Kalgoorlie Super Pit tour, Western Australia: Plus flights & lookout
It‘s possible to visit the Super Pit in Kalgoorlie, but only on guided Kalgoorlie mine tours with Kalgoorlie Tours and Charters. If you don’t want to pay for a Kalgoorlie Super Pit tour, try the free Super Pit Lookout.
The Fimiston Open Pit – known to almost everyone as the Super Pit – is an enormous open cut gold mine in the Western Australian city of Kalgoorlie.
The Super Pit is arguably best seen from above. Book a half hour scenic flight here.
It’s not the most conventional tourist attraction. But Kalgoorlie Tours and Charters runs regular bus tours around this giant Kalgoorlie gold mine. These Super Pit tours offer a fairly mindblowing sense of scale.
Kalgoorlie Super Pit tours: alcohol tests
The two-and-a-half hour Kalgoorlie Super Pit tours are the only way to visit the Super Pit and go inside the site. These Kalgoorlie mine tours come with running commentary and a few opportunities to get out of the bus for photos.
Because it is a working mine, there are restrictions on clothing. Long sleeves and long trousers are essential, as are sturdy, fully enclosed shoes worn with socks. There are also breath tests.
You must blow 0.0% blood alcohol concentration into a breathalyser or you’ll not be allowed on the bus. This means no booze – below even the Australian drink-drive limit.
The Kalgoorlie Super Pit tours cost $75 and depart from Hannan Street in central Kalgoorlie. You don’t need a Kalgoorlie taxi to get there.
Kalgoorlie Super Pit questions – answered.
How deep is the Kalgoorlie Super Pit? At present, the Super Pit is around 600 metres deep.
Is the Kalgoorlie Super Pit the biggest in the world? Not any more – that prize goes to the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah.
What is mined at the Kalgoorlie Super Pit? A whole lot of rock mainly – but in amongst it is enough gold to make the operation worthwhile.
Kalgoorlie Super Pit Tours: Caterpillar 793Cs
The Super Pit is where giant Caterpillar 793Cs spring into action on a regular basis. What is remarkable standing at the top of the main pit is that they look so small. The big yellow machines head down, deep into the earth, via a large, spiralling dirt track cut around the edge of the pit. There’s an almost military precision to it. There are dozens heading down the track. And dozens more heading up after being loaded up with rock by other equally huge machines.
It’s not all open cut – some of the big beasts are driven inside tunnels that go under the city – but all the effort is deemed worth it to get at the gold. The amount of earth moved and processed for a few specks is phenomenal. It gives an idea of why gold has always been regarded as such a precious metal.
Is Kalgoorlie fly-in, fly-out?
It is what Kalgoorlie, a 90 minute flight or 593km drive from Perth, was founded on. There has been enough of it to sustain what manages to be a genuine city in a region that’s otherwise pretty hostile to human inhabitation. In contrast to the fly-in, fly-out operations elsewhere in Western Australia, there appears to be a desire to keep Kalgoorlie as more than a mine with buildings tagged on.
Those who work here also live here. There’s enough variety to sustain shops, schools, government offices and other not obviously mining-related businesses.
Kalgoorlie Super Pit flights
Another way of seeing the Kalgoorlie Super Pit is on a half hour scenic flight from Kalgoorlie Airport. These flight show off just how big a dent the pit makes in the surrounding landscape. At time of writing these Super Pit flights cost from $217, and should be booked online.
Super Pit Lookout
A second alternative to doing a Kalgoorlie mine tour is visiting the Super Pit Lookout at the end of Outram Street. There is no charge, and it is open until 7pm.
Other worthwhile attractions in Kalgoorlie include Hannans North Tourist Mine and the Museum of the Goldfields.
Where should I stay in Kalgoorlie?
Specialist Australian accommodation website Wotif offers Kalgoorlie accommodation for from $133 a night. Check out the deals page to search for the best value stay.
However, you should consider these options first.
- For central location and a pool: Plaza Hotel.
- For best quality: Quest Yelverton apartments.
- For proximity to the railway station: Quality Inn Railway Motel.
- For pool, free parking and good value: Hospitality Inn (part of the Best Western group).
More inland Australia
What is the Giant Koala in Dadswell Bridge, Victoria?
Where can I find craft breweries in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales?
Mildura car hire: How much do rentals cost?
What are the best walks in Thredbo, New South Wales?
What is the population of Goulburn, New South Wales?