Getting Here

Getting to Karijini

Fly from Perth and pick up a hire car, or go on a road trip like no other!

Situated approximately 1,500km north of Perth and 35km from the Karijini Visitor Centre, Karijini Eco Retreat can be accessed from the Paraburdoo and Newman Airports, or self-drive on a coastal route via Exmouth, Onslow, Karratha or Port Hedland, or an inland route via the towns of Cue and Meekatharra.

Driving Directions

Karijini National Park is very much a self-drive destination and due to its remote location, guests mostly prefer to drive their own vehicle or a rental vehicle. When travelling through the park to get to the gorges, waterfalls and attractions, you will be driving on a mix of sealed and unsealed roads.
We recommend 4WD/AWD vehicles.

We ask guests to please check the DBCA Park Alerts page for current closures within Karijini National Park.

Entry into the National Park and to the Karijini Eco Retreat via Banjima Drive (West) is now sealed. Entry via the Karijini Visitor Centre on Banjima Drive (North) is now also sealed road.

For detailed driving directions please click here.

To see the driving distances, sealed and unsealed roads, and points of interest, download the Karijini National Park Map.

Helpful Advice

If there is severe weather in the area, localised flooding can occur and the Karijini National Park rangers may sometimes close the park to all but 4WD vehicles, or close the park completely.

For visitors planning to rent a vehicle, please ensure you check the terms and conditions directly with the rental company as they may have restrictions in place for driving on unsealed roads. Please ensure you select the correct vehicle category for the location.

Plan your fuel usage - Karijini National Park is vast and distances can add up quickly. The closest fuel station from the Karijini Eco Retreat is 80km away to the west in Tom Price (Coles Express or Caltex Tom Price), or 109km to the east at Auski Roadhouse. There is nowhere within the Karijini National Park where you can refuel.

In the outback, phone signal and internet services can be limited. In Karijini, there are two free Wi-Fi spots: The welcome shelter on the way to Hammersley Gorge, and the rest stop on the corner of Karijini Drive and Great Northern Highway. There is Optus mobile phone reception available at three locations via small satellite cells, at the Karijini Eco Retreat, Karijini Visitor Centre and Dales Campground. The Mt Bruce car park also has good reception for some carriers.

Please bear in mind when driving anywhere in the remote Pilbara, it is a good idea to carry plenty of spares and a good supply of water. Always make sure when setting out on a big trip that someone knows where you are going, what time you are expected to return and which route you are planning to take!

For information on park access, road conditions and closures within the Karijini National Park, please visit https://alerts.dbca.wa.gov.au/. This will advise of any park or site (gorges, lookouts, trails, etc) closures, road conditions and updates. The Emergency WA website: https://www.emergency.wa.gov.au/ advises of storms, floods, bushfire and traffic incident alerts and is also a good resource. The Department of Main Roads of Western Australia regularly updates its website with road conditions throughout the Pilbara (and WA in general) at https://travelmap.mainroads.wa.gov.au/Home/Map.

Closest Airports

The closest airports are Paraburdoo Airport and Newman Airport.

You will then need to pick up a hire car and drive to the Karijini Eco Retreat.

Alternatively, there are a number of local tour operators who can quote you for bus transport/airport transfers, tours and activities during the peak season (April to October). Tour Operators do not offer services to the National Park during the low season (November to March). See www.gowesttours.com.au/ or www.flyingsandgroper.com.au.

Paraburdoo is approximately 130km from the Karijini Eco Retreat and takes around 1.5 hour's drive.

Qantas have regular, direct flights into and out of Paraburdoo Airport. The airport has full hire car facilities available through Avis, Hertz, Budget and Thrifty.

Newman is approximately 240km from the Karijini Eco Retreat and takes around 3 hour's drive.

Qantas and Virgin Airlines operate from here, with Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty and Europcar hire cars available.

There is also a light aircraft landing strip at the Karijini Visitors Centre. For further details please contact the Karijini Visitors Centre on +61 8 9189 8121.