To the north of Esperance, the town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has the atmosphere depicted in caricature films about the Australian outback. The town was born with the gold rush of the 1880s. The receptacle of a very eclectic population, the region has gained a reputation of being the Australian Far West, with its bandits and prostitutes. Today, it's the large nickel mining companies which have taken over.
Like all old mining towns, Kalgoorlie is principally populated by men and is composed of numerous colourful pubs.
Those who appreciate colonial architecture will find the destination interesting. The streets are made up of lots of Victorian buildings, evidence of a thriving past. At Kalgoorlie, we only visited the Hannan mine but we were able to make the most of the real "outback" atmosphere.