The first words of the German backpacker who was miraculously found alive after 12 days in rural bushland have been revealed.

The long-time Wheatbelt resident who found missing German backpacker Carolina Wilga has revealed details about the moment the young woman flagged her down.

It was June 29, and the 26-year-old German backpacker was more than 300 kilometres from Perth, alone, travelling in a Mitsubishi van, chasing the dusty promise of an Australian adventure. But the rain had other plans, and her van became bogged down in the mud, riddled with mechanical failures.

As the search continues for the 26-year-old, we take a look back at everything we know so far about her "unusual" disappearance.

German backpacker Carolina Wilga is in for a warm welcome home from her friends who say they can’t wait to throw their arms around her before going for a feed at the pub.

Carolina Wilga, 26, from Germany, has been missing for 11 days in a remote part of Australia around 200 miles from Perth and police have given an update about her van