GOLDEN OUTBACK ROADIE
SEPTEMBER 2025
September marks the beginning of wildflower season in Western Australia. Last year, our journey took us north — you can read about that adventure here. This time, we ventured east into the Goldfields, and the trip more than lived up to expectations.
Gold was first discovered in Coolgardie, around 600 kilometres east of Perth, in 1892. Just six months later, prospector Patrick (Paddy) Hannan, together with Thomas Flanagan and Daniel Shea, struck a rich deposit in Kalgoorlie. Their find sparked the great gold rush, which in turn drove the development of vital infrastructure such as the water pipeline and the railway.
Leaving Perth, we travelled east and joined the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail at its starting point, Mundaring Weir. By 1895, the Goldfields were facing a severe water shortage. In response, Premier John Forrest launched an ambitious scheme in 1896 to pump water 563 kilometres from the dam at Mundaring all the way to Kalgoorlie. The project was placed in the hands of engineer C.Y. O’Connor, whose vision and expertise made the seemingly impossible a reality. Remarkably, the pipeline is still in operation today.
Just over an hour from Perth, Northam is the gateway to the Avon Valley and the starting point of the Silo Art Trail. In spring, it’s surrounded by fields of golden canola, making it a lovely spot to pause for a coffee and stretch your legs. You can also drop in at the local tourist bureau to pick up maps and brochures for exploring the eastern Wheatbelt and Goldfields. While you’re there, don’t miss a walk across Northam’s heritage-listed suspension bridge, one of the town’s highlights.
There are eight pump stations along the Golden Pipeline, and the Cunderdin Museum is housed in Pump Station No. 3. Built in 1902, it still showcases the original steam engines and boilers once used to pump water to the Goldfields—though now they stand as historic exhibits rather than working machines. The museum captures the spirit of the Gold Rush with recreated miners’ campsites, an extensive collection of farming machinery, and even a beautifully restored 1950s railway dining car.
In the Rural Lifestyle Pavilion, you’ll also find displays highlighting Cunderdin’s wartime contribution, along with a unique interactive “earthquake house” that re-creates the dramatic 1968 Meckering earthquake, which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and destroyed much of the town.
The Cunderdin Hill Lookout made the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. Surrounded by a colourful carpet of wildflowers, we enjoyed spectacular 360-degree views stretching out across the Wheatbelt.
One of the biggest challenges facing Wheatbelt farmers is rising salinity, caused by the loss of deep-rooted vegetation. The Tammin Hydrology Model (Kadjininy Kep) illustrates how the removal of trees has changed the landscape and highlights the management strategies being used to address both current and future problems. Located just behind the Tammin Town Hall, it makes for an informative stop—and you’ll also find clean public toilets conveniently close by.
Turning off the highway, we headed south-east into Totadgin Conservation Park and set out on the Gnamma Walk Circuit, an easy 1.3 km loop around the granite outcrop. Often called a “mini Wave Rock”, Totadgin Rock is a striking formation shaped over billions of years.
On the way back to the carpark, we passed one of Hunt’s Wells. These were created in the 1860s by explorer Charles Cooke Hunt, who identified and developed water sources at the base of granite outcrops to support travel through the region.
Only halfway to Kalgoorlie, we stopped overnight in Merredin. 'The Lodge' at Little Rock was the perfect place to rest, and we finished the day watching the sun set over the town’s silos.
We were fortunate with the weather. After a wet winter, our trip coincided with a glorious cloud-free week, with temperatures sitting in the mid to high 20s. It meant we could take things at a more leisurely pace, and our next stop was Westonia.
Gold was first discovered here in 1910, and the town has been carefully preserved to reflect its boom years. The old shopfront facades transport you back in time, while the Hood-Penn Museum brings history to life with detailed scenes of early life in the shire. One of the highlights is an underground mine tunnel display, complete with sound effects and conversations between miners — a moving and immersive glimpse into the past.
Just outside the Westonia town centre is the Edna May Gold Mine Lookout. Recently re-opened to the public, it offers a striking view of the open-cut mine and a clear example of the scale of modern gold mining.
To avoid the heavy road trains and roadworks, we took the more scenic back roads to Southern Cross before rejoining the Great Eastern Highway. From there, we followed the pipeline once more, passing through Coolgardie and continuing on to Kalgoorlie.
KALGOORLIE
The last time I visited Kalgoorlie was in 2020 for the famous Kalgoorlie Race Round — you can read about that trip here. This time, however, I was keen to explore a different side of the city, one that focused more on its history and heritage.
We based ourselves at Rydges Kalgoorlie, a very comfortable stay and the perfect place to settle in for three nights while we explored the local area.
