On the Stuart Highway
Plan your visit
About 100 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, on the western side of the highway. Office open 9am to 5pm.
Getting here
Banka Banka West is a station turn-off, not a town. You will see the park from the highway. It sits under a low rocky ridge, with the camping area on the grass inside the red dirt loop.
Southbound from Darwin and Elliott, or northbound from Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, stay on the Stuart Highway. The next fuel is not at the park.
Hours and arrival
- Office and reception: 9am to 5pm.
- Camp sites: check-in 11am to 5pm, check-out 9am.
- Cabins: check-in 2pm to 5pm, check-out 9am.
- After 5pm the property is only open to people who already have a booking.
- If you will be late, message the park on Facebook before you arrive. A late check-in fee of up to $5 may be charged.
The park is closed for the 2026 season and reopens in January 2027. The shop and the bar usually operate from April to September. The bar, when management opens it, is 5pm to 7pm. The shop sells local artwork and souvenirs, not groceries.
Fuel and supplies
- Heading north: Renner Springs, 60 kilometres.
- Heading south: Threeways Roadhouse, 75 kilometres.
- No fuel at the park, and no vehicle servicing or refuelling on site.
- No meals for sale. Use the camp kitchen.
- Laundry is $4 a load. There is a dump point beside the accessible toilet.
Weather for the nearest forecast is Tennant Creek, on the Bureau of Meteorology. Recent traveller notes are on WikiCamps and Tripadvisor.
Water
The spring water is good to drink. It is also shared with the station and the animals. Please do not wash cars, vans or camping setups, and do not fill onboard water tanks. Do not wash pets or their bedding in the park.
At times the campground taps are restricted so the tank can recover, and so water is there in the early morning and the evening.
Not allowed
These are for other guests, for the country, and for traditional owner requirements. They are not suggestions.
- Drones.
- Campfires, including individual fires.
- Whip cracking.
- Refuelling or servicing a vehicle on site.
- Pets in the camp kitchen, showers, toilets or playground.
- Pets left unattended, or off a lead outside your van or tent.
- Pets in cabins.
The full conditions, including cancellations, are on the booking terms page. Read them before you reserve.
Questions
Are you open?
The park is closed for the 2026 season and reopens in January 2027. Online bookings for 2027 will open soon. Call or email if you need to know before the page is live.
Do you have internet?
Yes, though it drops out, and a fix can take time this far from town. There is a Telstra payphone. Calls to Australian mobiles and landlines on that phone are free.
Can I bring my pet?
Pets are welcome on powered and unpowered sites, not in cabins. They must be on a lead, supervised, and never left alone — including inside a van or tent. They are not allowed in the camp kitchen, showers, toilets or playground. You pick up after them. The managers can ask you to leave if a pet is noisy, aggressive or upsetting other guests. The full pet rules are on the booking terms page.
Are fires permitted?
No. Campfires are not permitted, in line with the NT Rural Fire Service. That includes individual fires. Do not bring firewood expecting to light one.
Is there a pool?
No pool. There is a seasonal waterhole, and it is the place for a swim when it is holding water.
Is there a dump point?
Yes. It is beside the accessible toilet. Ask at reception if you cannot see it, and use the park map at check-in.
Do you sell food?
No. There is a camp kitchen for a simple meal. Bring what you need to cook. The shop sells artwork and souvenirs in season, not groceries.
What is the water like?
Spring water, and it is good drinking water. It is also limited. Do not wash vehicles or vans, and do not fill onboard tanks. At busy times the campground supply is restricted so the tank can recover for the morning and evening.
Is there a laundry?
Yes. Washing machines are $4 a load.
Where is the next fuel?
Northbound, Renner Springs is 60 kilometres. Southbound, Threeways Roadhouse is 75 kilometres. Fill up before you rely on the park — there is no fuel bowser here, and you cannot refuel or service a vehicle in the park.
What if I need to cancel?
Email bankabookings@ilsc.gov.au. More than 48 hours before arrival, the published policy is a full refund. Inside 48 hours, the park may keep up to the first night. Leaving early after you have checked in is not refunded. Read the booking terms before you pay. Travel insurance is worth having on this road.
What are the office hours?
9am to 5pm. Camp sites check in from 11am, cabins from 2pm, and everyone is out by 9am. If you are booked and will arrive after 5pm, message the park on Facebook beforehand. A late check-in fee of up to $5 may apply. The gate after 5pm is for people who already have a booking.