Western Explorer Road
204 km
distance
3h
Contour time
8.1
avg score
Unsealed
surface
Scenery
Tasmania
The Tarkine covers roughly 450,000 hectares of northwest Tasmania between the Arthur River and the Pieman River. It...
Road quality
8.1 RQS
Strong. Above average on most quality signals.
Accessibility
Fully sealed
Best in 4WD. Peak season: Year-round.
7-day forecast
Accessible to any stock 4WD with reasonable clearance. The road is well-graded gravel for most of its length. The creek crossings are shallow and the gradients are moderate. The difficulty is isolation, not terrain.
Scored 8.1/10 by Contour's road quality algorithm across curviness, surface, elevation and traffic. Best suited for 4wd drivers.
The road
The Western Explorer Road runs 120 kilometres through the Tarkine wilderness from Temma on Tasmania's northwest coast to Corinna on the Pieman River. Known locally as the Road to Nowhere, it crosses some of the most remote and ecologically significant country in Tasmania without passing a single settlement, fuel stop or building. The road itself is well-maintained gravel - Grade 1-2, accessible to any 4WD and most high-clearance AWD vehicles in dry conditions. The difficulty is not technical. It is the sheer isolation. For 120 kilometres you drive through buttongrass moorland, scrubby heath and patches of temperate rainforest without seeing another vehicle for hours at a stretch. The country on both sides of the road is the Tarkine - Australia's largest tract of temperate rainforest and one of the most contested pieces of conservation land in the country. The buttongrass plains that dominate the central sections are ancient - the peat beneath them has been accumulating for thousands of years and the landscape looks functionally unchanged since the last ice age. The few creek crossings are shallow and well-defined. The road surface deteriorates in the rainforest sections where runoff and leaf litter make the gravel softer, but nothing that challenges a capable vehicle. Corinna at the southern end is a tiny settlement on the Pieman River, accessed by the Fatman Barge - a small cable ferry that carries one vehicle at a time across the river. The barge operates during daylight hours and is free. Arriving at Corinna after 120 km of wilderness and stepping onto the barge is one of the great transitions in Australian touring.
The Western Explorer Road runs 120 kilometres through the Tarkine wilderness from Temma on Tasmania's northwest coast to Corinna on the Pieman River.
Why this road
The region
The Tarkine covers roughly 450,000 hectares of northwest Tasmania between the Arthur River and the Pieman River. It contains the largest remaining tract of temperate rainforest in Australia and one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The area is named after the Tarkiner Aboriginal people who lived in this country for at least 35,000 years. The wilderness is contested - mining, forestry and conservation interests have argued over the Tarkine for decades. The Western Explorer Road was originally built as a forestry access road.
Before you go
No fuel on the road. Fill up at Smithton, Marrawah or Zeehan before entering. Corinna has no fuel. The Fatman Barge at Corinna operates approximately 8am-5pm (varies seasonally). Arriving after closing strands you on the north bank - plan accordingly. Mobile coverage is absent for the entire 120 km. The road is accessible year-round but wet-weather conditions make the rainforest sections slower. Allow at least three hours without stops. Carry extra fuel if your vehicle's range is under 500 km.
See a routing error?
Flag itWorth stopping for
Corinna Wilderness Experience
A small eco-lodge at Corinna with accommodation, meals and kayak tours up the Pieman River. Worth an overnight stay.
Pieman River
The Pieman is one of Tasmania's great wild rivers. Kayaking or boat cruises from Corinna run upstream into the rainforest.
Route
Start
Temma / Arthur River
End
Corinna
Gallery
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