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WA’s most iconic roadhouses for an epic road trip
From the Coral Coast to the Nullarbor, these iconic roadhouses have been welcoming travellers for generations.
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11 min readExplore
From the Coral Coast to the Nullarbor, these iconic roadhouses have been welcoming travellers for generations.
Published
7 min read
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Published
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By: Natalie Pugh
There are few places more synonymous with a Western Australian road trip than a classic roadhouse. Scattered along some of the state’s longest highways, these roadside stops have fuelled generations of travellers, truck drivers and station workers, often with little else in sight for kilometres.
Some are known for their burgers, others for their history, unusual collections or simply the chance to step out of the car and stretch your legs. Here are 15 memorable WA roadhouses to look out for on your next big drive.
With little to break up the surrounding pastoral plains, Billabong Roadhouse is a welcome landmark on the drive along the North West Coastal Highway. Sitting roughly halfway between Geraldton and Carnarvon, this classic roadside stop has been serving travellers since November 1962, back when the highway was still a dirt track.
More than 60 years later, it remains a familiar stop for those travelling the Coral Coast and beyond, with fuel, food, accommodation, souvenirs and road trip essentials all in one place.
Framed by wide-open saltbush plains, Overlander Roadhouse feels like the unofficial front gate to Shark Bay. The low-slung buildings, fuel bowsers and line of towering trees are a welcome sight after hours on the North West Coastal Highway.
For many travellers, it's also the last chance to stock up before making the turn towards Monkey Mia, Denham and the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
Set near the Ashburton River in the Pilbara, Nanutarra Roadhouse has been a key stopping point on the North West Coastal Highway since 1965, when Frank Baxter established it a few kilometres from the historic Nanutarra Station homestead.
Today, it’s a popular place to break up the drive, with fuel, a restaurant serving home-cooked meals, accommodation, and camping and caravan facilities. It's also well placed for travellers heading inland towards Tom Price and Karijini National Park.
Deep in the heart of the Kimberley, Mount Barnett Roadhouse is one of the most famous stops along the Gibb River Road. Dusty four-wheel drives line the car park throughout the dry season as travellers stop to refuel and stock up on supplies.
It's also the gateway to Manning Gorge, one of the Gibb River Road's most popular attractions, where a scenic hike leads to a spectacular swimming hole and waterfall. During the dry season, many travellers choose to camp overnight before heading out to the gorge.
You won't mistake Sandfire Roadhouse for anywhere else. Hundreds of road signs collected from across Australia cover the entrance, fences and walls, creating one of WA's quirkiest roadside attractions.
Located on the Great Northern Highway north of Port Hedland, Sandfire is a familiar break for travellers driving between Broome and the Pilbara. Stop for a meal, take a closer look at the collection and give your legs a stretch before tackling the next stretch of highway.
With its deep-red forecourt, low buildings and wide fuel canopy, Pardoo Roadhouse looks every bit the classic pit stop. The roadhouse was almost completely destroyed when Category 5 Cyclone Ilsa crossed the coast in April 2023, but reopened less than a year later.
Around 150 kilometres north-east of Port Hedland, it once again provides meals, accommodation, caravan sites and 24-hour fuel for travellers tackling the long drive towards Broome.
Palm trees, tropical gardens and long shaded verandahs give Roebuck Plains Roadhouse a distinctly Kimberley feel. Around 30 kilometres east of Broome, it sits where the Great Northern Highway meets the Broome Highway, making it a natural gathering point for tourists, truck drivers and station workers.
The complex includes a restaurant, tavern, accommodation and caravan park, and for travellers arriving from the south, it is often the first sign that Broome is finally close.
Surrounded by red earth and spinifex, Kumarina Roadhouse is a welcome break on the long inland drive along the Great Northern Highway. Between Meekatharra and Newman, this stretch of road can feel wonderfully remote, with long distances between towns and services. Here the appeal is simple: pull in, grab something to eat, top up the tank ad take a breather before getting back on the road.
Green lawns, established trees and a shady beer garden make Willare Bridge Roadhouse feel like a small oasis beside the Fitzroy River. Some of its buildings began life as accommodation for British soldiers working at Talgarno, a tracking station used during Australia’s Blue Streak missile program, before being relocated when the settlement was dismantled in the 1970s.
Today, the historic complex sits around 40 kilometres south of Derby and remains a popular stop for meals, fuel, camping and an overnight break.
A familiar stop on the Great Northern Highway, Paynes Find Roadhouse breaks up the drive between Perth and the Goldfields or further north. Visit in late winter or spring and the surrounding countryside may put on an extra show, with native wildflowers brightening the landscape after winter rains.
The area also has a rich gold-mining history. Paynes Find is home to WA’s only remaining working 10-head stamp battery, offering a glimpse into the prospecting days that helped shape this part of the state.
If you're looking for one of Australia's most remote roadhouses, it doesn't get much more isolated than Tjukayirla Roadhouse. Set along the Great Central Road around 300km east of Laverton, it's surrounded by spinifex plains, red sand and big desert skies.
The roadhouse provides a welcome stopping point for travellers crossing this remote stretch of the state. Out here, distances between services can be significant, so checking fuel, supplies and road conditions before setting off is essential.
On the long drive through the East Kimberley, Doon Doon Roadhouse is a welcome place to stop for fuel, food and a break from the highway. Located around 110 kilometres south of Kununurra, the roadhouse offers fuel, meals and general supplies, and is a popular stopping point for travellers heading to Purnululu National Park.
The adjoining campground, rebuilt in 2019 through the Camping with Custodians program, features shaded lawns and facilities for travellers to rest and recharge.
Rows of parked road trains and a broad fuel canopy are a familiar sight at Capricorn Roadhouse, around 13 kilometres south of Newman on the Great Northern Highway. Sitting near the Tropic of Capricorn, it serves travellers, freight drivers and workers moving through the Pilbara’s mining country.
With a tavern, restaurant, motel accommodation and caravan facilities, it’s a substantial stop on a highway where the distances between towns can be considerable.
Set high on the escarpment above the Nullarbor Plain, Eucla Roadhouse is about as far from the idea of suburban service station as you can get. Beyond fuel, food and accommodation, the surrounding area offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s past.
Nearby, the remains of the old Eucla Telegraph Station are gradually being engulfed by shifting sand dunes. Opened in 1877, the station once played an important role in communications between Western Australia and the eastern states.
Set against the striking red cliffs of the Hamersley Range, Auski Tourist Village is one of the Pilbara's most scenic roadside stops. For many travellers heading towards Karijini, it's convenient place to pause before exploring the national park's dramatic gorges and walking trails.
With a roadhouse, motel accommodation and caravan facilities, it offers a practical place to refuel, rest and prepare for the next leg of the journey.
Banner image: Tourism Western Australia
