Wiluna is an outback town with friendly people and a real bush atmosphere. It is on the Goldfields Highway, joining Meekatharra, Leonora and Kalgoorlie, 966 kilometres northeast of Perth.
The town prospered with the discovery of gold in 1891, however today it is chiefly an administrative centre. Citrus orchards and emu farms are some of the successful local industries.
Wiluna offers visitors counter meals and accommodation at the local hotel/motel, and accommodation is also available at the Wiluna caravan park.
The town is the starting or finishing point for the Canning Stock Route. In 1906 Alfred Canning was commissioned to survey and build a stock route from Wiluna to Halls Creek. The stock route through 1500 kilometres of desert took four years to complete.
The Canning Stock Route is one of the most isolated tracks on earth. This also makes it one of the most challenging four wheel drive tracks anywhere in the world today. Every year many four wheel drive enthusiasts take up the challenge to cross this harsh environment.
Wiluna is also the gateway to the Gunbarrel Highway – the first east-west road to go across the centre of Australia. The Gunbarrel Highway was explored and surveyed by Len Beadell, with completion of the last section of the road in 1958.
The Highway is a popular four wheel drive route that directly connects Western Australia to many popular tourist destinations in central Australia. The road travels through a very isolated and unpopulated part of the Australian outback, with towns and fuel stops far and few between.
