Carolina Wilga: German backpacker says goodbye to Perth after 12 days stranded in WA outback

The German backpacker who survived nearly two weeks lost on her own in the West Australian outback has bid farewell to Perth in a heartwarming social media post.

Carolina Wilga was understood to have returned home to Europe at the weekend and, despite her traumatic ordeal, was seemingly all love and smiles as she departed.

The 26-year-old took to Instagram in the early hours of Sunday morning to share several photos of her time in the hospital, at Cottesloe Beach with friends and Monday’s front page of The West Australian that featured her ordeal.

“Reunion with the ocean and a great goodbye to Perth with loooots of hugs ❤️ love you all,” she captioned the since deleted post.

Ms Wilga was lost for 12 days by herself in the Wheatbelt earlier this month, sparking a missing persons search that had the entire country on alert.

She had last been seen on June 29, travelling through Beacon, before she was found alive by a passing motorist on July 11.

After she met with police, the young traveller was flown to Perth and admitted to Fiona Stanley Hospital dehydrated, traumatised, and 12kg lighter.

She was discharged on Wednesday after five days recovering at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Police last Saturday said Ms Wilga became “lost and disoriented” while exploring the Karroun Hill nature reserve.

When trying to look for her way out, she later lost control of her Mitsubishi Delica van, which police found just one day before her rescue.

She survived by drinking water from puddles and sleeping in a cave.

In a statement earlier this week, Ms Wilga thanked the WA community for their dedicated search efforts.

“I am certain that I survived only thanks to this incredible outpouring of support,” she said.

“The thought of all the people who believed in me, searched for me, and kept hoping for me gave me the strength to carry on during my darkest moments. For this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

“Especially to the police investigators, searchers, the German Consulate, the medical staff and the wonderful nurses who took care of me with so much compassion.

“My deepest thanks also go to every single person who simply thought of me – and of course, to my rescuer and angel, Tania.”