Kalgoorlie’s Super Pit is the largest open-cut gold mine in Australia and is so vast it’s often said to be visible from space. As impressive as the Edna May Mine in Westonia was, it’s just a speck compared to the scale of the Super Pit. The best views are from the Super Pit Lookout, or you can join a guided Super Pit Tour for a closer look at this incredible operation. Alternatively, spend half a day at Hannan's North Tourist Mine and try your luck at panning for gold.
We arrived just in time for sunset at Mount Charlotte Reservoir and Lookout, the end point of the Golden Pipeline Trail. This is where the water pumped all the way from Perth finally arrives — fittingly, at the very spot where Paddy Hannan first discovered gold.
As mentioned earlier, Kalgoorlie became the centre of the gold rush in 1893. By 1901 its population had reached 4,793, and just two years later it had grown to 6,790. Boomtime brought with it a bustling town filled with hotels, brothels and gambling halls.
One of the most notable establishments was the Palace Hotel, built in 1897. It quickly became a hub for gatherings and public speeches, and it remains a landmark today. Still welcoming visitors, the hotel’s Balcony Bar & Restaurant offers hearty meals — a tradition that feels perfectly in keeping with the miners and travellers who came before.
Built in 1908, the Kalgoorlie Town Hall is now home to the Kalgoorlie Visitors Centre. On Mondays and Wednesdays, local historian Timothy Moore leads tours through the impressive Edwardian building. With his knowledge and enthusiasm, Tim brings the past to life as he shares stories while guiding visitors through the Council Chambers, the Mayor’s Parlour, and the original theatre.
On Tuesday's and Thursday's, Tim can be found giving tours of the rival Boulder Town Hall and its famous Goatcher Curtain. If you can't make one of Tim's tours, then opt for the Kalgoorlie Boulder Audio Walking Tour. Headsets and maps are available from the Visitors Centre.
If you’re visiting Kalgoorlie for the first time, a stop at the Museum of the Goldfields on Hannan Street is a must. Free to enter, it’s the perfect place to begin exploring the city’s past, from the gold rush era to the stories of the local Indigenous culture. One of the highlights is the impressive gold vault — an experience you definitely won’t want to miss.
Often described as one of the world’s oldest surviving brothels, Questa Casa offers a very different way to experience Kalgoorlie and understand life in the Goldfields. Tucked behind the iconic pink-and-white corrugated-iron façade on Hay Street, Madam Carmel welcomes visitors for a candid tour that traces the history of Western Australia’s former containment policy, what daily life was like for a “working lady”, and how society viewed the trade. Since the policy was lifted around 2000, the Pink House is best known for its guided tours (typically held at 3 pm most days—worth booking ahead).
The Northern Goldfields are an adventure in their own right. They take in the Golden Quest Discovery Trail, a 965-kilometre self-drive loop through historic gold mining country, as well as The Outback Way, which begins in Laverton and stretches inland all the way to Uluru before finishing in Winton, Queensland.
We travelled as far as Menzies — a once-booming gold mining town that today has a population of around 80. It’s home to Laurie’s Café, along with basic public facilities and a self-serve petrol pump, but little else.
In 2003, artist Antony Gormley was commissioned to create 'Inside Australia' to mark the 50th anniversary of the Perth International Arts Festival. The result was 51 sculptures, each derived from laser scans of Menzies’ inhabitants. Scattered across 10 kilometres of the saltpan at Lake Ballard, the figures appear like a shimmering mirage. As you reach one, another comes into view in the distance, tempting you to walk further across the vast white landscape.
The illusion of water on the horizon is deceiving, and before long the surface underfoot can turn soft and mushy, making the walk more challenging. Be prepared for the reflective heat, and take sensible precautions — wear sturdy shoes, a hat, and carry plenty of water.
A little further on from Lake Ballard is Snake Hill Lookout. From here you can’t see the sculptures, but you do get a sweeping view of the vast salt lake stretching out below.
On our way back to Kalgoorlie, we couldn’t resist a stop at the Broad Arrow Tavern. Once at the heart of a thriving gold mining town of around 15,000 residents, Broad Arrow is now little more than a ghost town. The tavern, however, still operates and remains a local icon. In years gone by, it was also the place where the ladies from Questa Casa would spend their days off.
The return trip to Perth was a long day on the road, broken up with comfort stops and a delicious fish burger at the Ettamogah Pub in Cunderdin. After covering 1,700 kilometres, we came away with a much deeper appreciation of Western Australia’s gold rush history and the remarkable story of the Golden Pipeline. What a fabulous country we live in — and what treasures there are to explore.
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