Plenty Highway

The Plenty Highway is a 498 kilometres (309 mi) outback mostly unsealed road in the Northern Territory of Australia between the Stuart Highway and north-western Queensland.[1]

Plenty Highway Northern Territory
Map of central Australia with Plenty Highway highlighted in red
General information
Type	Rural road
Length	498 km (309 mi)
Route number(s)	State Route 12
Major junctions
West end	Stuart Highway (National Highway 87), 69 km (43 mi) north of Alice Springs
	Sandover Highway (State Route 14)
East end	Donohue Highway, Tobermorey Homestead (NT/Queensland border)
Location(s)
Major settlements	Atitjere, Huckitta, Jervois, Tarlton Downs

The road begins at a turnoff from the Stuart Highway 68 kilometres (42 mi) north of Alice Springs, and finishes at Tobermorey Homestead on the Northern Territory/Queensland border. It then continues for another 249 kilometres (155 mi) to Boulia in Queensland, as the Donohue Highway.

The first 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Stuart Highway to Ongeva Creek is sealed. The remaining 178 kilometres (111 mi) to Jervois Homestead is unsealed as is the rest of the track to Boulia. Information about its condition may be obtained from the Harts Range police station, 112 kilometres (70 mi) from the Stuart Highway.

East of Jervois Homestead, the road is formed earth, deteriorating to rocks and bulldust as it nears Tobermorey, 213 kilometres (132 mi) from Jervois Homestead. The road north to Urandangi and thence to Mount Isa bears left just before Tobermorey.

As at other Northern Territory or Queensland border crossings, the road may deteriorate east of the border into Queensland with deep potholes and bulldust. It is 249 kilometres (155 mi) from Tobermorey to Boulia and good camping may be found at the Georgina River, at about the 125 kilometres (78 mi) mark.

Fuel and food may be obtained at Gemtree, Atitjere community, Jervois Homestead and Boulia. As of June 2018, fuel and camping is available at Tobermorey. The Donohue Highway is not suitable for ordinary caravans and road trains up to 53 metres (174 ft) in length use both highways.

Junctions and localities

Location[2]	km[2]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Burt Plain			Stuart Highway (National route 87) – Alice Springs Darwin	68 kilometres (42 mi) north of Alice Springs
Anmatjere	27	17	Sandover Highway (state route 14) – Camooweal
Gemtree	70	43		Caravan park, fuel available
Harts Range, Atitjere	147	91		Fuel available
Huckitta Station	200	120
Jervois Station	277	172		Fuel available
Tarlton Downs Station	347	216
Tobermorey	492	306	Urandangi Road – Urandangi, Mount Isa
Tobermorey Homestead	496	308	Continues into Queensland as Donohue Highway – Boulia
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in the Northern Territory

References

1. Hema, Maps (2005). Australia's Great Desert Tracks NE Sheet (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. ISBN 978-1-86500-160-9.
2. Google (21 January 2017). "Plenty Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 21 January 2017.