An epic four-wheel drive through Australia’s heart aims to target the Northern Territory’s burgeoning self-drive tourism market.

The Binns Track route stretches more than 2000 kilometres from Mount Dare on the South Australian border up to Timber Creek, in Western Australia.

It passes through Alice Springs and Tennant Creek as it winds through many of the territory’s lesser known nature reserves and national parks such as the western Simpson Desert, East MacDonnell Ranges, Davenport Range National Park and Gregory National Park.

NT Tourism’s Kon Vatskalis said the project catered for do-it-yourself travellers with a penchant for hitting the road.

He said the project targeted the 217,000 interstate and 86,000 international self-drive visitors each year.

“The Henderson government is committed to creating more four-wheel drive journeys around the Territory,” he said as he welcomed 4WD enthusiasts to the track opening in Central Australia.

He said the government had allocated $100,000 to 4WD route development over the last year.

“Importantly, we are catering to the increasing self-drive tourism market,” he said.

The track has been named after Bill Binns, who worked for Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife for 32 years and advocated linking a series of remote tracks together.

He said the new track highlighted some of the most untouched parts of the Northern Territory.

“The journey allows visitors to experience the changing vistas of the Territory, progressing from Australia’s sandy heart to the rugged outcrops of Gregory National Park and sub-tropics of the north,” said Mr Binns.

“This trip is an outback bush experience. It’s really about your feelings … away from the millions on an uninterrupted adventure.”

AAP

Walking the Crossing When walking your water crossings its best to walk in the intended wheel tracks to find if there are any hidden rocks or potholes, as well as for checking the depth. Potholes at common crossings are often caused by previous 4x4 spinning their wheels after hitting a submerged rock. So if you find a pothole, check for submerged rocks. It's a good idea to place markers at these points so you can avoid them. Its been known for a vehicle attempting a relatively easy crossing to suck in water when a single pothole has caused the hood to momentarily dip below the water level, causing water to enter the air intake, resulting in hydro-lock and a damaged engine.