TALES FROM THE INDIAN PACIFIC: THE GOLDEN PIT

Dwarfed by the size of the equipment

Paddy Hannan set off a stampede to Western Australia when he discovered gold in 1893. The rest, simply put, is history.

While the mining corporations have replaced the chaos of the early fortune hunters who descended on Kalgoorlie’s goldfields, the world’s largest single open cut mine continues to operate on two 12-hour shifts.

We were to visit during the night shift, the Indian Pacific having pulled into Karlgoorlie station at 10:00 p.m.

The "Super Pit" a hive of activity on the night shift

The “Super Pit” is 2 miles long, 1 mile wide and 1500 feet deep - the depth equivalent to two Shangri La towers - Vancouver’s tallest building.

The massive equipment operating deep in the pit resembled Tonka toys from the viewing platform above. 

Kalgoorlie-Boulder is Western Australia’s largest regional city with a population of 30,000.  The town is modern and thriving - a far cry from the early prospector days when bordellos, cheap hotels and bars occupied every street corner.

Kalgoorlie Railway Station boasts the longest
platform in the Southern Hemisphere

After crossing the Nullarbor and the goldfields we felt as though we were well and truly in Australia’s “wild west”.  

Reboarding the train close to midnight, it would be one more sleep before pulling into Perth early the next morning.  

The Avon Valley - a prelude to Perth

We awoke to the rolling hills and verdant scenery of the Avon Valley - a striking change from the starkness of the Nullabor.

We were an hour away from our arrival in Perth, Western Australia's beautiful capital city on the shores of the Indian Ocean.  A city so remote its actually closer to Singapore than Sydney.

Hard to believe we had crossed a continent in three days and experienced so many contrasts. Such a memorable journey, enjoyed in such style!