The 10 best things to do in Kalgoorlie

Here’s a fun fact: the longest golf course on Earth is hiding in plain sight in Australia’s golden outback. The Nullarbor Links stretches 1,365 kilometres from Ceduna in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, with one hole found in each participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway. You can play the course in either direction – either way, the scorecard and map cost $78, available for those in Kalgoorlie to purchase from the visitor centre. All holes are open 24/7 alongside the roadhouses, so you can just rock up and play whenever (except for Kalgoorlie itself, where you must book in advance).

"Hole-y moly" is the only way to describe the KCGM Super Pit Lookout. Coming in at a massive 3.5 kilometres long, 1.5 kilometres wide and 600 metres deep, the Super Pit is no doubt the largest gold mine in Australia, as well as one of the biggest open-cut mines in the world – so big, in fact, that it’s visible from space. Stare in awe over the working mine site, spot the gargantuan trucks in action (although ant-sized from afar), and gasp at a big crash-bang-boom (an actual blast). The Super Pit Lookout is open from 7am until 7pm daily, but it’s best to keep an eye on KCGM’s website for the exact time and date of the next blast.

Hammond Park is home to lawns and barbecue facilities, playgrounds and fish ponds, and a café too – but there’s also a small scale Bavarian Castle. This head-scratcher of a structure is rumoured to have more than 40,000 gemstones adorning the facade, and if you’re planning on spending the day, you may as well count ’em yourself, just to make sure. But if numbers aren’t your thing, take a stroll through Hammond Park to the animal sanctuary where rubbing shoulders with kangaroos, emus and families of birds are sure to entertain any park-goer. After all of the excitement, give your feet a rest under the heritage-listed rotunda – it’s more than 100 years old and is one of the largest of its kind in Australia.

A trip to Kalgoorlie isn’t complete without trying your hand at panning for gold, and Hannans North Tourist Mine has you sorted with the tools. Offering two ponds where you can sift it for the biscuit, you’re bound to strike gold, just like Paddy Hannan did way back in 1893 – the first prospector to do so, igniting the Western Australian gold rush. Rest assured knowing that there are loads more history to be absorbed in the Tourist Mine, along with 30 memorable exhibits and other fun things to do. Feel teeny tiny while standing in the shovel of a mega 994F loader, climb aboard a humongous 793C haul truck, listen to Paddy Hannan share his lore, and discover the original, early-1900s buildings for a taste of what life was like for miners in the bygone days. 

A lovely day trip from Kalgoorlie, Lake Ballard plays host to the world’s largest outdoor art gallery, 'Inside Australia'. Created by globally renowned British artist Antony Gormley, the striking exhibition features 51 steel sculptures scattered across seven square kilometres of salt lake desert. Each statue is based on a resident from the nearby town of Menzies, located 1.5 hours from Kalgoorlie.

If the weather permits, there’s no better way to explore the town than with the Kalgoorlie Boulder Audio Walking Tour. Wandering aimlessly has its perks for sure, but once you’ve collected your headset from the Visitor Centre and popped it on your noggin, you’ll be seeing Kalgoorlie and Boulder in a different and more-so educational light. With 50-odd sites outlined along the Audio Walking Tour, there’ll be no lack of stimuli – check out the spectacular Town Hall, learn about the heritage buildings and hotels, and take a good look at the plentiful statues – all on your own time.

For a town out in the sticks, it may surprise you that Kalgoorlie has its fair share of museums and galleries – and six notable ones at that. Admire Indigenous works of art at Bush Blossom Gallery, take a step back in time at the Signpost Racing Museum, pay your respects at the Goldfields War Museum, flick through age-old photographs at Eastern Goldfields Historical Society, peruse the halls of Goldfields Art Centre and brush up on your history at the Museum of the Goldfields – Kalgoorlie’s largest exhibition that is tendered by Western Australia Museum and home to the state’s most sizable gold bars and nuggets.

Strap into your comfy shoes and join local artist and storyteller, Jason Dimer for the Kalgoorlie Aboriginal Cultural Experience Tour. Across the two-hour excursion, you’ll gain valuable insight into the stories, creativity and spiritual legacy of Kalgoorlie's Aboriginal community, along with the importance of the land. This cultural tour also highlights one the largest First Nations outdoor art installations, as well as Jason Dimer’s ‘Heartwalk’ murals where the symbolism of the famed silky pear comes to light. Speaking of native flora, the walking tour will trail through a bush medicine garden, where you’ll most definitely learn a thing or two about fascinating, Indigenous healing practices.

When it comes to the best sunsets in Australia, the West is right up there, and Kalgoorlie is no exception, regardless of its inland locale. A 20-minute walk from the town’s centre will see you to your destination, Mount Charlotte Reservoir Lookout. From here, panoramic views across Kalgoorlie await in shades of pink, violet and blue – as well as a history lesson about the reservoir via the medium of signage. This sunset hotspot just so happens to be one of Australia’s greatest engineering achievements – the Golden Pipeline – which has been delivering water to the region since 1903, all the way from Mundaring Weir in the Perth Hills – that’s a whopping 593 kilometres away. Who knows, perhaps Mount Charlotte’s sunset will be equally as impressive?

Is it really a country town without a local pub? Debatable. And in Kalgoorlie, Beaten Track Brewery has nailed the brief. The team behind this outback taphouse are doing things their way, and that means running a small operation on-site so that the liquid gold is cold, fresh and always on hand. The microbrewery dabbles in experimental craft beers too, and is known to churn out pints with the likes of bia hơi (Vietnamese-style lager), coffee-infused pale ale, sours and stouts – all with a Beaten Track Brewery spin. Satiate your hunger while you’re at it with their authentic American-barbecued brisket that's always melt-in-the-mouth delicious, yum burgers, loaded fries and plenty of greasy goodness.