German backpacker Carolina Wilga’s incredible story of survival, stuck in the WA outback for 12 days, is beginning to unfold 24 hours after she was found.

The 26-year-old was only discovered by chance after a driver passed through, as she walked more than 24 kilometres – following the sun to head west.

Wilga drank from puddles and slept in caves, with police saying she is “still in disbelief” at the turn of events.

“She is still in disbelief that she was able to survive, in her mind she had convinced herself that she was not going to be located,” Jessica Securo from WA Police said.

“She basically looked at the direction of the sun and tried to head west, thinking that would be her best bet of coming across someone or a road.”

It was a plan that ultimately worked – kilometres from her abandoned car, she was found by station owner Tania Henley.

“I pulled over and got out and gave her a hug,” Henley said.

“She was crying. It was pretty emotional.”

Wilga was exhausted, dehydrated but alive, against all odds. She had injured her foot and was ravage by mosquitos.

“She was thin, fragile, everybody would be fragile you know 12 days to be missing out in the bush, it’s usually not a good result,” Henley said.

Henley gave the starving Wilga an apple and called police to tell them the miracle news.

Hours later, dressed in a skirt, jumper and with a scarf around her foot, she climbed into a WA police plane to head back to Perth, where she was taken to hospital.

The German backpacker had been travelling through the Wheatbelt and was last seen on June 29.

When family in Germany couldn’t reach her, they reported her missing, which sparked a massive search of more than 300 kilometres north-east of Perth, involving the homicide squad.

Her van was spotted by PolAir on Thursday, bogged in Karroun Hill Reserve, 100 kilometres from her last known location.

It’s an isolated expanse with no nearby roads or phone reception.

After spending a night with the vehicle, she made the decision to head off on foot, which in this case had a happy end.

“[It was a] long wait, we were quite distressed,” Wilga’s friend Miranda said.

“I was actually in touch with her family, everyday almost and they’re very happy, very very happy.”

Not the outback adventure Wilga had planned but one that will stay with her for life.

“You don’t hear that much that somebody goes missing and then they get found,” Wilga’s friend Gioia said.

Today, those friends visited Wilga in Fiona Stanley Hospital, where she remains tonight.

Police say the backpacker hasn’t been deterred by the ordeal and is hoping to continue her journey and see the east coast of Australia once she’s fully recovered.

Authorities tonight warning other travellers to be better prepared before embarking on their own adventure.

“Invest in things like personal locator beacons, where you may be able to raise emergency services if you come into trouble,” Securo said.

“Your best off remaining with your car far easier for an aerial search to locate a vehicle than it is a person.”