2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Fri, 22nd Apr, 2016 Norseman Gemfields, Norseman to Centennial Park RV Stop, Kalgoorlie, WA (Kambalda & Super Pit)

7am 16 degrees, foggy & overcast. After breakfast the sun came out a bit and we went off looking for agates. Smashing the rocks with hammers to see the colours inside.

Found a few nice bits of colours and some interesting green ones.

Had a cuppa and some date slice. There were ants working around their hole so I dropped a bit crumb near the hole. Fascinating watching them work and how crazy they are with navigation. Some would pull off a bit of the crumb then wander off away from the hole but eventually they would make their way back then go down the hole. One bit my toe so I stomped on him but another picked him up and headed back to the hole. Another ant tried to grab the dead one so the ant headed off in another direction and it was a good 15 minutes of him wandering around with this dead ant in his mouth before he made his way down the hole. I then put the crumb over the hole entrance and we watch them trying to rock the crumb off the entrance. It was a very entertaining half hour!!

Packed up and headed back towards Norseman. Turned off and climbed up to the lookout for lunch. Great view of Cherry Island and a small part of Lake Cowan. Would be great to see with water in it.

The chap at the Museum mentioned camping on Cherry Island and along the Woodlines – now I know what he meant. Timber was vital to everything in the old days – cooking, heating, boilers to run machinery etc so hence there was always the timbergetters. Not having big trees to get their timber from the men had to go out further and further to get the timber so they set up rail lines to transport the timber back.

Zoomed in on the Phoenix and Butterfly tailing piles with the headframe of the other mine behind.

As we crossed over the lake it looked like water in the distance, you can understand why people who were lost and thirsty would keep walking thinking there was water ahead.

Back through Norseman then headed north towards Kalgoorlie. Leanne rang to say they were home again and had a fabulous trip through NT. The highway is running beside the railway and water pipeline. We got passed by our first road train. Then we saw the name on the back and it was Blemmers of Far North Qld. Should have said hi but Steve thought they had gone under and maybe the trucks were sold to someone over here.

Passed a few mine haul roads all with big signs advising us of road trains turning etc – they can up 53.5m long. Steve commented that the road isn’t as good as the Nullarbor one. Passed Widgiemooltha Roadhouse – had a big gold rock outside but we didn’t stop. Turned onto the Goldfields Highway to Kambalda (rather than going up to Coolgardie). Found the golf course and played our last hole of golf as the next two are in the posh Kalgoorlie Golf Course. Will drive up to the lookout to check out Lake Lefroy.

I haven’t improved much as I still miss the ball a lot!!

Steve sent it flying but we both ended up off to the left in the trees!!

I zig zagged my way down getting stuck in another bush but finally made it onto the green or black as it is here.

Steve got a 9 and I got 7 – not bad to finish on. Chatted with another couple who came after us. Took a photo of our score card. It was fun and something to look forward to on the trip.

Back across the highway to the Info rest area for a cuppa and to check out some machinery on display.

The Info Board needs an update. It was originally founded in 1897 as a gold mining town during the Goldrush frenzy but it was all but deserted by 1908. It became alive again during the 1960s nickel ‘boom’, which resulted in the discovery of one of the world’s largest nickel sulphide deposits in the area and the opening of Australia’s first nickel mine.

Lake Lefroy is also famous for landyachts.

The Arts Centre is only open on Sundays but we could peer in the windows.

Lots of photos of the woodlines.

Steve was impressed with the 3D picture on the wall.

A couple of nice murals on the wall.

Drove up Red Hill (394m – town is 310m) to the look out. Zoomed in a plant – presuming it is nickel.

Then scanned around over the tailings piles and across Lake Lefroy. Amazing – would be fabulous to watch a landyacht race here.

Zoomed out for a panoramic view.

Info board.

Walked further around to look across the other side of the hill. They mine the salt here too, which we think they are doing down there. Amazing they don’t sink in the mud underneath.

Further down the track and another view.

Zoomed in on mine areas.

The communications tower looks like an old headframe. Maybe there was a shaft underneath it. As we drove up there was a sign saying ‘last gold mine closed in 1907’ – maybe it was this one.

Drove around trying to find the Miners Memorial Garden – not a sole in sight. Found out later it is in West Kambalda (now the main part on the other side of the highway).

Nearly at Kalgoorlie as I saw the tall stack of the Kagoorlie Nickel Smelter. Stopped at a rest area for photos with the big bowls. Someone has painted the inside.

Map of Kalgoorlie-Boulder – two towns joined to make one.

The huge tailings piles of the Super Pit come into view as we head into town.

Parked the van at the Centennial Park 24hr RV Stop. A few other vans are here too.

As the sun was starting to set we drove through town and up to the Super Pit viewing area. Lots of lovely old buildings here.

Onto the Goldfields Highway again. Passed the old headframe of the Cassidy Shaft, now used as an emergency entrance to the underground mine.

On our left is the tailings piles over the area of the Historic Golden Mile.

Passed the entrance to Boulder – the other half of the city.

Up the mine road to the lookout as the sun started to drop over the city.

Still enough light to see down the 600m into the Super Pit. It is unbelieveable. Big trucks were driving up and down and they looked like little Matchbox cars. A chap beside us said they drive down at 30km/h but only 10km/h uphill fully laden.

Zoomed in where they were working way down below. A truck was spraying water on where the endloaders were scooping up the rock to put into the trucks.

Walked over to the fence for a view over Boulder.

A big truck being worked on.

I stood on top of big tyres filled with dirt for a view of the setting sun. Glad we bought our jumpers as it is a bit chilly up here.

Inside the shelter was heaps of information – part of the Golden Quest Discovery Trail that goes for 965km – starting at Coolgardie and ending here.

More info about the Super Pit and Mt Charlotte. Very interesting reading.

Fabulous aerial photo – there are two in the info brochures I will take photos of too.

The lights are on and the mine keeps working. The criss-cross markings are where they are going to do a blast.

The TV screen said there was a blast today at 1pm but maybe they had to postpone. The video showed a blast, just in case we miss it.

The chap pointed out where some slips have occurred.

Had to imagine this great hole used to look like this – full of little mines digging down into the earth. As they excavate they come across all the old mine shafts.