Golden Outback

The Golden Outback covers just over half of Western Australia, the region stretches from the dusty red earth of Mt Augustus and Kennedy Ranges in the north to the sweeping beaches of Esperance to the south and at its heart is the desert mining town of Kalgoorlie. With such scale comes incredible diversity and the Golden Outback offers visitors; huge deserts and salt lakes, rugged rocky outcrops, outback plains, woodlands and some of the whitest beaches in the world. Spring time transforms the region, the ground is carpeted with wild flowers like something out of a fairy tale. With so much to see, the Golden Outback offers the ultimate road trip experience. Adventure to wave shaped rocks, see gold rush history, mega monoliths, white beaches, pink lakes and blue seas!

With such a massive land area it is almost impossible to accurately discuss the Aboriginal culture of the Golden Outback. Stretching from coast to desert through granite country and wilderness to islands and archipelagos; numerous Aboriginal language groups call the region home, each with a unique culture, history, language, stories, songs and art. Every group is important and deserves recognition for the variety and richness of culture they bring to the region and Country more broadly. The Golden Outback offers a variety of Aboriginal experiences unique to towns, local areas and language groups; try a bush food tour of the desert, experience local rock art or go on one of the many cultural tours.

Ochre red earth as far as the eye can see, the mining town of Kalgoorlie is in the middle of the outback and sits on one of the world’s richest deposits of gold. So plentiful it has been dubbed ‘The Golden Mile’ though nickel and copper are also mined in the region. Australia is known for its surfing and big waves but one of our biggest waves is hundreds of kilometres from the coast.

Wave Rock rises 15 metres above the outback plain and is over 2,700 million years old. Located about 4 hours from Perth, the 110-metre long multi-coloured granite cliff is shaped remarkably like a huge wave about to crash onto the bush. Nearby, a collection of over 450 rock paintings cover the walls of Mulka's Cave, telling the stories of local Aboriginal culture and the Dreamtime.

The world's largest monolith, Mount Augustus, is two and a half times the size of Uluru and is found in the Golden Outback. A truly impressive rock Mount Augustus has a 750-metre high summit from its 49 kilometre scenic base trail and at sunrise and sunset the changing colours; green, yellow, orange to red are spectacular. A closer look at the Monolith will reveal Aboriginal rock art and caves of the Wadjari people, who call Mount Augustus Burringurrah.

Imagine a strawberry milk, bubble gum pink lake surrounded by a paint box blue ocean and only separated by a thin strip of white sand. Impossible right?! Discover Lake Hillier one of the extraordinary places you will ever see and part of the pristine wilderness of the Recherche Archipelago in Cape Arid National Park. Lake Hillier measures just 600 metres wide, shaped like a footprint and no one knows what causes the lakes incredible pink colour.

Australia’s whitest beach is found at Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park, with luminous white sands, bright blue waters and magnificent wilderness surrounding it truly is a little bit of heaven. A troupe of cheeky kangaroos also call the area home and are often seen relaxing on the sand and keep an eye out for migrating whales between July and October.

Fitzgerald River National Park offers pristine wilderness and is recognised as one of the most diverse botanical regions on earth with around 1,800 species of flowering plants alone. In spring, the landscape is dotted with colourful wildflowers including Banksias, Hakeas, Bottlebrush, Feather flowers, Quaalup bell and many others. The Park is made up of a series of coastal hills called the Barrens, the area is home to a variety of native wildlife the endangered marsupial the Dibbler has recently been re discovered in the park and from the cliffs at Point Ann you can see Southern Right and Humpback whales migrating along the coast in winter.

Explore Golden Outback

    Lake Ballard Day Tour
    Lake Ballard Day Tour
    Lake Ballard Day Tour
    Lake Ballard Day Tour

    Lake Ballard Day Tour

    Full Day Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Art & Nature April to October
    Come and enjoy an outback discovery tour to Lake Ballard with Linden Brownley from Bush Ghoodhu Wongutha Tours. Listen to stories of the Dreamtime, visit sites of significance and see first-hand some of the bush tucker that the Kalgoorlie Goldfields more
    from $250 per adult
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    Emu Dreaming Emu Farm Tour
    Emu Dreaming Emu Farm Tour
    Emu Dreaming Emu Farm Tour
    Emu Dreaming Emu Farm Tour

    Emu Dreaming Emu Farm Tour

    4 Hour Dumbleyung, Western Australia Culture & Nature Year Round
    Join Grant and Anne Riley on an experience in the bush garden at the Wuddi Aboriginal Art Gallery in the Golden Outback region of Western Australia. Your tour commences in the sunken bush food garden surrounded by native bush foods. more
    from $110 per adult
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    Djilgi Dreaming Yabbie Farm Tour
    Djilgi Dreaming Yabbie Farm Tour
    Djilgi Dreaming Yabbie Farm Tour
    Djilgi Dreaming Yabbie Farm Tour

    Djilgi Dreaming Yabbie Farm Tour

    Half Day Dumbleyung, Western Australia Culture & Nature Year Round
    Join Grant and Anne Riley on an experience in the bush garden at the Wuddi Aboriginal Art Gallery in the Golden Outback region of Western Australia. Your tour commences in the sunken bush food garden surrounded by native bush foods. more
    from $110 per adult
    More info
    On Country Tour with Yabbie Lunch
    On Country Tour with Yabbie Lunch
    On Country Tour with Yabbie Lunch
    On Country Tour with Yabbie Lunch

    On Country Tour with Yabbie Lunch

    Full Day Dumbleyung, Western Australia Culture & Nature Year Round
    Join Grant and Anne Riley on an experience at Lake Dumbleyung in the Golden Outback region of Western Australia to learn about the Aboriginal history and the significance of this water body. Lake Dumbleyung was once a significant food and water more
    from $180 per adult
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    The bush food experience
    The bush food experience
    The bush food experience
    The bush food experience

    The bush food experience

    1 Hour Dumbleyung, Western Australia Bush Food Year Round
    Join Anne and Grant at the Wuddi Cultural Centre for a one hour bush food experience and introduction into their culture in Dumbleyung in Australia’s Golden Outback region of Western Australia. Relax in the sunken bush food garden, roast quandong nuts more
    from $50 per adult
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