Your definitive companion for navigating and understanding the vast, beautiful, and challenging heart of outback Australia.
The Great Desert Tracks Atlas & Guide – 6th Edition by Hema Maps is a meticulously curated and field-tested resource for anyone travelling into the remote Australian desert regions. Whether you’re tackling iconic 4WD tracks, planning a serious overland expedition, or simply dreaming of the red centre, this spiral-bound guide is the most trusted and comprehensive publication of its kind.
Now fully updated and expanded, this edition includes even more coverage, new track additions, and essential planning tools — all paired with Hema’s unrivalled cartographic expertise. It’s more than just a map book — it’s a detailed guide to survival, discovery, and connection with one of the world’s most unique environments.
🧭 What's Inside – At a Glance
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🛣️ 28 major desert tracks profiled
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🧭 Fully GPS-surveyed maps of the entire Hema Great Desert Tracks series
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🚙 Practical advice on 4WD safety, desert driving, equipment, and preparation
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🏕️ Camping areas, fuel stops, and resupply points
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🗺️ Track notes and planning info: elevation charts, distances, track grading
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🌏 Cultural and geographical context: First Nations lands, geomorphology, history
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📘 342 pages of detailed maps, expert advice, and fascinating outback knowledge
📍 New in the 6th Edition
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Three newly added tracks:
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🛤️ Buntine Highway (NT/WA)
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🛤️ Sandover Highway (NT)
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🛤️ Talawana Track (WA)
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Updated GPS data from Hema’s fieldwork, ensuring all information is current
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Expanded editorial sections on desert ecology, geology, and Indigenous heritage
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Refreshed design with clearer icons, better readability, and intuitive layout
🗺️ Track Coverage
Includes detailed track notes for routes such as:
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Canning Stock Route
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Gunbarrel Highway
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Birdsville Track
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Simpson Desert Crossing (French, Rig, QAA lines)
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Oodnadatta and Strzelecki Tracks
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Anne Beadell Highway
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Great Central Road
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Gary Junction Road
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Plenty Highway
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Tanami Track
…and many more lesser-known but equally rewarding routes.
Each track entry includes:
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Surface and track condition notes
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Fuel availability and emergency contact info
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Estimated driving time and distance
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4WD and towing suitability
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Permit requirements
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Safety tips and hazards
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Historical and natural highlights
🌐 Full Map Coverage
Contains all maps from Hema’s legendary Great Desert Tracks Map Series, including:
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Western Sheet
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Eastern Sheet
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Central Sheet
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Simpson Desert Map
Every map is:
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Fully GPS-referenced
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Marked with accurate distances and elevations
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Annotated with points of interest, emergency facilities, and track classifications
📘 Book Specifications
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Edition: 6th (Latest, released February 2024)
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Format: A4 landscape, spiral bound for ease of use in vehicles
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Pages: 342
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Size: 297 mm (H) × 215 mm (W) × 30 mm (D)
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Weight: Approx. 1.2 kg
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Publisher: Hema Maps
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ISBN: 9781922668868
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Printed in: Australia
🎯 Who It's For
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4WD tourers and overlanders seeking reliable, field-verified information
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Travellers crossing remote desert regions
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Self-sufficient campers and caravanners
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Geography educators, students, and researchers
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Expedition teams, tour guides, and trip planners
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Anyone with a passion for Australia’s arid interior
✅ Why Choose the Great Desert Tracks Atlas & Guide?
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Australia’s most trusted remote travel guide
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Designed for real-world desert travel, not just coffee table display
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Created by the Hema Map Patrol using on-ground GPS mapping
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Comprehensive, informative, and easy to navigate
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Combines expert navigation, planning, and storytelling in one essential volume
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Made and published in Australia
A true icon of Australian 4WD and overland adventure, the Great Desert Tracks Atlas & Guide is more than a map book — it’s a mission planner, a safety manual, and a love letter to the heart of the outback.
Be prepared. Be informed. Be inspired. With Hema’s Atlas in hand, the desert is yours to explore.
