Driving the Stuart Highway: Fuel & Distances

Coober Pedy sits on the Stuart Highway (A87), the great sealed artery between Adelaide and Darwin — but “on the highway” still means hours from the nearest city. A little planning makes the drive easy.

Key distances (approx.)

• Adelaide → Coober Pedy: ~850km (about 8½–9 hours).
• Coober Pedy → Alice Springs: ~690km (about 7–8 hours).
• Port Augusta → Coober Pedy: ~540km.
• Coober Pedy → Marla (last SA town before the NT): ~230km.

The road is sealed and in good condition the whole way — but it’s remote, with long gaps between services and plenty of road trains and wildlife (especially dawn/dusk).

Fuel up — don’t gamble on the gauge

Fuel stops are far apart and pricier the further from the cities you get. Top up at every town and never pass a servo below half a tank. Heading south, the main stop before Port Augusta is Glendambo (~250km). Heading north, it’s Cadney Park (~150km) then Marla (~230km). Fill up properly in Coober Pedy before any side trip — the day-trip roads have no fuel at all.

Charging an EV

Coober Pedy is now on the map for electric road-trippers: there’s an RAA fast-charger at the Visitor Information Centre (council offices) and a Tesla destination charger plus a 3-phase outlet at the Desert Cave Hotel. The outback charger network along the Stuart Highway is still filling in, so plan your stops in advance (check PlugShare / Chargefox for the latest along the corridor) and don’t assume fast charging at every town.

Drive safely

• Carry water, a spare tyre and basic supplies; tell someone your plans.
• Avoid driving at dawn, dusk and night — kangaroos, cattle and camels.
• If you break down, stay with the vehicle. More in outback safety.