3 Days - Wool Wagon Pathway

The Wool Wagon Pathway offers the very best of the Australian Outback – stunning sunsets, star-filled night skies and real country characters. This 3 day journey takes you through some of Australia’s most legendary sheep and wool country in which the area is traditionally renowned for, from Geraldton through the Gascoyne Murchison and into Exmouth in the Coral Coast. Embark on your Wool Wagon Pathway self-drive adventure, and to help plan your trip purchase the Gascoyne Murchison Outback Pathways Guidebook online or in a local visitor centre.

PLEASE NOTE: The Wool Wagon Pathway self-drive route covers mainly unsealed pathways. Depending on the time of the year and weather conditions, some parts of the track may only be suited to high clearance 4WDs. Please ensure to check the weather and road conditions before setting out on your journey. Also note, driving times and distances are intended as a guide only and may vary depending on exact route taken. The following itinerary includes unsealed pathways, so alter this trip to suit your circumstances and vehicle. You can see a full list of travel tips here. Also note this self-drive can be taken in either direction, but for the purpose of this itinerary the route is from Geraldton to Exmouth.

Perth to Geraldton (415km)

It’s time to pack up the car and head north. This self-drive begins in Geraldton, so the first leg of your trip is driving to this coastal city 415km north of Perth. The journey will take you approximately 4.5 hours, so aim to head off mid-morning after breakfast. You’ll be passing through Jurien Bay just after lunch time at around 2.5 hours into your road trip, so this is a great spot to stop, stretch the legs and grab something to eat from one of the café’s like Meraki, Family Affair Café, and Lesueur’s Gallery Café. 

Head back into the car and finish your journey to Geraldton, which will take another 2 hours. Upon arrival explore the city, the white sandy beaches, history, and so much more. Enjoy a walk around town before heading to your accommodation for the night. Choose from the wide range of motels, hotels, resorts, and tourist parks on offer at great rates throughout the town. Many of these options have places to dine for dinner, otherwise we recommend heading to Skeetas for seaside dining. 

Day 1 – Geraldton to Murchison Settlement (355km)

Wave up early for the first day of your Wool Wagon Pathway self-drive! Grab a quick breakfast and hit the road leaving Geraldton and heading east towards Pindar. You’ll be on the road for about 4 hours today, so make sure you’ve packed snacks and drinks for the journey. Depending on the time of year you’re travelling, this stretch of road boasts some incredible wildflowers from the months of July to September, so don’t forget to stop and grab some colour wildflower shots, we’re sure you’ll be blown away by the sight! When you arrive in Pindar, keep your eyes peeled for the mind-blowing wreath flowers that bloom naturally on the roadside. 

After hitting the town of Pindar, it’s time to hit the red dirt road and make your way north to Murchison Settlement. This is where you’ll start to experience what the true outback colours really look like. The red, earthy tones will follow you along this track as you’ll feel immersed in the outback. You’ll pass extreme open landscapes, station country, historic homesteads, and plenty of wildlife. 

You have a few choices for accommodation on this night. If you’re looking for a station stay, we recommend Wooleen Station with a variety of accommodation options from free camping to a night in the homestead. If you’re heading into Murchison Settlement, stay at the Murchison Oasis Caravan Park pairing motel style rooms and caravan facilities. There are also plenty of places to free camp along this pathway, so if you’ve got your tent or your swag and camping equipment, then spend a night under the stars. 

Day 2 – Murchison Settlement to Gascoyne Junction (298km)

The second leg of your journey takes you from Murchison Settlement to Gascoyne Junction. Spend your morning at the Murchison Museum (open April – November), constructed in the mid 1980’s from rammed earth. The museum collects, preserves, and maintains displays of items that are relevant to the history of the surrounding shires and towns. 
You might be starting to feel the heat now, so jump in the car and continue north. Just under 2 hours into your journey you’ll come across Bilung Pool, a natural water pool that has water all year round, as well as picnic facilities to stop and have lunch at. This scenic oasis is a welcome break from the red dirt surrounds as you cool off in the water. 
Arrive in Gascoyne Junction, nestled on the banks of the Gascoyne River. This charming outback town is used as a great base to explore the nearby Mount Augustus, and is a centre for mining, pastoral, and desert merino fine wool industries. If you want to know more about the history of the area, visit the Gascoyne Junction Museum which is housed in the original Roads Board Building – a tiny and quaint structure established in 1912. Here you’ll find a collection of historical artifacts including photos, signs, telephones, lanterns, saws and more. 
After exploring the town and the nearby Gascoyne River, head to your accommodation at the Junction Pub & Tourist Park. Choose between the cabins, single rooms, caravan sites and camping sights. The pub is there to serve you all your favourites, as well as a cold drink, which will set your up for your longest leg of the journey tomorrow.

Day 3 – Gascoyne Junction to Exmouth (611km)

Wake up nice and early on day 3 to tackle the 7 hour journey from Gascoyne Junction to Exmouth. Jump into the car and set out on a quick 45-minute journey, where you’ll find the turn off to Kennedy Range National Park. Marvel over the incredible, giant gorges surrounding you, especially Honeycomb Gorge. If you’re wanting to split day 3 into 2, you can spend a decent amount of time walking around the hiking trails and exploring the ranges. This is also a fantastic spot to camp the night!

After a stroll around the gorges head back into the car and continue heading north. You’ll have a long 4-hour stretch here as you are once again traversing through station country, marvelling over the red dirt surrounds and rocky outcrops. Take note of just how much sky you can see, as the flat surface sends your eyes far along the land. 

Head back onto the red dirt pathway for another around 4 hours once again marvelling over natural springs, cliffs, canyons and a wide variety of birds and wildlife. Pass by two station stays, Emu Creek Station and Bullara Station Stay. Both are great station experience with accommodation if you wanted to break up the journey.

Continue along another 2.5 hours from Emu Creek Station until you reach your final destination of the Wool Wagon Pathway, Exmouth. Exmouth is a popular tourist town on Australia’s Coral Coast famous for their whale shark swims and the Ningaloo Reef. The town has been voted Western Australia’s top town of the year, and Australia’s #8 town in Wotif’s ‘Aussie town of the year awards’ 2021. This is the perfect base to explore the national parks and coastline. 

Parts of the track are only suitable for high clearance four wheel drive vehicles and should only be attempted by confident drivers. Supplies and services are limited and road conditions can vary, so plan ahead, stock up on food, water and fuel and contact the local visitor centre for up-to-date track information.

To ensure you enjoy a safe and well-planned journey, be sure to take a look at Road safety and Important travel tips.

Driving times and distances intended as a guide only and may vary depending on exact route taken. Accommodation options are indicative as to what is available in the area.

Above map not to scale and intended as a guide only. It is highly recommended before heading out on your journey, you purchase a detailed Western Australian road and track map available from the RAC, petrol stations or where good maps of Western Australia are sold.

This is one of our most interest outback 4 x 4 outback tracks, want to discover more, take a look at all of our Outback WA Road Trips.