Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia
On the road again this morning after two nights in Kalgoorlie. Whilst there we caught up with Peter's nephew and family and played the last two holes of the Nullarbor Links.
On Tuesday we left Balladonia by 7.15am and an hour later were at Fraser Range Sheep Station Caravan Park to play the Par 3 'Sheep's Back' golf hole. That was a nice little five iron shot for me, down the hill. There were a few little bushes in front of the tee and there were plenty of doublegees on the green. Obviously it's a real challenge to keep them off the green! There was a plastic rake if you really felt you needed to use it! Peter had another Par and I had a 4. The Bougainvillea plants around the caravan park were in full bloom and very pretty. Also a yellow species of everlastings was lovely too. The sign said it was 'An Oasis in the Outback' and it certainly looked just that! It looked a nice spot for an overnight stay.
We were in Norseman for morning tea, and after fuelling up we played another two holes of golf. Plenty of double gees to scrape from your shoes as well here. We felt like we were back in Yuna! These two holes were nice to play. A Par 4 and then a Par 5 named 'Golden Horse'. The Par 4 was an aboriginal name. The red gum trees on the edge of the fairway were in full bloom and very spectacular. They were very nice on the Eyre Highway as well. There had been quite a lot of rain on the Eyre Highway between Fraser Station and Norseman. The golf clubhouse at Norseman has seen better days and it doesn't look like they use it any more. I don't think any ladies play golf now either, as it is a long time since the ladies tees have been used.
We had to go to the Norseman Information Centre to get our golf cards stamped, so I asked the lady "If it was possible to take the van up to the Beacon Lookout"? She didn't hesitate in saying "Yes'" and said "There was a large turn around area up there". We are not convinced that the road was really suitable for a big van, but once again Pete was up to the challenge!
Next stop was 'Widgiemooltha' and we pulled up in a parking area at the back of the roadhouse and had lunch. We did check out the replica of the 'Golden Eagle Nugget' on our travel through 'Widgie' this time. We did stop here in December as Gary and Julie hoped to get a bit of fuel. The fuel tank at the roadhouse was low and it was too hot for the pump to pull it from the tank. It was so hot, I wasn't getting out of the car to check anything out and who would have thought there was anything at Widgiemooltha? Of course our 'Minister for Tourism' had informed us of the replica nugget and the need to read the great story about the find. It was a 'Must Stop' on the way home!
The famous 'Golden Eagle Nugget' symbolised hope for Western Australians at a time when there was very little. A 16 year old Jim Larcombe found the famous 1135 plus nugget in 1931. He was working on his father's lease when he struck the huge nugget. The finding of the nugget boosted a gold rush near Widgiemooltha and at a time when the country was in a major worldwide depression, it made many people believe there was hope.
Another 50 kms and the shoes and socks went on again to play our 16th hole at Kambalda. Peter had a Par at Norseman and the other hole he was one over, so his card is looking pretty good. Considering it is only a couple of days off 3 years since he broke his leg. His leg really has strengthened since we have been away. 10 months ago we wouldn't have thought it was a possibility to play the full 18 holes of the 'Nullarbor Links Golf Course' on our way home. My golf has also improved and I am actually starting to believe that maybe I could play again! Peter had a 5 and I had a 6 on the 'Silver Lake' Par 4.
We were a bit knocked up when we got to Kalgoorlie and had settled ourselves into the Discovery Park on Burt Street in Boulder. We stayed here 4 years ago and quite liked the location and park. Gary and Vicki Giles now live just a couple of streets behind the park. Peter had been in touch with Gary whilst we were Ceduna, and arranged that we would catch up.
We intended to play the last two holes of the course on Wednesday and we knew you had to ring to make a booking. Fortunately, as it turned out, Peter had purchased the local paper when we were booking in. At 5.00pm he said to me "We might have trouble getting a booking to play these last two holes of golf. There is a big PGA tournament starting here on Thursday"! So he rang the golf club and they couldn't guarantee a time slot for Wednesday as there was a lead up event on that day as well. They said "If you could come out straight away to play the holes, they would appreciate it"! So we put the shoes on again and off we went to find the course.
