Kalgoorlie-Boulder

After a night spent out on the road we arrived at Kalgoorlie mid morning and booked into the Discovery Park for a couple of nights.  We had an early lunch then set off to see some of the sights around this historic gold mining town.

The first thing on our list of things to see was the Super Pit, after a short drive up to the lookout we were able to view down into the open cut mine for about 500 metres. It was certainly an impressive site with the large mining trucks looking like toys in the distance. 

Our next stop was Metropole Hotel in Boulder, which is unique in having a disused mine shaft with its entrance into the main bar area. The story goes that the miners used to come up into the bar with the gold that they had found and trade it for beer and food, a very convenient location after a hard day’s work. They were lifelong patrons to the Hotel, and upon their death they requested that their ashes be buried in the Hotel mine shaft. Their resting place can be seen through glass flooring in the bar, a cocktail shaker and a tin with their ashes, are sitting on a ledge down the shaft for all to see.

Next it was up to Mt Charlotte Lookout, which is where the town’s reservoir is located, this is a large storage area that is filled from the pipeline that spans 650klms from Perth.  The lookout gives you views to the northern end of the Super Pit and the mullock heaps, also a view out across the township.

Finally it was back to the van to sit under the awning to enjoy the last of the lovely hot day.

We decided the next day that we would walk the main street first up before the day got too hot, after window shopping and viewing the many Heritage buildings we stopped for a drink and cake before heading off to the the Kalgoolie-Boulder Mining Museum.  This museum had some impressive displays one being the vault in the basement of gold nuggets and gold jewelry from early mining days. Hopping in the lift I hit P for Platform thinking it was a suspended floor within the building only to find ourselves within a glass walled lift on the outside of the building that stopped at the platform of a head frame (steel structure over shafts) . I really do not have a head for heights any more, I had tingling from my toes to my knee caps and was very happy when the lift returned to take me back down.

The many pubs in town are known for the scantily dressed young ladies that work behind the bars, many have signs out the front advising which young  ladies will be working that day. Kalgoorlie is also known for the famous Hay Street, which is where all the brothels were housed, unfortunately there is only a couple remaining in the street, with just the one operational. The madam from the Questa Casta runs a daily tour, she gives a very informative talk on how the brothels operated in the early years. We were then shown the starting stalls which are located behind the pink doors at the front of the building, this is where the girls would stand to entice a customer into her parlour, next we were shown the working rooms and given a rundown of what would go on behind the closed doors. Poor Baz, was bitterly disappointed, he thought there may have been some sampling!  I told him I can always buy a whip and give him a good crack on the backside.

Super Pit

Metropole Hotel

Main St Kalgoorlie (Hannan St)

Entrance to the Museum and platform height

Baz at the Brothel in Hay St (wishful thinking)