The coastal towns of WA had held us in their spell, luring us with quiet beaches and ghostly white sands, but there was no work to be found. And so, we turned our backs on the sea and pointed ourselves inland, toward Kalgoorlie—a gold mining town with a reputation as old as sin.
We arrived as the sun slipped low, the town stretching before us like a set-piece from an old Western, with worn buildings standing defiant against time.
Our first stop was the Super Pit, a gaping wound in the earth, monstrous and awe-inspiring, as though the planet itself had opened up and exhaled. The giant trucks, barely dots at the bottom, crawled around like ants. It was mesmerising, unsettling, and magnificent—a black hole of ambition.
The long drive had left us parched, and we set out in search of something to calm the nerves and the dust. We found a Hotel, an anglo-Dutch relic from another century, casting long shadows down the street. Inside, it was a dim, timeless world, the kind of place that knew every type of traveller and every kind of story. And there it was—a sign, hanging just over the bar: Bar/Wait Staff Wanted. I approached, asked about the job, and after a clipped conversation and a tour of the dim-lit halls, I was hired.
I celebrated the only way you can in a town like Kalgoorlie—with a pint of the local brew, tipping it back with a mix of triumph and trepidation. This town has secrets, that much is clear, buried deep along with its gold. So here’s to whatever Kalgoorlie has in store for us
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Thanks for rolling by! If this post fueled your van life or travel dreams, hit the like button, share it with your fellow wanderers, or shout a coffee to keep the wheels turning and the journey going! - Adam, Will and Wally.