Kalgoorlie to Norseman road trip: Fuel stops, distance & driving time

The drive from Kalgoorlie to Norseman covers 187km in distance. Expect a driving time of around 2h3m. The best road trip stop is the Red Hill Lookout over Lake Lefroy in Kambalda.

The drive from Kalgoorlie to Norseman takes you from Western Australia’s biggest outback mining town to the Eyre Highway.

Kalgoorlie offers scenic flights over the enormous Super Pit.

Go east from Norseman, meanwhile, and you’re onto the infamous Nullarbor crossing towards Ceduna in South Australia. To look for the best Norseman accommodation, book here.

Don’t want to drive the Nullarbor? Then consider a ten day camping adventure tour from Perth to Adelaide (or in the opposite direction).

Kalgoorlie to Norseman distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Kalgoorlie to Norseman is 187km. This makes for a driving time of two hours and three minutes.

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).

Kalgoorlie to Norseman fuel stops

It’s advisable to fill up in Norseman before you leave, although there are fuel stops between Kalgoorlie and Norseman. There are fuel stations in Kambalda and Widgiemooltha.

Kalgoorlie to Norseman driving route

The Kalgoorlie to Norseman drive leaves Kalgoorlie to the south. You can stop at the Super Pit Lookout if you want to see an impressively massive open cut gold mine. There’s also the Old Boulder Cemetery, which gives an idea of just how many men died during the initial gold rush in these parts.

There are a few industrial sites on the way south down the Goldfields Highway, but the first realistic stop is Kambalda.

Kalgoorlie to Norseman road trip: Kambalda and Lake Lefroy

This is a small mining town in its own right, and it has a couple of places to eat, a golf course and a petrol station. There’s also one hole of the Nullarbor Links golf course.

If picking just one thing to do in Kambalda, make it heading to the top of the Red Hill Lookout. Here, you’ll get fabulous views out over Lake Lefroy. This vast salt pan often twinkles in the sunlight, and is a highly-regarded spot for land sailing.

Kalgoorlie to Norseman drive: Lake Cowan and Norseman

Shortly after Kambalda, you’ll join the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. This passes a few unexciting nature reserves and more salt lakes before crossing Lake Cowan and entering Norseman.

Norseman is a somewhat shabby frontier town. Things to do in Norseman include checking out the views from the Beacon Hill and Lake Cowan lookouts, plus hanging out in Phoenix Park. Here, old mining equipment mixes with the picnic tables and barbecues.

Norseman accommodation options include the motel-like Great Western Travel Village and the cheap and not especially cheerful Acclaim Gateway Tourist Park.