Best time to visit Australia by 4WD camper

Australia has no single travel season. The tropical north has a dry season from May to October and a wet season from November to April. The south has a summer from December to March and a cool, wet winter. The campers follow the seasons: northern depots close for the wet, the Apollo and Britz 4WDs are only in Sydney and Melbourne in summer, and the popular models for a dry-season trip are booked months ahead. Below: the seasons by region and month, the three northern seasons, and what each one means for collecting a camper.

Jim Jim Falls, Kakadu, late in the dry season. The falls carry most water in May and June and can run dry by September.

Seasons by region and month

The regions are grouped by the depots that serve them. Each cell is the usual pattern, not a forecast: the wet season can start late or linger into April, and the dates roads and parks reopen change every year.

Region (depots)	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Kimberley and Top EndBroome, Darwin	Wet	Wet	Wet	Roads reopen	Dry	Dry	Dry	Dry	Dry, hot	Build-up	Build-up	Wet
Cape York and far north QueenslandCairns	Wet	Wet	Wet	Wet	Roads reopen	Dry	Dry	Dry	Dry	Dry, hot	Build-up	Wet
Red CentreAlice Springs	Hot	Hot	Warm	Mild	Cold nights	Cold nights	Cold nights	Cold nights	Mild	Warm	Hot	Hot
Western Australia, south and coastPerth, Exmouth	Summer	Summer	Summer	Mild	Mild	Winter	Winter	Winter	Spring	Spring	Warm	Summer
South-eastSydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle	Summer	Summer	Mild	Mild	Mild	Winter	Winter	Winter	Mild	Mild	Warm	Summer
TasmaniaHobart, Launceston	Summer	Summer	Summer	Mild	Cool	Winter	Winter	Winter	Cool	Mild	Mild	Summer

Dry season: the touring months in the north
Wet season: unsealed roads closed, several depots shut
Hot: build-up storms in the north, summer heat elsewhere
Cold: nights below freezing inland, rain in the south

The three northern seasons

Dry season

May to October

Clear days, cool nights and almost no rain. May and June have the most water in the falls, with some roads still closed. July and August are the most comfortable months and the busiest. By September the walks are hot and the waterfalls thin out.

The dry season in detail

Build-up

Late September to November

Heat and humidity rise before the rain arrives. Darwin reaches the high thirties with the first thunderstorms, Mitchell Falls closes in early October and the Kimberley roadhouses and camps begin to shut. For a September or October trip between Darwin and Perth, start in Darwin.

Darwin to Perth in September and October

Wet season

November to April

Monsoon rain, cyclones and nights around 25 degrees. The Gibb River Road, the Purnululu track and Jim Jim Road close from about mid-December until at least the end of March, and highways flood for days. Many campers can't be collected in Broome, Darwin or Alice Springs from December to March.

The wet season in detail

What the seasons do to the campers

The fleet moves with the weather. These are the usual patterns; each camper's page shows the dates for its own depots.

4WD camper availability

Northern depots close for the wet: Alice Springs, Broome, and Darwin: 1 December–31 March for several campers. The campers still available there travel on an itinerary agreed at handover, and the depot manager can rule out areas on the day.
The big 4WD fleets go south for summer: Apollo Adventure 4WD, Apollo Overland, Britz Maverick, Britz Warrior, and Mighty 4WD: collected and returned in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney only between 1 November–31 March. The rest of the year they are in the northern and western depots.
Permission follows the road: 48 of the campers may be driven on the Gibb River Road, and the Mitchell Plateau, Jim Jim Road and the Cape York tracks likewise, in the dry season only. A camper's window can be shorter than the road's own opening, so the dates and side trips go on the booking.
Fully booked for now: 4WD car and off road camper trailer 4 berth: fully booked until December 1, 2027
Landcruiser Rooftop: fully booked until February 1, 2028
Landcruiser Vortex: fully booked until March 1, 2028
4WD car and off road caravan 5 berth: fully booked until May 1, 2028
Poptop camper: fully booked until May 1, 2028
Bushcamper with winch: fully booked until June 1, 2028
Ford with electric roof tent: fully booked until June 1, 2028
As shown on each camper's page.

Busy periods

School holidays differ by state; the July break is the one every state shares.

July and August in the north: The whole country's winter holidays meet the best weather in the Kimberley and Top End. Family 4WD campers with inside beds book out first, and national park campgrounds take bookings months ahead.
Christmas to late January in the south: Coastal campsites from Esperance to the Great Ocean Road are booked out; some have minimum stays. Demand eases in February once the summer holidays end.
Easter and the autumn holidays: A short peak in the south and on the west coast up to Exmouth. In the north the roads are only starting to reopen.

Questions about the seasons

When is the dry season in northern Australia?

From about May to October in the Kimberley, the Top End and Cape York. The rain stops in April, the unsealed roads reopen through May and June, and the heat returns from late September. There are no fixed dates.

Can I collect a 4WD camper in Darwin or Broome in January?

Some campers, not most. Many can't be collected at those depots from 1 December to 31 March. The unsealed roads of the Kimberley and Kakadu are closed in any case, and the depot manager sets the itinerary at handover.

Which direction for Perth and Darwin in September or October?

Start in Darwin and finish in Perth. The Top End and Kimberley are the hottest part of the trip and come first, while the south-west is in spring when you arrive.

How far ahead should I book for July or August?

Eight to ten months for a camper with inside beds or a toilet; fleets of those models count five to eight vehicles. Roof-tent campers are easier to find, but the Perth to Darwin one-way trips still fill up early.

Where can I go by camper from December to March?

The south: Western Australia's south-west and coast up to about Kalbarri, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Perth is open year-round, and the Apollo and Britz 4WDs are in Sydney and Melbourne in those months.

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