Lasseter Highway
Australia, oceania
245 km
540 m
easy
April-September (cooler temperatures, fewer flies)
Lasseter Highway is a 245-kilometer sealed road running from the Stuart Highway at Erldunda to Yulara, the resort town serving Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia's Red Centre. Named after Harold Lasseter, a controversial explorer who claimed to have found a vast gold reef in the Central Australian desert in the 1930s, the highway crosses a stark but beautiful landscape of red sand plains, desert oak woodlands, and distant flat-topped mesa formations.
The drive is a gradual immersion into the deep outback. The landscape becomes increasingly red and arid as you head west, with the iconic profiles of Mount Conner (often mistaken for Uluru), Uluru, and Kata Tjuta gradually emerging from the desert haze. The final approach to Uluru is unforgettable: the monolith rises abruptly from the flat desert plain, changing color throughout the day from ochre to deep crimson. Kata Tjuta's 36 domed rock formations, visible from the highway, are equally spectacular and geologically far more complex than Uluru.
Where is it?
Lasseter Highway is located in Northern Territory, Australia (oceania). Coordinates: -25.2000, 131.5000
Driving Tips
Fuel up at Erldunda as the next stop is Curtin Springs, 85 km ahead. Time your arrival at Uluru for sunset, the most magical viewing time. Mount Conner Lookout is worth a stop. Watch for camels and kangaroos on the road, especially at dawn and dusk. Fly season (September-November) is brutal, so bring a head net. The park entrance fee is valid for three days.
Road Surface
Sealed, well-maintained two-lane highway, flat and straight
Road Details
- Country
- Australia
- Continent
- oceania
- Region
- Northern Territory
- Length
- 245 km
- Max Elevation
- 540 m
- Difficulty
- easy
- Surface
- Sealed, well-maintained two-lane highway, flat and straight
- Best Season
- April-September (cooler temperatures, fewer flies)
- Coordinates
- -25.2000, 131.5000
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