5 Night / 6 Day Golden Quest Discovery Trail Explorer

5 Night / 6 Day Golden Quest Trail Explorer
From $919* per person twin share

Valid for travel between 01 April to 30 November 2026

Your package includes:

·       Arrival transfer to accommodation - Hospitality Inn

·       4 days car hire in a medium sized 2WD vehicle including the first 600kms*

·       2 nights accommodation in Kalgoorlie

·       Morning Heritage Tram City Highlights Tour

·       1 night accommodation in Menzies

·       2 nights accommodation in Hoover House, Leonora

BONUS:  Complimentary Golden Quest Trail Guide Book

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:  One-way fares from Perth to Kalgoorlie-Boulder and vice versa on the Prospector Train from start from $50.45 per adult each way. 

*Additional insurances, excess reductions and any excess km are to be paid directly to the hire car company.  Twin Share means two people sharing a room - it does not automatically mean twin beds.  Please let us know at the time of booking if you would prefer twin or double bedding for your accommodation, noting that Hoover House may add a surcharge for a rollaway if twin bedding is required.

The Ultimate Goldfields Road Trip

The Golden Quest Discovery Trail is a self-drive journey through the legendary Goldfields, linking historic mining towns, vast red-dirt landscapes and stories that shaped a nation. Stretching through the inland heart of WA, this immersive touring route invites visitors to step back into the gold rush era while experiencing the raw beauty and big-sky freedom of the Australian outback.

SUGGESTED ITINERARY: 

Day 1:  Friday - Perth to Kalgoorlie-Boulder 

Whether you choose to train or fly to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, a warm welcome awaits you in Australia’s largest outback city!  On arrival, your taxi will be waiting to transfer you to your chosen accommodation. Once settled in, your afternoon is free to explore.  Make your first stop to see the friendly team at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Visitor Centre and collect your Golden Quest Trail Visitor Guidebook, included in your package.   The team can assist with recommendations for dinner and suggestions on attractions to visit during your time in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.  

Overnight in Kalgoorlie – Quality Inn Railway Motel

Day 2:  Saturday - Kalgoorlie-Boulder to Menzies & Lake Ballard (approx. 225km)

This morning it’s just a short taxi ride out to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport where your hire car will be waiting. Head back to the Visitor Centre, park up and let the day begin!  Get ready to be amazed by the stories you’ll hear today as you delve into Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s fascinating, gold-rush history.  Your package includes a Heritage City Highlights tour aboard ‘Ruby’,  our lovingly restored trolley car tram, reminiscent of the style of transport in Kalgoorlie around the turn of the century and included in your package. The onboard commentary regales fascinating stories of Kalgoorlie-Boulder's past and you'll definitely leave the tour with a greater appreciation for Kalgoorlie-Boulder and it's place in Australian folklore.  After your Tram Tour, it's time to hit the trail.  Start your journey of discovery by dropping it to see one of Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s most photographed icons;  the Two-Up School. Only 12kms from Kalgoorlie-Boulder the Two Up School is still housed in its original corrugated iron shed and bush ring.  Two Up has been a traditional gambling game in Australia since it spread around the country with the gold rushes in the second half of the 1800's.  The Kalgoorlie Two Up Shed is home to the only legalised Two Up School in Western Australia.  Your next stop is Broad Arrow.  Now essentially a ghost town Broad Arrow was abandoned in the mid-1920s but today houses a quintessential Aussie outback pub, the Broad Arrow Tavern. In fact, it’s the only building in town still standing.  It’s a great option for an authentic, outback pub lunch.  Following lunch, head towards Menzies and check into your accommodation.  Once you have settled into your accommodation, its time to visit the white salt pan of Lake Ballard. Lake Ballard creates a dramatic setting for the largest outdoor art gallery on Earth.  This extraordinary natural landscape was selected by world-renowned artist Antony Gormley to display his Inside Australia exhibit, a collection of 51 individually cast black chromium steel sculptures, stretching across 10 square kilometres.  Late afternoon is one of the best times to visit when the sculptures shadows stretch across the salt pan.   Your option for dinner tonight is the  charming Menzies Hotel;  a great feed in a classic country pub.   