That did take us a while, but what a hoot when we finally found it! Here we were in our smelly clothes from a days travelling and four holes of golf in the outback. We had our bag of golf balls and tees and our grey cloth bag of five sticks. I had at least got a clean pair of socks out of the drawer! There were a number of guys walking around in their fancy coloured pants, having just finished playing a practice round. There was one good thing though about playing at this time, we had the course to ourselves apart from a few kangaroos.
Both played the first hole, a Par 4, really well. Peter had another Par and I had a 6. The last hole, a Par 5 was extremely undulating, but we both didn't get in the bunkers and Peter had a one over and I had a 7. By then it was 6.10pm. Wally and Clara came for a walk as well in the 'Woolworths' bag with the camera. Why should we do anything different to the last 16 holes, just because we were playing on a $21 million course that is owned by the city, and apparently running at a huge deficit? We weren't invited to have a drink in the clubhouse, only told we could take the back track from the last hole to the carpark! We had to take the bucket of sand back anyway!
'Nullarbor Links Golf Course' is now completed! Peter had a 94 and I had 118 hits. And we completed it exactly 10 months after we set off from Geraldton for this amazing holiday/journey/adventure. The course has certainly been something to remember and it has been very enjoyable, apart from those two Par 5's on the first day! For us playing the 'Links Course' on our first return journey across the Nullarbor was special. We went to the Information Centre on Wednesday and now have our certificates to say 'We have done it'. And of course the score is there, as a reminder of how many hits we did have! Despite the grumbles from the 'Minister for Transport' at Nundroo and Nullarbor Roadhouses, I think he is glad he didn't go back and wait in the car for me!
Whilst in Kalgoorlie we have caught up with Gary and Vicki Giles and family. Four years ago Gary took us down into the Super Pit and it was the highlight of our visit. Gary is the Manager of Komatsu at the mine and he really has done very well for himself. Peter's sister Joan, who died from leukaemia in 1988, would be very proud of her son. Gary and Vicki moved to Kalgoorlie in 2000. Before that they were living in Geraldton and Gary was travelling backwards and forwards. That was of course before his promotion. He said 'The move has been the best decision for the family". The eldest of the boys was just starting high school and it was decision time for them.
Gary and Vicki have four children. Three boys and a girl. Brendan the youngest will be 19 in 5 weeks and he has this year, started a boiler maker apprenticeship. He told us last night that the company has asked him to do a 3D computer course next year, so naturally the family are very pleased about that. Brendan is a character and his parents say there will definitely be a tidy up with the hair and whiskers before his brothers wedding in January.
The two older boys are buying their own homes. Justin who is 24 is getting married on the 4th January in Perth and Jarrad 26, has just had his parents travelling around the Murchison and areas north of Geraldton, as his support crew! Jarrad has a quad bike and during September raced it in an Australasian Safari. It was a real adventure for his parents. They are not sure in hindsight, that they really needed to be out where they were, with their new caravan! Vicki towed the bike trailer, with the fuel and all the gear in it.
Gary took us to the boys homes on Wednesday afternoon and Jarrod was getting ready to do his 12 hour night shift. When I said to him about their recent adventure, he was quick to ask "If we would like to have a look at his bike"? When I saw 'Giles Racing' on the side of the trailer, I went back out to the car and got the camera. I think I was very lucky to get the photo of him with the trailer. 'Gotta make the most of the opportunities'.
Unfortunately we didn't see Justin or his fiancée Vanessa. Vanessa was at the gym when we called by their home and Justin does a 12 hour shift at a mine out at Kambalda. He goes back and forth on a bus, so his working week is very long. He used to work underground, but now has this new job and doesn't work on weekends.
