'll have completed a Herculean journey of stunning scenery and breathtaking beauty, a journey of a lifetime, made famous by the intrepid explorer Stuart who travelled the continent on the same route that you will be taking!

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