There is a moment, somewhere past the last Adelaide exit, when the city finally lets go and Eyre Highway opens up ahead of you. That is the start of one of the most driven routes on the continent: roughly 1,680 miles and 30 hours of wheel time to Perth. Done right, it is not a slog. It is a string of good towns, better food stops and a couple of sights worth the detour.
Open this route in XCRSNLeaving Adelaide
Aim to clear Adelaide before the morning rush, or after it, never in it. Fill the tank on the edge of town where prices usually drop, set the playlist, and settle in for the first 415 miles to Ceduna.
The headline stop on this route is Nullarbor Plain lights. Leave real time for it; it sets the tone for the whole trip.
Ceduna
Ceduna sits about 415 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Nearby, Head of Bight whale watching is worth the short detour if the day is going well.
Eucla
Eucla sits about 757 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Norseman, the last stretch
Norseman sits about 1,262 miles in. It is the natural place to stop for the night: hotels are plentiful, rates beat the big-city ends of the route, and you wake up with the hardest miles already behind you.
Rolling into Perth
The final 419 miles always go faster than you expect. Save a little energy for 90 Mile Straight, Australia's longest straight road; it is a fitting finish.
By the end you will have seen Nullarbor Plain lights, Head of Bight whale watching and 90 Mile Straight, Australia's longest straight road, and you will understand why this corridor is a classic.
When to go and how to pace it
Split the drive near the halfway mark. Most travelers sleep in Ceduna, Eucla and Norseman, which keeps each day under eight hours and leaves time for the stops that make the trip.
Check live gas prices along Eyre Highway before you go; they can swing a lot from one state or county to the next. XCRSN prices every leg for your exact car.