They are all making the most of the opportunities Kalgoorlie provides. Although Gary said things have really slowed down in the town and they're not finding much gold. 6,000 people have left the town. Gemma will be 21 on the 25th January. She has finished her hairdressing apprenticeship and has a boyfriend Blake. They have the travel bug. They went to Europe for four weeks last year and are off to Hawaii and America next year.
We went out to dinner last night with Gary, Vicki, Gemma, Blake and Brendon at the Palace Hotel. It was a lovely evening with the family in a beautiful old pub. We have commented on the lovely old pubs in so many towns over east, but we really do have pubs that are just as historical and beautiful in towns such as Kalgoorlie in WA.
Gary and Vicki also walked to the caravan park to catch up with us on Tuesday night. We were laying back watching 'Dancing with the Stars' after our big day of travel and golf, when Gary rang to say "They had come for a walk". I had just put the water in the sink to do the dishes, so there was a scurry! We sat outside chatting and of course Peter offered them both a drink. Gary's response was "I haven't had a drink for 3 years Uncle Pete. I'm a tea totaler"! He has lost a lot of weight. He said "He has a battle dealing with the kids and alcohol now, though"!
So we had a lovely couple of hours chatting and catching up. We had a few laughs as well, as you do!. To our surprise at 10.20pm one of our neighbours appeared at the front of the car and told us "It was 10.20 and could we please be a bit quieter"! I hadn't looked at my watch, otherwise I may have suggested we had better talk quietly. There is a first time for everything! 10 months of 'Travelling Oz' and we've not been told "It is bedtime for caravaners"! Next morning the guy actually apologised and Peter's response was "The thing was mate. We hadn't even had a drink"! But Peter did add "It was time to pack up for the night". The guy said "They had had a few bad experiences lately".
Vicki asked next day about our grumpy neighbour! We have all had times when people are enjoying themselves and are a little noisy, but there is no way I would get up and tell them the time! Especially when it was only 10.20pm! Another memory of Kalgoorlie. 16 photos
On Tuesday we left Balladonia by 7.15am and an hour later were at Fraser Range Sheep Station Caravan Park to play the Par 3 'Sheep's Back' golf hole. That was a nice little five iron shot for me, down the hill. There were a few little bushes in front of the tee and there were plenty of doublegees on the green. Obviously it's a real challenge to keep them off the green! There was a plastic rake if you really felt you needed to use it! Peter had another Par and I had a 4. The Bougainvillea plants around the caravan park were in full bloom and very pretty. Also a yellow species of everlastings was lovely too. The sign said it was 'An Oasis in the Outback' and it certainly looked just that! It looked a nice spot for an overnight stay.
We were in Norseman for morning tea, and after fuelling up we played another two holes of golf. Plenty of double gees to scrape from your shoes as well here. We felt like we were back in Yuna! These two holes were nice to play. A Par 4 and then a Par 5 named 'Golden Horse'. The Par 4 was an aboriginal name. The red gum trees on the edge of the fairway were in full bloom and very spectacular. They were very nice on the Eyre Highway as well. There had been quite a lot of rain on the Eyre Highway between Fraser Station and Norseman. The golf clubhouse at Norseman has seen better days and it doesn't look like they use it any more. I don't think any ladies play golf now either, as it is a long time since the ladies tees have been used.
We had to go to the Norseman Information Centre to get our golf cards stamped, so I asked the lady "If it was possible to take the van up to the Beacon Lookout"? She didn't hesitate in saying "Yes'" and said "There was a large turn around area up there". We are not convinced that the road was really suitable for a big van, but once again Pete was up to the challenge!
