A touring route through Western Australia’s Goldfields is a fascinating lesson in dreams and disappointments.

Story + Photos Don Fuchs

The 965-kilometre Golden Quest Discovery Trail (GQDT) is a generous loop through the history and landscapes of the mineral-rich Goldfields region of Western Australia. Marked by flat-topped mullock heaps that stick out like beacons, abandoned mine pits that resemble dormant volcanoes, vanished towns with only memories lingering, historic pubs that have seen better times, and red dirt tracks within endless expanses of mulga and eucalypt woodlands, the route delves into one of the world’s largest mining areas. 

The trail begins in Coolgardie. 

This story excerpt is from Issue #113

Outback Magazine: June/July 2017