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11 Date ideas in Kalgoorlie (that aren’t Dinner and a Movie)

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About Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie is a tiny little place in Western Australia that most people have never heard of before. Full of singles and families, there is one thing we all seem to have in common…There’s not a whole lot to do, which makes it a bit difficult when it comes to dating.

Dating in Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie’s dating scene is huge. There are so many men (and women) that flock here for the money that is possible while working here. But what do you do with your time when you’re not working?

Date.

And that’s what most people find they do here in Kalgoorlie. Serial dating. I can’t lie, I was one of them. But the thing about dating in Kalgoorlie is there isn’t a huge amount of options for date ideas.

It’s usually dinner and a movie…If you’re lucky. And that’s great and all, but sometimes, doing that for every date can get both boring and expensive. Especially if you’re going out for more than a couple of dates a week.

Personally, I’m the kind that enjoys anything BUT dinner and a movie for a first time date. I couldn’t think of anything worse than being forced into a situation where, if it’s a movie, you’re forced to sit side by side next to a stranger in almost silence for two hours. Then God forbid, someone misreads the date going well and slides their hand to awkwardly hold yours. NOPE.

Or even worse, being forced to think of topics to talk about, while sitting across from this stranger at dinner.

Don’t even get me started on the expectation of a woman to not order too much food or to eat daintily. That’s definitely not my style. I love food too much for that.

I prefer to do an activity together. Whether I’m dating someone for 7 days…or 7 years, I’ll always prefer an activity where questions and topics will come more naturally in conversation because you’re both focusing on the same task at hand.

And if you’ve been together with someone for years, trying something besides your usual can help revive the relationship or learn something new about your partner.

So here it is. A list of the 10 best date ideas in Kalgoorlie that aren’t dinner and a movie:

1. Helicopter Picnic

Now this one may be a little exorbitant but hear me out. If you’re in it for a long time and not just a good time, this date is a winner by far. If you’re just looking for the “end goal” then maybe skip to the next options on the list.

If you’re a Kalgoorlie local, however and have a long-term partner, chances are they probably haven’t been on one of the helicopter tours on offer. It’s usually the tourists that do that 90% of the time, right? So surprise your Mrs Right (Or Mr Right) with this little beauty.

Goldfields Air Service (GAS) offer a few different tour options, check them out for pricing. Considering what is on offer, the pricing is very reasonable.

2. Projector Movie out Bush

Kalgoorlie is surrounded by a whole lotta nothing but bush…So finding a spot shouldn’t be a problem.

This one requires a little more effort but if you have a car, a projector and a projector screen (or just a white sheet), then you have everything you need for the most romantic night in Kalgoorlie she (or he) will always remember.

I’ve actually carried this one out myself and it went 500% perfectly.

Find a spot out bush (I chose Lake Douglas as I spotted 2 perfectly separated trees with a small fire pit. You could also try one of these perfect hang out places), hang your projector screen up, hook your projector up to your car 12v socket or another power source you might have, download some movies onto a USB drive and hey presto, you’ve got the most romantic date in Kalgoorlie.

You’d obviously have to bring some food, cos what girl doesn’t love some little snacks…or a pork chop. If you have a ute, it’s even more perfect. Set it up really comfortably and watch your movie from inside the tray.

3. Graffiti Burnt out Cars

This is a date that I almost went out on but he chickened out last minute and didn’t go through with it. At this point he knew nothing about me so decided to go for a more classic date idea. He didn’t tell me about the other option until after our date.

Anyway, anyone who lives in Kalgoorlie knows that unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence for people’s cars to get stolen and when the thieves are done with the car, they’ll take it out bush and set it on fire. It’s horrible…BUT, when life gives you lemons…

Buy a few cans of spray paint, find some old cars out bush, maybe toward cow tails and Radio Hill if you’re stuck for ideas and you’ll be sure to come across some old, rusty, burnt out cars. They’re an eye soar really, so could use a bit of brightening up.