Next stop was 'Widgiemooltha' and we pulled up in a parking area at the back of the roadhouse and had lunch. We did check out the replica of the 'Golden Eagle Nugget' on our travel through 'Widgie' this time. We did stop here in December as Gary and Julie hoped to get a bit of fuel. The fuel tank at the roadhouse was low and it was too hot for the pump to pull it from the tank. It was so hot, I wasn't getting out of the car to check anything out and who would have thought there was anything at Widgiemooltha? Of course our 'Minister for Tourism' had informed us of the replica nugget and the need to read the great story about the find. It was a 'Must Stop' on the way home!
The famous 'Golden Eagle Nugget' symbolised hope for Western Australians at a time when there was very little. A 16 year old Jim Larcombe found the famous 1135 plus nugget in 1931. He was working on his father's lease when he struck the huge nugget. The finding of the nugget boosted a gold rush near Widgiemooltha and at a time when the country was in a major worldwide depression, it made many people believe there was hope.
Another 50 kms and the shoes and socks went on again to play our 16th hole at Kambalda. Peter had a Par at Norseman and the other hole he was one over, so his card is looking pretty good. Considering it is only a couple of days off 3 years since he broke his leg. His leg really has strengthened since we have been away. 10 months ago we wouldn't have thought it was a possibility to play the full 18 holes of the 'Nullarbor Links Golf Course' on our way home. My golf has also improved and I am actually starting to believe that maybe I could play again! Peter had a 5 and I had a 6 on the 'Silver Lake' Par 4.
We were a bit knocked up when we got to Kalgoorlie and had settled ourselves into the Discovery Park on Burt Street in Boulder. We stayed here 4 years ago and quite liked the location and park. Gary and Vicki Giles now live just a couple of streets behind the park. Peter had been in touch with Gary whilst we were Ceduna, and arranged that we would catch up.
We intended to play the last two holes of the course on Wednesday and we knew you had to ring to make a booking. Fortunately, as it turned out, Peter had purchased the local paper when we were booking in. At 5.00pm he said to me "We might have trouble getting a booking to play these last two holes of golf. There is a big PGA tournament starting here on Thursday"! So he rang the golf club and they couldn't guarantee a time slot for Wednesday as there was a lead up event on that day as well. They said "If you could come out straight away to play the holes, they would appreciate it"! So we put the shoes on again and off we went to find the course.
That did take us a while, but what a hoot when we finally found it! Here we were in our smelly clothes from a days travelling and four holes of golf in the outback. We had our bag of golf balls and tees and our grey cloth bag of five sticks. I had at least got a clean pair of socks out of the drawer! There were a number of guys walking around in their fancy coloured pants, having just finished playing a practice round. There was one good thing though about playing at this time, we had the course to ourselves apart from a few kangaroos.
Both played the first hole, a Par 4, really well. Peter had another Par and I had a 6. The last hole, a Par 5 was extremely undulating, but we both didn't get in the bunkers and Peter had a one over and I had a 7. By then it was 6.10pm. Wally and Clara came for a walk as well in the 'Woolworths' bag with the camera. Why should we do anything different to the last 16 holes, just because we were playing on a $21 million course that is owned by the city, and apparently running at a huge deficit? We weren't invited to have a drink in the clubhouse, only told we could take the back track from the last hole to the carpark! We had to take the bucket of sand back anyway!
'Nullarbor Links Golf Course' is now completed! Peter had a 94 and I had 118 hits. And we completed it exactly 10 months after we set off from Geraldton for this amazing holiday/journey/adventure. The course has certainly been something to remember and it has been very enjoyable, apart from those two Par 5's on the first day! For us playing the 'Links Course' on our first return journey across the Nullarbor was special. We went to the Information Centre on Wednesday and now have our certificates to say 'We have done it'. And of course the score is there, as a reminder of how many hits we did have! Despite the grumbles from the 'Minister for Transport' at Nundroo and Nullarbor Roadhouses, I think he is glad he didn't go back and wait in the car for me!
