Mystery after German backpacker Carolina Wilga goes missing in Australian Outback | News World

Carolina Wilga, 26, was last seen at a general store in Beacon, a small town around 200 miles from Perth, at about midday on June 29 (Picture: Western Australia Police)

Police in Australia are ramping up the seek for a German backpacker who has been missing within the outback for greater than every week.

Carolina Wilga, 26, was last seen at a general store in Beacon, a small town around 200 miles from Perth, at about midday on June 29.

Her family and friends haven’t heard from her since.

She has been travelling in Australia for 2 years and dealing at Western Australian mine sites.

Carolina’s van was found abandoned in wilderness within the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, which is around 60 miles north of Beacon.

Western Australia Police Force Acting Inspector Jessica Securo said officers imagine she likely set off on foot after breaking down.

Mystery after German tourist goes missing in the Australian outback Carolina Wilga
Map shows Carolina’s last known movements (Picture: Created with Datawrapper)
A supplied image obtained on Thursday, July 10, 2025, of Carolina Wilga has not been seen or heard from since Sunday June 29. Authorities believe Ms Wilga could be travelling in a black and silver 1995 Mitsubishi Station sedan. (AAP Image/Supplied by WA POLICE) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Carolina Wilga has not been seen or heard from since Sunday June 29 (Picture: Western Australia Police)

The 1995 Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon, which has solar panels and reserves of drinking water, was just over 20 miles from any major track.

Ms Securo told Australian Broadcasting Corp: ‘It seems that as she was driving, she’s prone to have grow to be lost after which the automotive has suffered mechanical issues.

‘It’s hard to say how much she has taken [with her from the van].

‘We do know that she was planning to travel throughout regional WA and do some searching through there.’

She added: ‘The terrain is Outback country and there’s large rocky outcrops.

‘Although there’s various tracks, you possibly can see how it could be easy to grow to be lost or disorientated in that area should you didn’t understand it well.’

WA Police continue to hold welfare concerns for 26-year-old woman Carolina WILGA, who was last seen and in contact with friends on Sunday, 29 June 2025. Ms WILGA was last sighted about 12.10pm on 29 June, arriving at a general store at the corner of Lucas Street and Shemeld Street in Beacon, in a black and silver Mitsubishi Delica van. The Mitsubishi Delica van has WA registration plates ?1HDS 330?. Ms WILGA departed the area about five minutes later, and has not been seen or heard from since. About 4:30pm the day prior, Saturday 28 June, Ms WILGA attended a convenience store on Stirling Terrace, near the intersection of Goomalling-Toodyay Road in Toodyay, before travelling to the Dowerin area. Ms WILGA is described as being of German origin, of a slim build, with long wavy brown hair and brown eyes. She has several tattoos, including one which depicts symbols on her left arm. She has been backpacking within Australia for the last two years, and has been working at mine sites in regional WA, and primarily residing in hostels when in the metropolitan area. Anyone with any information in relation to the whereabouts of Carolina WILGA is urged to contact police immediately on 131 444 or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or report online via www.crimestopperswa.com.au Anyone with any footage in the area of Beacon or the surrounding north-east Wheatbelt area between 29 June 2025 and 4 July 2025, is asked to upload this directly to investigat We have just been able to obtain a picture of the Mitsubishi Delica van that was driven by Carolina WILGA. The vehicle was located abandoned in the Karroun Hill area, at about 1.10pm on Thursday 10 July 2025
Carolina has been backpacking inside Australia for the last two years, and has been working at mine sites in regional WA (Picture: WA Police)

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said ‘police are throwing a variety of resources’ on the search.

‘They’ve moved swiftly now, and the search is ongoing and is resource-intensive. We wish to bring Carolina home, and the police are doing every thing they’ll,’ he told reporters.

While the invention of her van gives them a spot to focus that search on, the reserve where Carolina is regarded as lost on covers greater than 740,000 acres.

Ms Securo said aircraft are prone to be their ‘our greatest probability of finding her’.

What we know about missing backpacker Carolina Wilga's movements - as police make concerning admission
Carolina is described as having a slim construct, long, frizzy-curly, dark blonde hair, brown eyes and several other tattoos (Picture: WA Police)

Detective Senior Sergeant Katharine Venn said the seek for Carolina was ‘vast’, with authorities in all states and territories notified.

‘She may very well be off grid, not have access to her phone, and she or he definitely had capability within the vehicle she was travelling in to be self-sufficient for quite a while,’ Sergeant Venn said.

‘The family are understandably distraught, very fearful, as any of us can be with a young member of the family on the opposite side of the world missing in such unusual circumstance.’

Carolina’s mum, Katja Will, who lives in the town of Castrop-Rauxel within the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has appealed for public help to search out her daughter.

‘Carolina continues to be sorely missed. If anyone has any information, please contact the police. Please keep your eyes open!!!’ she said on a post on an Western Australian Police Force social media site.

She is described as having a slim construct, long, frizzy-curly, dark blonde hair, brown eyes and several other tattoos. She has several tattoos, including one which depicts symbols on her left arm.

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