Central Australia has always been on the list for a lot of South Australian travellers. Right now there’s a decent reason to move it to the top.

Discover Central Australia is offering 600 drive vouchers worth $500 each, redeemable against accommodation at participating caravan parks, wayside inns, campgrounds and roadhouses across the Red Centre and Barkly regions.

South Australian residents are eligible, and applications close on 30 September 2026.

What you need to know

• Value: $500 per voucher, toward accommodation only
• Available: 600 vouchers in Round 1
• Allocation: First come, first served, not a draw
• Applications close: 30 September 2026
• Notification: Successful applicants notified by 5 October 2026
• Booking window: 5 October 2026 to 20 January 2027
• Travel completed by: 30 June 2027
• Eligibility: Australian residents aged 18 or over, living outside the Northern Territory, with a driver’s licence showing an out-of-state address
• Limit: One application per household

Full terms and conditions are on the Discover Central Australia website.

Before you head up the Track

A Central Australia trip is a different proposition to a run down the Fleurieu. You’re covering long distances on remote roads, sharing them with road trains, and travelling a long way between fuel, water and phone reception.

Our THINK! RV Road Safety program has the resources to get you ready. Start with these:

• SAPOL’s Remote Travel Quick Tips — what to carry, what to tell people, and what to do if you break down
• RV Weight and Loading — long outback legs are exactly where an overloaded van bites
• Communication on the Road — UHF channels and why you want a radio, not just a phone
• Co-Exist Program and Truck Friendly — sharing the road with heavy vehicles and road trains
• Practical Tips for Safer, Smarter Off-Road Driving — gravel, corrugations and unsealed access roads
• RV Safety Checklist — run through it before you leave the driveway
• Green Reflector Program — finding safe rest areas on long remote stretches

Trip ideas for your $500

• Adelaide to Uluru via the Stuart Highway — roughly 1,600 km each way, the classic run
• The Red Centre Way loop — Alice Springs, West MacDonnells, Kings Canyon, Uluru
• Up the Track to the Barkly — Alice Springs, Devils Marbles, Tennant Creek