595km (369 miles) E of Perth
The twin city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a wonderful repository of gloriously extravagant 100-year-old buildings, cheek-by-jowl with the scale and innovation of 21st-century mining. After Paddy Hannan struck gold in 1893 in WA's vast Outback, a "gold rush" of almost biblical proportions ensued, leading to the transformation of Western Australia and the creation of the cities of Kalgoorlie and Boulder. The area between the two became known as the "Golden Mile," the richest square mile of gold-bearing earth in the world. Today, Kalgoorlie (pop. 32,000) is once again a boomtown, with nickel as well as gold dominating exploration and conversation. The city has retained most of its original, gold-fueled architectural extravagances, such as wrought-iron lace verandas and balconies -- which contrast with its 21st-century hustle and bustle (though the broad streets, designed to turn a camel train, are entirely suitable). It's like stumbling onto a Western movie set; and countless bars still enjoy the roaring trade they did in the 1890s, serving young miners with often more money than they know what to do with.
Kalgoorlie is semidesert (260 millimeters/10 in. annual rainfall), though you wouldn't know it, given the vast and unique woodland (including salmon gums up to 25m/82 ft. high) that surrounds the town. But the lack of water was a serious problem, both for the population and the mining processes, until one of the world's great engineering projects pumped water from the hills outside Perth some 600km (372 miles) to Kalgoorlie. The Goldfields Pipeline still supplies water to the city and to a vast area of the state.
Where dozens of head frames and chimneys were once starkly silhouetted against the skyline in the 19th century, there is now an enormous, terraced hole: the Super Pit. The world's biggest open-cut gold mine, it is unbelievably massive: 3.5km (2 miles) long, 1.5km (almost 1 mile) wide, and 360m (1,181 ft.) deep. The Empire State Building, at 381m (1,250 ft.) high, would almost disappear inside it. And it only took 100 years to move all the mines, processing sheds, and slag heaps of the Golden Mile to make way for this mining pit of the 21st century.
Not all the old mining centers around here are still vibrant, and numerous ghost towns abound. Just 39km (24 miles) down the road is Coolgardie (pop. 1,100), another 1890s boomtown whose gold ran out in 1963. The town's semi-abandoned air is a sad foil to Kalgoorlie's energy. Some of the lovely architecture remains, and you can wander the gracious streets and a few museums for a pleasant nostalgic buzz.
