Some trips become stories that linger long after the dust settles. For a Singapore-based family of four, their recent journey through Western Australia with Proudback was one of those rare experiences. Over several days they travelled on the Outback Adventurer Tour, taking the wheel themselves but supported every step of the way by Proudback’s guiding team. It was their first introduction to the rugged scale of Australia’s Golden Outback and Australia’s Coral Coast, and for the two young children on board, it was a first taste of wild camping under endless skies.
The rhythm of the trip unfolded gradually. Days were shaped by driving across wide open country, punctuated with stops at stations, gorges and lookouts that few visitors reach. Nights meant setting up camp together, cooking Outback curated meals, and watching the colours of the sky change until stars filled it completely. It was travel stripped back to its essentials, yet it never felt bare. With everything from equipment to routes prepared in advance, the family could focus on the experience itself, rather than the logistics.
Proudback’s guided self-drive 4WD tours of Australia give each party their own vehicle and their own independence, while the convoy travels together with the backing of an experienced guide. For parents, that meant the reassurance of safe navigation and the chance to focus on the experience. For children, it meant space to learn, explore and contribute.
Each morning began with the same routine: rolling swags, brewing coffee in the cold air, and preparing for the road ahead. By night, it was the firelight and the Milky Way overhead that framed the stories of the day.
Kennedy Range: walking the ridges
One of the early highlights was a full day of hiking in the Kennedy Ranges. The landscape here is ancient, a series of cliffs, gorges and ridges shaped over millions of years. The group walked through dry riverbeds where layers of red rock told a silent history, before climbing up to vantage points that opened onto wide country in every direction. For the children, it was their first big hike. They took it in stride, curious at the shapes of the rocks and the endless views. For the parents, the ridge top provided a moment of pause: a reminder that part of this journey’s gift was slowing down enough to take in horizons this vast.
Ningaloo: life in the water
After days inland, the transition to Ningaloo Reef felt dramatic. Suddenly, the desert gave way to the coast, and the focus shifted from dust to saltwater. Oyster Stacks became a favourite spot, a place where snorkelling from the beach brought them face to face with turtles, reef sharks, schools of fish and manta rays rolling through the current.
The family had snorkelled elsewhere in the world but were struck by how much life swam so close to shore. The children surfaced again and again, eager to describe the colours and creatures they had seen just below the surface.
Driving the coast
The route included a coastal 4WD section that had been in doubt due to weather, but eventually cleared enough to be completed. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. For three hours, the convoy followed tracks that hugged the shoreline, red sand dropping toward turquoise water. It was a demanding drive at times, but that was part of its value.
What stood out most was how the children embraced life on the road. At first, the distances felt long, but soon they began to look forward to spotting wildlife and helping with camp. The crackle of the fire, the surprise of kangaroos nearby, even the novelty of sleeping far from towns—all became part of the adventure. For their parents, the highlight was seeing the kids adapt and thrive in a world so far removed from city life.
The land itself shaped the journey as much as the people did. Tracks wound through Australia’s Golden Outback, where red earth meets granite outcrops, and further north, where the country opens into coastal stretches. Each region carried its own story, whether told through heritage sites, old mining history, or Indigenous perspectives shared along the way.
Whales at sunset
Throughout the Ningaloo stretch, whales were a constant presence. They breached and rolled just offshore, often at sunset when the sky was lit in gold and rose. For the family, this was their first time seeing whales in the wild. The combination of silence, ocean and sudden movement created moments that no one rushed to capture on camera.
Fishing became another thread in the story. The children cast lines with determination, pulling in a mix of curious species. While some ended up on the fire, the most fun was in learning the rhythm of the tide, the tug on the line, and the excitement of seeing what surfaced. The camp kitchen took care of meals, while the fishing became a story of its own, something the children could claim as theirs.
The Table at Bullara Station
One evening brought a different kind of memory. At Bullara Station, the group joined a long-table dinner in a rustic barn setting. Plates were shared, stories traded, and the night became less about being remote and more about being connected. For the parents, it was a chance to sit with others and taste the hospitality that station country can offer. For the children, it was the fun of new faces, a warm meal, and laughter echoing off timber walls.
A journey carried forward
For the family, this trip was not just about the places visited but the way of travelling. The guided self-drive 4WD format meant they were behind the wheel of their own vehicle, yet never isolated. Travelling in convoy gave both security and camaraderie, while the Proudback team’s knowledge brought the country to life in ways guidebooks never could.
By the end of the tour, what remained most vivid were the shared moments: sunrise over a remote camp, the thrill of taking a rough track with confidence, the laughter that came with setting up tents as a family. These became more than holiday snapshots—they were the kinds of memories that mark a chapter in a family’s story.
Proudback designs its tours to deliver exactly that. The Adventurer Tour is a moving introduction to Western Australia’s Outback, blending driving, camping and culture into one seamless journey. For families, it is a chance to experience something that feels both safe and bold: safe because the logistics are handled, bold because the terrain and distances remind you of how far from the familiar you really are.
For this family from Singapore, it was an unforgettable first step into Australia’s wild country. For others considering a Proudback journey, it is an invitation: take the wheel, bring your loved ones, and discover what it means to travel beyond the ordinary.
Travel it yourself
The Adventurer Tour is one of Proudback’s flagship guided self-drive 4WD tours Australia, covering twelve days from Perth to Ningaloo Reef via Kennedy Range. It combines inland ridges, remote stations, reef snorkelling and coastal tracks into one journey designed for those ready to go beyond the ordinary. Ready to take the wheel? Explore the full itinerary and secure your place now.