
Hughenden Muttaburra Road is a gravel nightmare
Australia, oceania
210 km
376 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, folks, picture this: you're in Queensland, Australia, ready for an outback adventure. Got a 4WD or a high-clearance vehicle? Good, because you'll need it for the Hughenden Muttaburra Road (aka part of State Route 19)!
This epic stretch runs 210 km (130 miles) from Hughenden in the north to Muttaburra in the south. Most of it is gravel and technically open to all vehicles, but trust me, you want something tough. See, those black soil sections? When it rains, they turn into a slippery, treacherous mess.
And speaking of rough, the last 100 km into Hughenden are seriously gnarly. Think sharp gravel, deep ruts, and giant, loose boulders just waiting to tear up your undercarriage. The road climbs to a whopping 376m (1,233ft) in elevation too!
Don't be fooled by the 100kph speed limit signs—that's a joke. Even in a truck, you'll be lucky to hit 60kph without rattling your teeth out. Let's just say a 2WD with a caravan would have an absolute nightmare. This road is a real gravel grinder!
Where is it?
Hughenden Muttaburra Road is a gravel nightmare is located in Australia (oceania). Coordinates: -24.9439, 134.7538
Road Details
- Country
- Australia
- Continent
- oceania
- Length
- 210 km
- Max Elevation
- 376 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -24.9439, 134.7538
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