And if you’re great with art, it’s a nice way to impress your date and show off your skills. I don’t recommend spray painting anything more than that. If you come across some old ruins out bush…LEAVE THEM ALONE!

4. Sunset and Tasting Plate on the Back of a Ute

Simple yet effective. Cut up a bunch of stuff for a tasting plate, a bottle of wine, some glasses and find a deserted spot to watch the sunset together. Maybe take a speaker if you’re the kind of person who feels awkward in silence.

Easy, cheap. What everyone wants from a date, hey?

5. Watch a Slag Pour

During the BHP Nickel Smelting process, the high grade concentrate is separated from the low grade tails, which is then discarded down the side of a man made hill. This low grade mixture is called the ‘slag.’

When the furnace is running, they can do these slag pours every 15 minutes or so and it is heated to such high temperatures it is literally like watching lava (or at least what I imagine lava would look like).

Most people choose Radio Hill to go up to watch the slag pour happen. If you know your way better around the bush, however, you can find a perfect vantage point where it almost burns your eyebrows off.

I recommend the safer option. Not just because I won’t be held responsible for anyone’s bad judgement…but also because the very close up spot usually requires you to tread onto private BHP land

6. Cultural Tour

For the more adventurous!

If you want to see how “up to a challenge” your prospective partner is or introduce them to a new culture, take them on a cultural tour.

There are a few to choose from in Kalgoorlie:

Honey Ant Tour

If you don’t know what a honey ant is, it’s sort of like a bee…but it’s an ant. It stores it’s honey…Well…I might leave that to you to find out. And I hope you do decide to find out first hand.

You can book through their website, Goldfields Honey Ant Tours or contact them directly through their Facebook page, Tjupan Bush Trips.

Wongutha Bush Tours

Kalgoorlie is generally Wongutha land, I believe and most widely spoken Aboriginal language in these areas.

Bush Ghoodhu Wongutha Tours that offer a variety of experiences where you can learn things about Wongutha Aboriginal culture, hunting bush tucker, tracking animals, bush medicine.

You can book directly through them or through the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Visitors Centre.

7. Super Pit Tour

To be honest, almost everyone I know who lives in Kalgoorlie has never been on a Super Pit Tour. We’ve all gone to the lookout, maybe even seen a blast or two, but none have actually participated in a Super Pit Tour.

And hopefully your date hasn’t either. And if they have, maybe they haven’t gone with you and you can woo the pants off of them!

You can either look like a money bags and go for a paid tour (although personally I think that may set the wrong tone for the relationship first off – Unless that is the tone you’re looking to set and you are a money bags) OR you could choose to have a nice morning at the Hannan’s North Tourist Mine where you’re able to get FREE tickets to then join the tour.

Every third Sunday of the month (which also happens to be Boulder Market Day), Northern Star operates FREE tours of the KCGM mine sites and the Super Pit to give others a better understanding of their operations. What better day for a date too, a Sunday…When there’s not much else to do in town anyway.

8. Become a Tourist

Being a tourist is my favourite way to remind myself of how interesting a place can be. Especially when you’ve been in the same place for a long time and are growing weary of it.

Contrary to popular belief, there’s actually quite a lot to do in Kalgoorlie, amazing history and a lot of incredible mines. Just the other day, as I was headed to lunch with my mother I said “I’ve never been in there before. Should we check it out after lunch?”

And after lunch, we went to the Boulder Town Hall, I saw the famous Goatcher curtain for the first time, took in the vintage furniture and portraits hanging in the council meeting room upstairs and became part of the Kalgoorlie history by signing a memorabilia canvas the Town Hall had put out.

Take them on a date everywhere the tourists go. Especially at a non-touristy time.

9. Do the Parkrun

The Parkrun is a 5km run that is held at the entrance of Karlkurla Park every Sunday at 8am. It is a volunteer run activity and is great motivation to keep coming every week and to strive to improve.

