Kalgoorlie  Western Australia

This isolated gold rush town just has to be one of the most interesting places in Australia. About 563km east of Perth, the Kalgoorlie area was subjected to a gold rush when Paddy Hannan discovered the precious metal near here in 1893.

Less than 10 years later, Kalgoorlie had a population of 30,000 and more than 90 hotels. The famous Golden Mile was regarded as the richest bit of real estate in the world at one time, yielding up more than 1300 tonnes of gold.

They treat ‘nefarious’ activities such as prostitution and playing two-up with a certain amount of derring-do up here in what is still very much a rough-and-ready pioneer town.

Although Kalgoorlie's fortunes still largely ebb and flow with the price of gold, the town has broadened its base with the growth of the nickel industry and the pastoral development of the area.

A visit to the Hannan's North Tourist Mine and the Golden Mile Museum will give you a vivid picture of how the early miners worked and played.