Exploring Kalgoorlie

9th May 2024

Distance: 24km

It was a windy night for some reason, the door of the camper kept banging in the wind, to stop it happening again this morning I found the bungee cord that I normally use to keep it open but rigid.

Also hand washed all my dirty clothes and got them on the line so that I can start again tomorrow with a full complement of clean clothes. At 9am asked the park office for a map and booklet about Kalgoorlie so I could look around.

The Super Pit

First visit was to the main gold mine called The Super Pit Lookout basically overlooking a big hole in the ground.

Mount Charlotte Reservoir Lookout

On top of a hill used as a water storage reservoir and communication tower location is a lookout with views over the whole town.

Kalgoorlie Town Centre

Quite an interesting town centre, lots of old buildings

Boulder Town Centre

Boulder town centre seems to be suffering a downturn – probably not room for two town centres so close together.

Shopping and Relaxing

After visiting the places mentioned above I found an IGA shopping centre to buy milk, biscuits and replace some of the potatoes I lost to the quarantine service 0n entering the state.

I returned to the caravan park mid afternoon collected my now dry clothes from the line and read my book on a warm sunny afternoon.

1st May 2017–A Day in Kalgoorlie

Awoke to a grey overcast sky which was a surprise as it was not cold overnight at all and no dew on the cars/caravans this morning however by 10am the clouds had largely gone.
First job was a little shopping to buy necessities such as soap and the all important Telstra SIM card.
Then it was time to visit the town’s reason to exist, the Super Pit.

It was a massive hole the machinery looked so tiny yet it too was on a gigantic scale.

I wanted to look at some of the nearby mining towns that had gone though boom and bust, they proved to be a bit of a disappointment. The area is littered with working mines but these old places have completely disappeared. At Broad Arrow all that remains is a cast iron water tank.

So it was back to Kalgoorlie to take in the sights.

From the town reservoir lookout there were signs of mining in all directons.

The town is actually two towns Boulder has its own CBD.

There is something for everybody.

30th April–Caiguna to Kalgoorlie

Distance: 562 km
Fuel: 56 Ltr

Long way to go today so started pretty early.

First up was 146 km of the longest straight bit of road in Australia. It certainly was straight but it was not flat no steep hills but undulating.

Astute observers will notice that the wombat has been replaced by a large chicken.

Virtually at the end of the long straight road I stopped at Balladonia Roadhouse for ice and a coffee to fortify me for the task of turning the steering wheel. The coffee wasn’t bad at all, just don’t drink the water.

The drive to Kalgoorlie was uneventful and relatively uninteresting there were no particular sights or points of interest. the trees got more dense as I got further from the Nullarbor so it wasn’t unpleasant countryside. I listened to the new Harper Lee audio book which passed the time nicely.

Am wondering about the Esky – Ice costs at least $4 a day (a day and a half max) a lot more in remote places but all it carries is milk, sliced cheese and marg. I think it would be cheaper to buy fresh and throw it away than keep buying ice. On the downside – no cold beer. I notice most people seem to have a portable fringe in the back of the ute.