Anne Beadell Highway

The Anne Beadell Highway is Len Beadell's longest desert road, running around 1,350 kilometres from Coober Pedy in South Australia across the Great Victoria Desert to Laverton in the WA goldfields. Do not let the word highway fool you: this is one of the most remote and severely corrugated tracks in the country, crossing restricted Defence land, Aboriginal country and hundreds of kilometres of empty desert with a single fuel stop in the middle. We rate it at the very top of our difficulty scale, and we mean it. ## The route From Coober Pedy, the last town with full services, the track heads west into the Woomera Prohibited Area and Tallaringa, past the Emu atomic test site area, out to Vokes Hill Junction where the Connie Sue Highway heads south. Beyond that lies the Ilkurlka Roadhouse, the only fuel and supplies on the entire crossing, before the long, punishing corrugated run west into WA and out to Laverton. Most crews take four to six days, and you should build in slack for the inevitable slow going and repairs. ## Can your rig do it This is a rig-rating 5 track and a genuine no-vans route — the only one on our SA desert list where we will not soften the message. The corrugations are severe and relentless, the isolation is total, and a caravan out here would be destroyed and would endanger your crew. The realistic setup is a well-prepared 4WD with a rooftop tent, or a purpose-built off-road camper that can take a hammering, ideally travelling with a second vehicle. Our [rig-rating explainer](/articles/can-my-van-do-this-rig-rating-explained) sets out why this sits at the extreme end, and if you are still building your touring rig, [how to choose an off-road caravan](/articles/how-to-choose-an-off-road-caravan) will steer you toward gear that survives country like this. ## Fuel water and comms Fuel is the trip-defining problem. The Ilkurlka Roadhouse is the only bowser on the whole crossing, roughly two-thirds of the way over, and it is a small community roadhouse that is not guaranteed to be open or stocked, so call ahead. You must be able to cover the worst-case gap between Coober Pedy and Laverton, which can approach 750 kilometres, so carry serious extra fuel. Water is just as critical: carry all of your own, plus a deep reserve. There is no phone coverage anywhere, so a satellite phone and a PLB are mandatory, along with two or more spare tyres, full recovery gear and the parts to fix your vehicle yourself. ## Permits and closures The permit list here is long because the road threads through some of the most restricted country in Australia. You need a Defence permit for the Woomera Prohibited Area, SA Desert Parks and Tallaringa access, Maralinga Tjarutja and Aboriginal land transit permits in SA, and permits from WA DBCA and the relevant land councils for the western half. These take time to arrange, so start early, carry every one of them and stay strictly on the road corridor. The track becomes impassable after rain and the summer heat is deadly. Verify every permit and closure with Defence, SA DEW and WA DBCA before you leave, because the requirements change. ## When to go April to September, without exception. Summer out here is lethal for anyone who breaks down, and the cool months give you firmer surfaces and survivable temperatures. The corrugations never let up, so airing down and keeping speeds sensible is essential — our [tyre pressures for corrugations](/articles/tyre-pressures-for-corrugations) guide has the numbers. We plan modest daily distances because pushing hard on this surface breaks vehicles and people. ## Camps along the way Camping is bush camping the whole way — pick a firm clearing off the corridor, carry out everything, and enjoy some of the darkest night skies in the country. Vokes Hill Junction and the Beadell marker plaques along the route are worth pausing at for the history. The Anne Beadell can be linked with the Connie Sue or run as part of a wider [Red Centre and desert loop](/itineraries/red-centre-loop), but it is not a track to tack on lightly. Prepare it as an expedition, respect the country and its permits, and it will give you one of the great remote crossings Australia has to offer.