You sign up, get given a barcode that you print off and rock up come Sunday. Everyone starts their 5km at the same time at 8am and at the finish line, there is a volunteer to scan your barcode to record your time. Your results are sent to your email you signed up with.

If you’re into someone sporty or a quite fit yourself, or you’re just looking for something different, try the Parkrun.

If you’re not too into running, that’s fine too. You’re allowed to walk it. Plenty of people from different walks of life participate for varying reasons. For some mums, it’s the only time they’re able to socialise and show up with their prams, chatting and walking along. For others, it’s motivation to keep showing up every week and do it cos they know they should. For me, it was an excuse to get out and see that little bit more of Kalgoorlie that not everyone quite knows about.

10. Take a Thunderstruck Trike Tour

You may have seen this one on TV. It’s an orange Harley Davidson Trike that will take you on tours of the Goldfields. The great part, though, is that it is super affordable.

They have a whole range of tour options to choose from whether you’re just looking for something around town or want to get out a little further, like, say…Broad Arrow.

Check them out on Facebook for the full menu of tour options

11. Go on a Day Trip

There are so many things to see and do on the outskirts of Kalgoorlie that people don’t quite talk or know about. Go see the statues at Lake Ballard, gawk at the cliffs at Cave Rock, See the serene waters at Burra Rock among so many others.

Try any one of these day trips for an idea of a day trip to take your special someone on.

You can either settle on one of these ideas…Or be like everyone else and take your prospective date out to dinner and a movie. If you do decide on this option, The Palace Hotel would be the best bet or Paddy’s. Or even like I just mentioned, Broad Arrow. It’s a little further out of town, but is a great gem not many people frequent unless they work out those ways

BUT if you really want to stand out from the crowd and you’re looking to impress, I’d choose one of these 10 date ideas.

So, do you have any great date ideas that all the rest of us schmucks are able to steal and try out? Which one is your favourite? Which one are you going to try next? Let us know in the comments below!

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In Australia

The Ultimate Guide to Kalgoorlie: Why Kalgoorlie is definitely worth a visit

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Mining dam in Kalgoorlie

Now you might be thinking…Kalgoorlie? Why on Earth would I want to go to Kalgoorlie? But I’m here to tell you that Kalgoorlie is actually well worth the visit. ESPECIALLY for families.

Shock!

I know!

I was surprised too.

But I’ve found out that Kalgoorlie is both great to visit and live.

And in this post, I’ll show you absolutely everything you need to know and convince you to put Kalgoorlie on your list of “must-visit” places in Western Australia (or at least your “might visit” list haha).

But beware, Kalgoorlie has a way of sucking people in. I’ve known many backpackers who’ve come to Kalgoorlie and 10 years later, they’re still here, wondering how their travels came to a halt in the outback, middle of nowhere like Kalgoorlie. Even my parents had a five year plan before supposedly moving back to New Zealand…and here we are, 15 years later, still here.

About Kalgoorlie and what it’s known for

Now, if you don’t know anything about Kalgoorlie, it’s a remote city (although it’s long been debated whether the title of city should be stripped from Kalgoorlie as it’s population fluctuates regularly, often dropping below the population of 30,000 people required for the title of city), situated in the Goldfields of Western Australia.

People flock from all over the country (and world) to work and live in Kalgoorlie. I’ve never lived in such a multi-cultural place in my life, personally.

Kalgoorlie is about 600kms (~370 miles) inland from Perth and is considered a desert in the outback. The vivid hues of red and orange coming through in the soil are unlike anywhere else on this Earth.

Kalgoorlie is known for its mining industry, pubs, skimpies (scantily dressed barmaids-there was a time where they used to be completely naked) and brothels.

It’s only one of two places in Australia where prostitution still is legal and rumour has it, the record held by one of the workers at Questa Casa, the oldest brothel in all of Australia, will shock you.

Try a pub crawl along it’s main street, Hannans Street. It’ll have you slurring in no time, there are that many pubs here.

