Another perfect day for travelling the 394 km from Esperance to Kalgoorlie. It was a cool 16 degrees when we left and with each km we drove the temperature increased until we were a warm 34 degrees when we arrived at Kalgoorlie. A nuisance wind had developed during the day as well.
For portion of the day we drove through cereal crops. These slowly disappeared then came sheep and finally, and this was for the majority of the day, we passed through what WA describes as Woodlands. They claim it to be several million hectares in size and to be a sleeping giant waiting to be discovered by science eg medicines. It looks like pretty boring countryside from an outsider's point of view, and the wild flowers did not seem to proliferate, beyond some spectacular displays of gazanias along the roadside near Norseman.
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| 260914 Woodlands countryside |
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| 260914 Gazanias by the roadside at Norseman |
Hand in hand with the Woodlands came gold mines and there were plenty on the way including but not limited to Challice, Harrisville, Marine, Jubilee and Mitel. We stopped at Norseman, halfway for today's trip, and took a look at Central Norseman Gold's Bullen Decline Mine. It has a spectacular 4 million tonnes tailing dump near the mine. The dump is 40m high.
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| 260914 Tailings dump at Bullen Decline Gold Mine in Norseman |
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| 260914 Looking over the Bullen Decline gold mine |
From the Beacon Hill Lookout behind Norseman we could see the Woodlands country stretching beyond eyesight in all directions. There were also some beautiful flowering gums on the top of the hill. They belied the barren look of Lake Camden which we followed on and off for 100km from Norseman.
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260914 Looking east from Norseman's Beacon Hill -
green Woodlands in the background |
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| 260914 Flowering gum at Beacon Hill |
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| 260914 Lake Camden with mirage |
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| 260914 Lake Camden looking from the other side of the causeway |
Norseman also provided our most unusual photograph for the day - corrugated camels.
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| 260914 Corrugated camels in Norseman - made from corrugated iron |
Came across a little roadhouse in the middle of nowhere with an unusual name, "Widglemootha". Well at least it did not have an "up" on the end. The locals abbreviate to "Widgie".
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| 260914 Widglemootha Roadhouse through insect spattered windscreen |
Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a thriving town of 30,000 plus and obviously still relies on the gold mine for its sustenance. It is unfortunately peak season in Kalgoorlie and we have been unable to secure a place on a tour of the gold mine before next Tuesday. Dash it! We will be well gone by then.
Sun setting, wind moderating and temperature dropping.
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