If you love mining and seeing what the effects of mining can do to a community, and then the effects on that community when the mining slows down, then you will love Kalgoorlie. It's main street is a mix of luxury SUVs and mine Utes plying the main drag whilst the few shops that are still in business give a glimpse as to how bustling the city would have been in it’s heyday.
To be honest, Kalgoorlie was a difficult place for us. We don’t agree with a lot of the mining techniques, and as such, there wasn’t a great deal for us to see or do. On top of that, people seemed to only acknowledge other miners.
To be honest, Kalgoorlie was a difficult place for us. We don’t agree with a lot of the mining techniques, and as such, there wasn’t a great deal for us to see or do. On top of that, people seemed to only acknowledge other miners.
Wanting to know the other side of the mining story we ventured up to the super mine. Wow. The size of those trucks, and the absolute depth of that hole that they are digging in the search for gold.. Wow. We really shouldn’t have read the informative sign outlining how much waste comes out of that massive hole. Wow. And not wow in a good way. It blew our mind, and we walked away unsure how to feel. We know gold is in basically everything electrical and without it our computer and phone and probably even our solar panels wouldn’t exist. But at the same time, until when can we justify the environmental impact? Where is that line?
We left and headed to a laundromat. Only to promptly leave - $6 a wash? No thanks.
Feeling depressed we headed to the free RV camp in town and followed the signs to the designated carpark. The following morning we were awoken at about 4am by strange noises outside and found a mobile coffee vendor had parked literally on top of us. Then started the steady queue of high-vis workers after their morning fix. We were already packed up and ready to leave when at 6am the ranger came knocking on our door and extremely rudely demanded we leave or face a fine. Apparently we were meant to have parked – not in the direction of the sign – but on the flooded field beside it.
Feeling depressed we headed to the free RV camp in town and followed the signs to the designated carpark. The following morning we were awoken at about 4am by strange noises outside and found a mobile coffee vendor had parked literally on top of us. Then started the steady queue of high-vis workers after their morning fix. We were already packed up and ready to leave when at 6am the ranger came knocking on our door and extremely rudely demanded we leave or face a fine. Apparently we were meant to have parked – not in the direction of the sign – but on the flooded field beside it.
Just outside of town is another free camp called Lake Douglas, a lovely forested area in between several mines. We needed to regather our energy before leaving Kalgoorlie so we camped here for a couple of nights with another travelling family we met in Victoria. It was a lovely place, albeit with the occasional dynamite blast….
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