It's 1,480km (920 miles) to Darwin from Alice Springs, along the Stuart Highway. From the east, the Barkly Highway connects with the Stuart Highway at Tennant Creek, 922km (572 miles) south of Darwin. From the west, the Victoria Highway joins the Stuart Highway at Katherine, 314km (195 miles) south of Darwin.

The Automobile Association of the Northern Territory (AANT) (tel: 131 111; website: www.aant.com.au) provides emergency roadside assistance.

Buses usually arrive and leave from the Darwin Transit Station, on Mitchell Street. Greyhound Australia (tel: (07) 4690 9950 or 1300 4739 46863/GREYHOUND; website: www.greyhound.com.au) runs buses between Darwin and Alice Springs (around 20 hours); from Broome, via Kununurra and Katherine (24 hours); and from Cairns, via Townsville and Tennant Creek (40 hours).