Mining dam in Kalgoorlie
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Life in Kalgoorlie

Living in Kalgoorlie is what you make of it. I’ve known many to have loved it and also many who have hated it. The thing to have made the difference, as with many things is the people you make connections with.

People in Kalgoorlie, as they’ve generally come from all over the world, are usually quite sociable. Most people flock to Kalgoorlie for the money, so as can be expected, most people in Kalgoorlie work hard, saving their well earned cash for their next holiday (Usually Bali, Esperance or Perth)

In the last decade or so, the council has really put a lot of money into the town too. Doing the roads up a lot nicer, adding drainage so the floods don’t carry cars down the road when it rains slightly, making the playgrounds and green spaces a lot nicer.

Weather in Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie is pretty predictable for the most part with its weather.

In summer it’s hot, in winter it’s cold.

Pretty simple.

But in the summer it can reach temperatures as high as 46C and in the winter, get as low as -5C. The main issue in Kalgoorlie is that it is so dry. The heat is super drying and the cold actually hurts sometimes, it’s that cold. Remember to drink plenty of water if you’re not used to such a dry environment ESPECIALLY in summer, obviously.

Also, people often find when they move to Kalgoorlie, they sometimes develop hay fever and due to the dry nature of Kalgoorlie and the chlorinated water, sometimes eczema develops (according to local doctors I’ve spoken to).

How to get to Kalgoorlie

There are three ways to get to Kalgoorlie (generally from Perth):

1. Fly

It’s about an hour flight from Perth. It generally costs a bit more than you’d expect from a one-hour flight thanks to other factors but, if you’re a Kalgoorlie local you can actually get it a little cheaper.

The Kalgoorlie Airport is such a quaint place. There’s a small shop with refreshments available, good toilet facilities and even a little playground for the kids.

2. Train

The prospector is the passenger train that travels between Perth and Kalgoorlie. It’s much cheaper than flying, however takes the Prospector about 6h 45m to reach Kalgoorlie.

You can book either online, over the phone or in person at one of their ticketing agents. They also offer discounts in many instances. The prospector is wheelchair accessible, has toilets, food available to purchase and other great facilities.

The Kalgoorlie train is a great, cheap option.

3. Drive

The road between Perth and Kalgoorlie is a long, straight and boring one. I, personally, enjoy it as I love driving. It’s pretty therapeutic to me (not with children, however haha), but it’s not for everyone. It takes about 6 hours without stopping and requires at least a full tank of gas in most cases.

If you plan your drive, it can also be a nice, enjoyable drive too.

Where to stay in Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie has a number of great accommodation options available. AirBnB’s, hotels, backpackers, caravan parks and free camping spots. Just don’t expect to find many (or any) options during Kalgoorlie’s biggest event, Diggers and Dealers.

One of the better hotels in Kalgoorlie is Rydges. Hands down one of the nicer hotels, opposite the movie theatre and has great facilities on site, however it is a bit further away from town. It makes it a perfect option if you have a car.

The Plaza hotel is also a nice hotel and is close to town.

If you want a very cheap option that doesn’t EVER get mentioned though, the Grand Hotel is worth a try. It has older facilities, but it’s in the heart of Kalgoorlie with plenty of things around to keep yourself busy.

Best caravan park is discovery park in Boulder. Great facilities, nice cabins and affordable. There’s also a Big4 Caravan Park in Kalgoorlie too, which is worth a mention. It’s a popular spot with good facilities and affordable compared to some other Big4 Caravan Parks too.

If you’re looking for free caravan parks, your best bet is Centennial park which allows free overnight parking and a dump point. Otherwise, just outside of Kalgoorlie by about 5-10 minutes is a free camping spot out at Lake Douglas. It’s not a sealed road, but it’s also not a rough one. Completely capable of a 2WD to drive the track.