Overnight in Menzies - Menzies Caravan Park 

Day 3:   Sunday - Menzies to Leonora & Gwalia (approx. 105kms)

This morning, start your day with a hearty breakfast at Laurie's Cafe in Menzies before heading further into the Northern Goldfields. The highlight of today is a visit to the historic town of Leonora and the remarkably preserved ‘living’ ghost town at Gwalia.  Founded in 1897 around the major Sons of Gwalia gold mine, the town was abandoned overnight in 1963 following the mine's closure, leaving behind the remnants of a community ‘frozen’ in time. Stroll freely through the "Gwalia Block," exploring over a dozen original miners' cottages built from timber and corrugated iron. Visit the Patroni Guest Home, where the dining table remains set as it was on the town's final day, or peek into Mazza's Store.  Explore the Gwalia Museum located in the former mine office. Highlights include Australia’s only surviving timber incline headframe and a massive 1,000-horsepower steam winding engine.  Enjoy a Devonshire tea at the Hoover House Cafe on the veranda, which overlooks the vast modern open-cut mine pit before heading to the public lookout near Hoover House to watch massive trucks disappear into one of Australia's deepest underground mines, still operational today.   In Gwalia, Hoover House is your accommodation for the next two nights with a continental breakfast served each morning.  Once the grand home of the managers of the Sons of Gwalia Gold Mine, Hoover House is a luxury Bed and Breakfast and function venue near the historical settlement of Gwalia. The house was designed in 1897 by the mine’s manager, Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31st President of the United States of America.  Just 2 km up the road you will be in downtown Leonora. Spend the remainder of the day exploring the Leonora Heritage Trail, following the engraved markers, leading you through 30 sites showcasing Leonora’s heyday, the era of Cobb and Co coaches, and some of the historic businesses that were located here, like Lamont Brothers General Store, and the Cosy Tea Rooms.  

Overnight in Leonora - Hoover House

Day 4:  Monday -  Leonora to Laverton Loop (Approx 250kms)

Today’s exploring takes you to the northern-most point on the Golden Quest Trail;  the fascinating town of Laverton, located on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert and the starting point for one of Australia’s epic journeys – The Outback Way.  In the mid to late 19th century, several heroic explorers, including John Forrest and Ludwig Leichhardt, led expeditions through the areas in and around Laverton. Leichhardt’s expedition vanished and Forrest followed in search of the explorer’s remains and his large gold deposit.  The fearless explorers and pioneers of the region are honoured in a splendid state-of-the-art exhibition, aptly named The Great Beyond – Explorers’ Hall of Fame. Here you can step back in time, listen to the explorers’ personal stories of hardship and discover what it was like for the early pioneers living and working on the Goldfields during the Australian gold rush. This innovative centre also houses the Great Beyond Visitor Centre.  Today, Laverton is a fascinating mix of modern mine operations, history and Indigenous culture.  See the wonderful exhibition of local Aboriginal art and artefacts for sale at the Laverton Aboriginal Art Gallery. Silk scarves by the local Aboriginal group, Malukurukuru Enterprises, are also displayed.  The rugged landscape is something to behold out here and there are several lookouts to take in vast, outback views. After a leisurely lunch in Laverton, it’s back to Leonora for your last night on the trail.  

Overnight in Leonora – Hoover House

Day 5:  Tuesday - Leonora to Kalgoorlie-Boulder via Kookynie (approx. 280kms)

On your way back to Kalgoorlie, there may be time to take a short detour off the highway to the small town of Kookynie; and we do mean ‘small’!  With a population of just 13 people,  it is well known amongst gold prospectors and fossickers, with the main attraction being The Kookynie Grand Hotel.  The Hotel offers an excellent collection of historic photographs, antique bottles and memorabilia from Kookynie's past and is well worth a visit.  Not far from Kookynie is Niagara Dam.   Constructed by the Railways Department in 1897, the intention was that the dam would provide plentiful fresh water for the locomotives that would soon be steaming along the new railway linking Kalgoorlie with Menzies.  By the time the dam was completed, it had accumulated very little water due to a lack of rainfall and was it was never used for its intended purpose.  Over a century later, Niagara Dam is an oasis in the desert, providing a picnic and swimming spot for  locals and visitors alike.    Depending on your arrival time back into Kalgoorlie-Boulder you may have time to visit the Hannans North Tourist Mine with over 30 exhibits in Kalgoorlie’s largest open-air museum to explore. Experience the nostalgia of gold fever in our panning ponds, and marvel at modern day mining equipment as you climb aboard a 793C haul truck and 994 wheel loader. Then it’s time to drop off your hire car at the airport or depot and catch a taxi back to your accommodation. 

Overnight in Kalgoorlie-Boulder – Quality Inn Railway Motel.

Day 6:  Wednesday - Depart Kalgoorlie-Boulder

If you're travelling on the Prospector to Perth today, it will be an early start for a 7.05am departure on train.  If you are flying out, the team at the Kalgoorlie Boulder Visitor Centre can organise a taxi transfer to the airport.  Head for home with a renewed appreciation for the explorers who went before you and great memories of your time in the Goldfields.