Kalgoorlie

 A very nice day today, off the bike and lovely warm weather. 

We had a wander around the main st and visited the information centre. A cup of coffee and it was time to join our mine tour. 

So interesting, this business is just HUGE and they are embarking on a massive expansion project. We were one of the last to visit the current lookout before it becomes a big hole in the ground. Apparently the mine was near the end of its life but technological advances have enabled it to carry on for many years yet. By using X-Ray technology they can pinpoint the gold, they still have to excavate the rock but now only 1 in 10 truck loads go through the gold extraction processing facility instead of all 10 trucks. 

We watched as the workers prepared a site where they will be excavating tunnels of which there is an extensive network already. 

After lunch we visited the gold museum and were greeted at the desk by a Kiwi woman from New Plymouth who has been working there for 14 years and her husband is an in demand machinery operator and driver. She spent some time in Palmerston North in the 70’s and worked at the PDC head office and waitressed at the Hong Kong. Small world. 

The museum was very well presented and we really enjoyed the experience .

We dined at the hotel next door again and the scantily clad barmaid was replaced by a different one. These girls are locally known as Skimpies!  It is obviously a thing here as another establishment advertised “Skimpies” on a blacboard outside and “named” them. I guess the 21st century societal norms haven’t quite arrived here. 

We have been keenly watching the weather as we begin our journey across the Nullabor tomorrow.