Stretching over 2,230 kilometres, the track winds its way from the South Australian border
all the way to Timber Creek. Named after Bill Binns, a long-serving NT Parks ranger, this route was his vision of opening up Central Australia to those willing to venture a little further. And that’s exactly what this trip demands, a sense of adventure, a capable 4WD, and a willingness to embrace the unexpected.
This is where the journey begins to feel real. As you trace the western edge of the Simpson Desert, the landscape opens up into vast horizons of red sand and spinifex. The dunes rise like waves frozen in time, glowing orange at sunrise and deep crimson by sunset.
Corrugations rattle through your rig, dust trails stretch for kilometres behind you, and the sense of isolation is immediate. It’s just you, your vehicle, and the outback.
As you push toward Alice Springs, the rugged beauty of the East MacDonnell Ranges comes into view. Here, ancient rock carvings tell stories of the Arrernte people, a reminder that this land has been lived in and cared for for tens of thousands of years.
Beyond Alice, the track shifts again. You’ll roll through old gold rush country, where ghostly remains of mines still scatter the landscape around Arltunga Historical Reserve.
At Gemtree, you can swap the steering wheel for a shovel and try your luck fossicking for garnets and zircons. It’s one of those rare stops where you slow down, get your hands dirty, and maybe walk away with a small piece of the outback.
The track then leads you into cattle country, long stretches of dirt roads cutting through working stations where road trains rule and gates are part of the journey.
Eventually, you’ll reach the iconic Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve. Massive granite boulders sit impossibly balanced, glowing under the setting sun. Camp here, and you’ll understand why so many travellers rate this as a highlight. The silence, the stars, and the sheer scale of the place are something else entirely.
A stop in Tennant Creek gives you a glimpse into a town shaped by gold, culture, and outback resilience.
As you head further north, the landscape changes once more. The dry reds soften into greener tones, the air thickens, and the sense of water nearby becomes unmistakable.
Welcome to Judbarra / Gregory National Park, a place of boab trees, winding rivers, and some of the best barra fishing country in the Territory.
It’s a fitting contrast to the desert start, and a reminder of just how diverse this track really is.
The journey finishes in Timber Creek, where you can trade red dust for a boat deck, throw a line in, or simply sit back and let the trip sink in. Ten days, thousands of kilometres, and a lifetime of memories.
This is a trip to remember and once at Artlunga consider the Ruby Gap side trip, it is truly remote a bit more difficult to get to (one of the reasons we have rated it as hard, but well worth the effort to get there.
There's so many opportunities to come and go along the Binn's, you don't have to stay to the exact itinary. In fact we did the track some years ago with our rear fold camper trailer. We had an absolute ball and even continued on to Darwin.