Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, also known as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located 595 km (370 mi) east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway.
It is referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder as the surrounding urban area includes the historic townsite of Boulder and the local government area is the City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder.
Getting to Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is about 600 km east of Perth, 397 km north of Esperance and 235 km south of Leonora. To the east is the endless desert. From Esperance – TransWa runs 3 buses a week. The services on Wednesday and Friday leave Esperance's Dempster St Bus Station at 8:35AM, arriving Kalgoorlie train station 5 hours later. The Sunday bus leaves at 2PM.
Worth seeing
You don't have to walk too far to see a plethora of historic buildings from different architectural eras. Some of the best examples line the length of Hannan St and adjoining streets. The businesses that occupy them now have preserved the original interiors in varying degrees, through design or neglect.
- 01Boulder Pioneer Cemetery
Lynch St (50m past the southern roundabout on the Goldfields Hwy).
- 02Herbert Hoover Mirror
Cnr Hannan St and Maritana St (In the Palace Hotel foyer.).
- 03The Western Australian Museum — Kalgoorlie–Boulder
The towering framehead that marks the buildings entrance gives a hint that this is no ordinary museum.
- 04Paddy Hannan
A replica of the statue of the great man who found a nugget that founded a town.
- 05The Super-pit
- 06Hannans North Tourist Mine
One of the early mine sites is now an open-air museum with many mining buildings, machinery and exhibits.
Things to do
Some say there is nothing to do except drink. You can easily prove them wrong without much effort. Karkula Bushland Park, Paddington Dr. On the edge of town is an expansive nature reserve filled with Salmon Gums, Blackbutt and the silky pear that gives the park its name. A network of trails criss-cross the main 4-km loop that leads uphill to an elevated viewing platform, allowing good views over surrounding plain.
Where to eat
There are quite a few good restaurants in the main part of town. Many are attached to motels but there are some fine 'stand alone' ones also. The usual fast food chains are scattered along Boulder Rd. = =
- 01Montys Restaurant
24 hours (may have limited hours nowadays).
- 02Balcony Bar and Restaurant
Modern Australian cuisine overlooking the main street, located in the historic Palace Hotel.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Alexey V. Kurochkin (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.