The heart of the Outback

Inland, more natural wonders await adventurous visitors. The gigantic monolith known as Mount Augustus is twice the size of its iconic sister, Uluru, and shares the site with a collection of ancient aboriginal paintings. Wave Rock is also a sight worth seeing, as the unusual formation looks like a breaking wave.

Meanwhile, Lake Ballard’s cracked white surface rivals Bolivia’s bucket-list salt beds and has inspired the respected British sculptor Antony Gormley to plant here 51 life-size human forms in an installation he’s named Inside Australia.

This artsy attraction is based near the Golden Outback’s largest settlement, Kalgoorlie. The town’s Hannan Street is dotted with lively pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, while the best sunsets can be seen from Mount Charlotte. Kalgoorlie is also home to the Super Pit, one of Australia’s biggest open-cut gold mines. Providing more of a taste of the country’s gold-rush history is the Golden Quest Discovery Trail, which encourages guests to follow red-dirt roads, share stories with locals in a welcoming Outback pub, explore the ghost town of Gwalia and delve deeper into gold-rush territory.

The charm of this golden hinterland truly lies with its natural phenomena and cultural history.

Book Western Australia with Gold Medal now!

Gold Medal’s AAT Kings Tour, South Western Escape, itinerary includes:

• Visits to Perth, Wave Rock, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Albany, Margaret River and Fremantle
• Calls at Cape Le Grand National Park, the stunning Stirling Ranges,
  the Valley of the Giants tree-top walk, Margaret River and Busselton Jetty
• Nine nights’ accommodation with selected meals
• Fully escorted tour with driver and travel director guide, selected meals, sightseeing and transfers
• Flights from Heathrow with Singapore Airlines

Prices for this nine-night trip start from £3,359pp. Offer valid for departures on September 26, 2019. Agents will earn £22 Farebank Rewards (doubled from £11) when they book this package.

Rachel McMurdo, assistant product manager Oceania at Gold Medal, says:

“I’d always highly recommend our agents combine the Golden Outback into their customer’s itinerary, as it’s the perfect blend of beaches, history and sightseeing. Lucky Bay is about a 40-minute drive from Esperance, and not only is it the whitest beach in Australia, there are also kangaroos roaming the beach in the morning or later in the day – you can’t get more Australian than that! Kalgoorlie is like stepping into the Wild West – it gives you a great insight into the history of the local gold mines and you can snap some spectacular views from the lookouts.”