AirBnB’s are obviously great if you wanted a more homely stay OR to have a local present to give you ideas on what to do in Kalgoorlie. There aren’t a huge amount to choose from, but it is still an option.

We have a favourite up in Hannans in Kalgoorlie, but she has since become a friend…so I may be a bit biased.

What is there to do in Kalgoorlie

There are a bunch of things to do in Kalgoorlie.

Personally, with 5 kids, I prefer all the free things rather than the paid things to do in Kalgoorlie and thanks to the strong community, there are often free community events planned in the weekends. For example, over the summer, there is an outdoor cinema often run at centennial park or free weekend concerts, winter festivals, kids festival, multicultural festivals and many others.

I recommend doing activities that are unique to Kalgoorlie such as a brothel tour, super pit tour or cultural tour! If you’re staying a little longer, you could try one of these great day trips from Kalgoorlie! Otherwise, this is an ongoing list of absolutely everything there is to do in Kalgoorlie.

Or if you’re strapped for time, try a good one or two day itinerary

Is Kalgoorlie dangerous?

This is a very subjective topic so it’s a hard one to answer.

Kalgoorlie is like most places. Yes, dangers exist but as long as you keep your wits about you and don’t put yourself in dangerous situations, you’ll be completely fine. And even if you don’t keep your wits about you, chances still are that you’ll be completely fine.

I think the TV show, ‘Kalgoorlie Cops’ gave people the wrong perception of Kalgoorlie and it isn’t always like that.

There are sometimes a very large number of break-ins and since I’ve lived here (for 15 years), we’ve been broken into about six times that I can remember, had a motorbike stolen and a car stolen and burnt out.

Work in Kalgoorlie

Mining is the reason Kalgoorlie even exists. Out and about, you’ll see so many people driving work utes, walking around in work high-vis clothing and free work boots galore. There are many possibilities for mining work especially in Kalgoorlie.

If mining isn’t appealing to you, there are so many other options for work in Kalgoorlie. I’ve actually seen a sign that read something along the lines of ‘Got two arms? Got two legs? Got a heart beat? We want you!’ Quite literally there are jobs almost being thrown at people around here.

The abundance of work opportunities is often what draws people to Kalgoorlie and the thing that keeps people here.

Great pay is available if you’re willing, a variety of rosters…but be careful. Kalgoorlie has a way of sucking you in for good…which hasn’t been such a bad thing in my case.

Kalgoorlie has been great to me and my family

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School in Kalgoorlie

For such a small place, Kalgoorlie has a good variety of schools to choose from. There are many public primary schools and depending on where you live, that would determine what school you’d be allocated to.

There is only one public High School in Kalgoorlie and although it has a bad wrap, it has a lot of great supports and variety of subjects available. The High School has been split into two schools due to previous issues. The first High School completes year levels seven to ten, then the kids complete years eleven and twelve and the upper High School.

Further education options are also available: Central Regional TAFE, Curtin, Western Australian School of Mines, The Rural Clinical School.

Nightlife

There are a huge number of pubs to choose from. Take your pick. I couldn’t recommend one because they all have a different vibe. And my vibe may not be your vibe.

We don’t have night clubs.

The closest thing to a nightclub in town though is Goldbar. It’s the only place licenced in town to be open until the wee hours of the morning so everyone congregates and eventually ends up there…Unless you’re one of the sensible few who go home by midnight.

Choose that option.

Sport

There are a wide variety of sport offered in Kalgoorlie. Not just your usual netball, basketball, footy, volleyball, softball, soccer or teeball but also BMX, go-karting, karate, belly dancing and shooting.

There are things to keep people of all ages busy and happy, which makes it so great for families. Ask around to find a sport that you may enjoy

All in all, Kalgoorlie is a great place if you choose it to be. There are a lot of opportunities for work or even holding fort to save money to better your future. I think that’s why people end up staying for so long, unintentionally. The money is great, the community is lovely and it’s a comfortable place to live. Comment below if there’s anything you’d like to know about this great town!

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