Whilst in Kalgoorlie we have caught up with Gary and Vicki Giles and family. Four years ago Gary took us down into the Super Pit and it was the highlight of our visit. Gary is the Manager of Komatsu at the mine and he really has done very well for himself. Peter's sister Joan, who died from leukaemia in 1988, would be very proud of her son. Gary and Vicki moved to Kalgoorlie in 2000. Before that they were living in Geraldton and Gary was travelling backwards and forwards. That was of course before his promotion. He said 'The move has been the best decision for the family". The eldest of the boys was just starting high school and it was decision time for them.
Gary and Vicki have four children. Three boys and a girl. Brendan the youngest will be 19 in 5 weeks and he has this year, started a boiler maker apprenticeship. He told us last night that the company has asked him to do a 3D computer course next year, so naturally the family are very pleased about that. Brendan is a character and his parents say there will definitely be a tidy up with the hair and whiskers before his brothers wedding in January.
The two older boys are buying their own homes. Justin who is 24 is getting married on the 4th January in Perth and Jarrad 26, has just had his parents travelling around the Murchison and areas north of Geraldton, as his support crew! Jarrad has a quad bike and during September raced it in an Australasian Safari. It was a real adventure for his parents. They are not sure in hindsight, that they really needed to be out where they were, with their new caravan! Vicki towed the bike trailer, with the fuel and all the gear in it.
Gary took us to the boys homes on Wednesday afternoon and Jarrod was getting ready to do his 12 hour night shift. When I said to him about their recent adventure, he was quick to ask "If we would like to have a look at his bike"? When I saw 'Giles Racing' on the side of the trailer, I went back out to the car and got the camera. I think I was very lucky to get the photo of him with the trailer. 'Gotta make the most of the opportunities'.
Unfortunately we didn't see Justin or his fiancée Vanessa. Vanessa was at the gym when we called by their home and Justin does a 12 hour shift at a mine out at Kambalda. He goes back and forth on a bus, so his working week is very long. He used to work underground, but now has this new job and doesn't work on weekends.
They are all making the most of the opportunities Kalgoorlie provides. Although Gary said things have really slowed down in the town and they're not finding much gold. 6,000 people have left the town. Gemma will be 21 on the 25th January. She has finished her hairdressing apprenticeship and has a boyfriend Blake. They have the travel bug. They went to Europe for four weeks last year and are off to Hawaii and America next year.
We went out to dinner last night with Gary, Vicki, Gemma, Blake and Brendon at the Palace Hotel. It was a lovely evening with the family in a beautiful old pub. We have commented on the lovely old pubs in so many towns over east, but we really do have pubs that are just as historical and beautiful in towns such as Kalgoorlie in WA.
Gary and Vicki also walked to the caravan park to catch up with us on Tuesday night. We were laying back watching 'Dancing with the Stars' after our big day of travel and golf, when Gary rang to say "They had come for a walk". I had just put the water in the sink to do the dishes, so there was a scurry! We sat outside chatting and of course Peter offered them both a drink. Gary's response was "I haven't had a drink for 3 years Uncle Pete. I'm a tea totaler"! He has lost a lot of weight. He said "He has a battle dealing with the kids and alcohol now, though"!
So we had a lovely couple of hours chatting and catching up. We had a few laughs as well, as you do!. To our surprise at 10.20pm one of our neighbours appeared at the front of the car and told us "It was 10.20 and could we please be a bit quieter"! I hadn't looked at my watch, otherwise I may have suggested we had better talk quietly. There is a first time for everything! 10 months of 'Travelling Oz' and we've not been told "It is bedtime for caravaners"! Next morning the guy actually apologised and Peter's response was "The thing was mate. We hadn't even had a drink"! But Peter did add "It was time to pack up for the night". The guy said "They had had a few bad experiences lately".
Vicki asked next day about our grumpy neighbour! We have all had times when people are enjoying themselves and are a little noisy, but there is no way I would get up and tell them the time! Especially when it was only 10.20pm! Another memory of Kalgoorlie. 16 photos
2025-05-22