Southern Discoverer Guided Off-road Tour
A guided 4WD tour through the South of Western Australia with a mix of history, white dunes and water activities. Expect to see some big names including the Esperance Coast and Lucky Bay, heading into the historic town of Kalgoorlie and the breathtaking Bilbunya Dunes.
The Southern Discoverer is a guided 4×4 road trip through the wide goldfields, remote dune systems and wild southern coastline of Western Australia. Beginning in Perth, the journey travels east to Kalgoorlie, across the inland plains towards the Coast into the Bilbunya Dunes before turning west along the Esperance coast through Israelite Bay, Cape Arid, Cape Le Grand and the beaches around Lucky Bay.
Across eleven days and ten nights, you cover roughly 2,300 kilometres, moving through landscapes that shift from open outback to towering white dunes, rugged tracks, granite headlands and long stretches of Southern Ocean coastline.
Driving your own Land Cruiser 79 Series, you camp in premium swags, learn the fundamentals of off-road travel and adapt to the slower rhythm of remote exploration. Proudback guides lead the way, managing route decisions, safety and vehicle support so you can focus on the experience itself.
Depending on conditions, activities include hiking in Cape Arid, exploring the Bilbunya dune fields, swimming and fishing along the Esperance coast, visiting the historic sites around Kalgoorlie and enjoying some of the state’s most secluded beaches. Seasonal weather shapes each day, which is why no two Southern Discoverer departures unfold in the same way.
Choosing the Southern Discoverer with Proudback gives you access to places that are normally out of reach, with the reassurance that every detail from equipment to route planning has been handled. You travel with confidence, freedom and the knowledge that you are seeing a side of Western Australia that only a small number ever experience.
Are you ready to explore Western Australia’s south on a journey built for genuine adventure?
Southern Discoverer Tour Itinerary
Day
1
Perth to Kalgoorlie
The tour begins in Perth with your Proudback guides introducing the Land Cruiser 79 Series and giving a short briefing on vehicle setup, radio use and convoy travel. The drive east follows long stretches of sealed highway before the landscape shifts toward the goldfields. By late afternoon, we reach Kalgoorlie, the centre of Western Australia’s gold mining history. After checking into one of Kalgoorlies iconic hotels, there is time to walk through town, visit local pubs or view the Super Pit, one of the world’s largest open-cut gold mines. The evening is relaxed, giving you the chance to prepare for the days ahead.
Day
2
Training day
Day two focuses on practical training to prepare for the southern off-road sections. After leaving town, we move to a suitable training area where you learn the fundamentals of sand and rocky-terrain driving, tyre pressure adjustment, spotting, and safe recovery technique. Radio communication and convoy etiquette are covered in detail, giving you confidence before we head into more remote terrain. In the late afternoon, we'll set up camp and get ready for our first night in premium swags, collecting firewood and preparing dinner together. Be amazed by the deep red colour during sunset and the endless night sky.
Day
3
Balladonia and the Old Telegraph Track
After breakfast, the route heads east toward Balladonia, travelling through open outback plains and passing the start of the Eyre Highway’s 90-mile straight, the longest stretch of road in Australia. From Balladonia, we turn south onto the Old Telegraph Track, a historic route dating back to 1874. The track is slow and technical, with rocky sections, ruts and soft sand that offer hands-on off-road driving. Progress is steady, and we reach the southern coastline by mid-afternoon. Camp is set close to the ocean, with time to settle into the quiet and isolation of this remote section of coastline.
Day
4
Old Telegraph Track to Bilbunya Dunes
The morning begins with the run toward the Bilbunya Dunes, one of the most striking dune systems in Western Australia. These towering white dunes sit against the Baxter Cliffs and form part of the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, a region that remains largely untouched. The driving here is slow and challenging, with soft sand and tight beach entries. The day is spent navigating through the dune corridors and exploring the coastline. Camp is set nearby, followed by a simple dinner and a quiet evening in one of the most remote areas of the south coast.
Day
5
Bilbunya Dunes to Cape Arid National Park
We leave Bilbunya in the morning and head west along the beach and sections of the Old Telegraph Track. The combination of corrugations, sand and soft coastal terrain makes this one of the more challenging sections of the trip. Have fun behind the wheels. By afternoon, we enter Cape Arid National Park, where long white beaches, granite outcrops and clear Southern Ocean water define the landscape. Camp is set near the coast, with the chance to fish from shore or take a swim or snorkel before sunset.
Day
6
Cape Arid National Park
Day six is a slower day, giving you time to explore Cape Arid properly. The morning may include short walks, fishing, swimming at sheltered bays or a visit to selected lookouts depending on weather and track access. The area is known for its wildlife, including wallabies, kangaroos and birdlife that move across the dunes and mallee scrub. Camp remains in the same location for another night, with dinner prepared together at the end of the day.
Day
7
Cape Arid to Cape Le Grand National Park
After packing up camp, the day begins with a back-track through Cape Arid before taking the coastal access into Cape Le Grand National Park. This route shifts between soft beach driving and inland sand tracks, offering a mix of terrain. In the early afternoon, we reach the granite coastline of Cape Le Grand, known for its sheltered bays and bright turquoise water. Camp is set close to the beach, giving time for a walk or a swim before sunset.
Day
8
Cape Le Grand and Lucky Bay
Day eight focuses on the beaches and headlands around Lucky Bay, one of Western Australia’s most recognisable coastal areas. Morning often brings kangaroos onto the sand, and there is time to explore the beach, swim or walk sections of the coastal track. The afternoon includes further stops within Cape Le Grand, such as Hellfire Bay or Frenchman Peak, depending on conditions and group preference. Camp returns to the same area for the night.
Day
9
Esperance
We leave Cape Le Grand and return to Esperance, where the pace shifts to an easy day in town. Travellers can visit cafés, walk the foreshore, or explore nearby beaches including Twilight Beach and Blue Haven. In the evening, we gather for a farewell dinner to mark the final night of the journey.
Day
10
Esperance to Perth
The final day is a steady return to Perth along sealed roads. The drive covers farmland, open plains and small country towns, giving time to reflect on the kilometres travelled and the range of landscapes seen along the south coast. Arrival in Perth is expected in the late afternoon, concluding the Southern Discoverer journey.
After ten days on the Southern Discoverer, you finish with a stronger sense of Western Australia’s south coast and the remote country that shapes it. The landscapes, the history and the isolation stay with you long after the journey ends. If you are ready to see this part of Australia with the preparation and support it deserves, join us for the Southern Discoverer and experience a side of the state most travellers never reach.
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Southern Discoverer Trip Impressions
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