The Burke Shire Council is located in far North West Queensland in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Burketown is 2,115km northwest of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and 2,100km from Darwin. The Shire lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and shares a border with the Northern Territory.
Burke is in a very remote part of Australia with the majority of travellers coming from Australia’s large camping and caravanning community. Our remoteness makes us unique and travelling here requires a planned approach. Ensure you carry appropriate equipment, maps, food and water. Plan your itinerary including fuel, food and water stops, and be able to carry rubbish securely to the next dump. Then you can relax and enjoy the drive! Being remote also means you can enjoy the sensation of being uncontactable as we have limited mobile coverage.
Our two major towns Burketown and Gregory are located on the Savannah Way, one of the world's great transcontinental road journeys for adventure travellers. Famously traversing three Australian states and territories, twenty national parks and five World Heritage Sites, the Savannah Way is one of Australia’s most incredible drive journeys. From one side of the continent to the other, it explores 3,699kms of true-blue Australian outback, peppered with famous fishing hubs, bird-watching hotspots, fossicking sites and cattle stations that welcome visitors on their journey through “gulf country”.
Please note, that the driving times detailed below are conservative. They do not allow for rest breaks and possible delays due to other traffic or road works. Avoid driving at night due to cattle, horses and wildlife on roads; you should adjust your speed and keep a sharp lookout to avoid hitting animals and causing severe damage to your vehicle. Sunrise and sunset are also higher risk times for driving; therefore, adjust your speed accordingly. Please drive to road conditions and observe all speed limits, including lower speeds at roadworks.
Road Distances and travel estimates to Burketown:
- From Normanton (via Savannah Way – 230 km (allow 3.5 hours) – fully sealed from Leichhardt River
- From Cairns (via Savannah Way) - 893km (allow 11 hours) - sections of single lane and unsealed road
- From Townsville (via Julia Creek - Burke and Wills Roadhouse - Gregory) - 1,150km - sealed with single-lane sections (12.5 hours)
- From Townsville (via Cloncurry - Burke and Wills Roadhouse - Gregory) - 1,300km (13.5 hours)
- From Cloncurry (north via Burke Development Road and Wills Developmental Road) - 450km fully sealed road (allow 5 hours)
- From Mount Isa (via Camooweal) – 425km mostly unsealed sections in the 257km stretch from Camooweal to Gregory - not recommended for caravans or non 4WD vehicles (allow 5.0 hours)
- From Mount Isa (via Cloncurry) - 581km - sealed road with some single lane sections (allow 6.5 hours)
- From Darwin (via Mount Isa) - 2,025km (allow 21 hours - not including rest stops)
- From Darwin (via Borroloola and Hells Gate Roadhouse) - - 2,016km (allow 24 hours) on mostly unsealed road.
- From Brisbane - 2,600km (allow 23.5 hours – not including rest stops)